Government Solutions Reporter

The Houston Landing is looking for individuals to add to our team of passionate people on a mission to advance democracy in our communities and strengthen the lives of all Houstonians one story at a time. Houston Landing is an independent, nonpartisan news organization devoted to public service journalism. Initially supported by three of Houston’s leading philanthropies including Arnold Ventures, The Houston Endowment, and the Kinder Foundation, we are building a team to support our efforts in sustainability and revenue growth.

First and foremost, this is a government accountability beat. We follow the money, but we also dig into policies, provide context and background. Our coverage is aligned to one of our key pillars: producing stories that offer solutions and improve civic engagement.

Requirements

What you'll do:

• You will be responsible for doing stories that focus on the intersection of government services and community needs. That means what are local government entities supposed to provide to their residents and what residents say they are not getting adequately. These stories will be centered around deeply reporting potential solutions to problems. Think of this as a general assignment reporter position focused on solutions-oriented journalism.
• You would be developing stories out of some of the biggest beats including Houston City Hall, Harris County and Houston Police Department. You'll also do stories from a variety of our key suburban governments from cities to counties.
• You will do stories on any number of pressing and ongoing problems and issues in the Houston region: growth, affordable housing, crumbling infrastructure, income inequities, crime, homelessness, gentrification.
• You will work closely with our government reporting team including our Houston City Hall reporter, our Harris County reporter, and our Politics reporter.
• You will report to our government editor Matt Schwartz.

What you’ll need: 

• You have three or more years of journalism experience with a track record of enterprise and accountability reporting. 
• You have experience using multiple digital platforms to tell a story.
• You have a flexible attitude that allows you to thrive at a digital startup and think creatively.
• You are curious, organized, always on the lookout for good story ideas and who knows how to stay on task to make those stories a reality.
• You are committed to our mission of finding a new path for quality journalism.
• You have a collaborative spirit, strong communication skills and a willingness to listen to diverse perspectives.
• You have a valid driver's license, insurance, and vehicle.
• You’re committed to accuracy and meeting deadlines.
• You have empathy, emotional IQ, bring authenticity, rigor and are fair. 

Benefits

Our Values

EXCELLENCE: We wake up every day with the intent to be the best at what we do.We hustle. We have grit. When we make mistakes, we quickly correct and learn from them.

INCLUSION: We aren’t all the same, and those differences are what make us better. We’ll respect each person’s uniqueness. Perspective, context and life experiences help us to tell the story.

AMBITION: We will be bold and creative, open to all ideas big or small. We really mean it.

FUN: We are not making widgets, although there is nothing wrong with widgets. We tell stories - and stories are often fun, so we believe in having lots of fun.

COLLABORATION: We are all in this together. We may not always agree, but we will listen to each other and communicate candidly and respectfully.

Benefits

• Compensation commensurate with experience, minimum of $70,000
• 401(k)
• Healthcare 100% premium paid for employee and 50% for dependents
• 20 vacation days
• Ten sick days
• Generous paid parental leave
• Hybrid work policy (initially we all work together to build culture)
• Stipend for development / learning

We’re committed to building an inclusive organization that represents the people and communities we serve. We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, veterans, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities.