Breaking News / General Assignment Correspondent

Lookout Santa Cruz has become the primary news medium for the people of Santa Cruz County, reaching about 50% of the adults in the county each month. The organization has established itself as a full-service community newspaper that happens to be digital, and as the county's go-to source of breaking news and accountability reporting. In May 2024, the staff won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting for detailed, nimble community-focused coverage of catastrophic flooding and mudslides. When huge swells tore off the end of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf in December 2024, correspondents were on scene within the hour, earning first place for breaking news at the California Journalism Awards.

About the role

Location: Santa Cruz. An in-office position reporting to the Executive Editor. Salary: $60,000–$75,000 depending on experience.

Responsibilities

Breaking News

• Take an active role in covering major breaking news across Santa Cruz County, often leading the initial reporting during the first hours of an event.
• Work with editors and colleagues across the newsroom, recognizing that major breaking news is a shared responsibility.
• Report on a wide range of developments, including storms, fires, floods, coastal emergencies, crashes, evacuations, outages, major public safety incidents and other fast-moving news.
• Publish timely, accurate initial reports and update them as new information emerges, distinguishing confirmed facts from preliminary information and clearly communicating what remains unknown.
• Monitor scanners, emergency alert systems, agency feeds, social media and reader tips. Verify before publishing and clearly label what is confirmed and what is not.
• Be willing to work nights, weekends and holidays as news dictates, including on-call rotations during major events.
• Shoot usable photos and short-form video in the field, and work with the photojournalist and Audience Editor on major events.

General Assignment and Community

• Report enterprising daily and longer-form stories across Santa Cruz County, pursuing a variety of topics rather than working within a single dedicated beat.
• Develop story ideas from community conversations, public meetings, documents, data, news tips and independent observation.
• Cover crime, courts and public safety as part of a broader reporting portfolio, including significant cases, criminal justice issues, public safety trends and matters of community concern.
• Build relationships with a diverse range of sources, including public officials, first responders, community organizations, subject-matter experts and residents directly affected by the news.
• Look beyond official statements and routine announcements to find the questions, context and accountability angles that make a story distinctive.
• Collaborate with editors and fellow correspondents on in-depth and follow-up pieces.
• Represent Lookout Santa Cruz at community events and forums, building trust and helping identify the stories that matter to readers.

Requirements

• Two to five years of experience as a daily news reporter, with a demonstrated ability to cover breaking news and produce strong general assignment journalism.
• The ability to work independently in the field while communicating effectively and collaborating with editors and colleagues.
• A strong instinct for verification, precise attribution and navigating incomplete or conflicting information.
• Curiosity about a wide range of subjects, a willingness to learn unfamiliar beats and the initiative to develop original story ideas.
• Ability to stay calm and work safely in the field during emergencies and fast-changing situations.
• Proficiency with digital publishing tools, social platforms and smartphone photo and video.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple and changing priorities simultaneously.
• Comfort with the format of Lookout's correspondent-focused and multi-platform model, and the personality it brings to the work.
• Desire to work in an entrepreneurial, fast-growth startup environment, embracing the agility and flexibility required to thrive within a new business.

Qualifications

• Bilingual abilities in Spanish and English.
• Data journalism skills, public records research or experience analyzing trends in government and public safety data