Climate, Environment & Water Reporter

About the role

You will join the Santa Barbara News-Press as a dedicated beat reporter, covering topics of environment, climate and water across Santa Barbara County and the Central Coast. Your reporting will focus on explanatory and accountability journalism, presenting complex topics in a straightforward, accessible style for multimedia audiences.

Responsibilities

• Anchor a dedicated Climate, Environment & Water (CEW) reporting beat for the News-Press, contributing strong original reporting across media formats, including:
• Daily and weekly beat stories
• Community profiles, breaking news and developing stories
• Features, data journalism, and investigations
• Report and write
• Develop and report original stories through on-the-ground reporting
• Write clear, accurate, well-structured stories on deadline
• File breaking news quickly while maintaining accuracy and fairness
• Follow stories beyond the news cycle for in-depth “day two” coverage
• Develop long-form, investigative and explanatory features
• Work across formats
• Contribute through written text and photos
• Sell short-form video for publishing across multiple platforms
• Work with editors and colleagues to adapt reporting for different platforms
• Present at periodic in-person News-Press events focusing on environmental topics
• Collaborate in a modern newsroom
• Participate in story meetings and contribute ideas
• Be open to feedback and committed to continuous improvement
• Occasionally cover general assignment stories or breaking news as needed

Requirements

The pay scale for this position ranges from $28.00 - $34.00/hour.

What you’ll own

• Anchor a dedicated Climate, Environment & Water (CEW) reporting beat for the News-Press, contributing strong original reporting across media formats, including:
• Daily and weekly beat stories
• Community profiles, breaking news and developing stories
• Features, data journalism, and investigations

What you’ll do

• Report and write
• Develop and report original stories through on-the-ground reporting
• Write clear, accurate, well-structured stories on deadline
• File breaking news quickly while maintaining accuracy and fairness
• Follow stories beyond the news cycle for in-depth “day two” coverage
• Develop long-form, investigative and explanatory features
• Work across formats
• Contribute through written text and photos
• Sell short-form video for publishing across multiple platforms
• Work with editors and colleagues to adapt reporting for different platforms
• Present at periodic in-person News-Press events focusing on environmental topics
• Collaborate in a modern newsroom
• Participate in story meetings and contribute ideas
• Be open to feedback and committed to continuous improvement
• Occasionally cover general assignment stories or breaking news as needed

Relevant qualifications

• A degree in journalism or college-level journalism coursework
• A minimum of three years of professional reporting experience in an environmental or related beat
• Excellent reporting and writing skills
• Proficiency in understanding, analyzing, and presenting data in an understandable way
• Experience and comfort publishing stories in short-form vertical video format

Preferred skills and abilities

• A minimum of five years professional reporting experience and/or academic background in environmental topics
• Familiarity with digital publishing workflows
• Spanish language speaking and writing skills

Why this role matters

You will be a core member of a growing team working to transform the 158-year-old Santa Barbara News-Press into an innovative digital-first local news outlet. This role exists to provide strong foundational reporting on the most important news of Santa Barbara County and the Central Coast via timely, fact-based storytelling that resonates with our local community. You are here to build the news and information infrastructure for a people and a place.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) plan with matching employer contribution
• 22 days of vacation time
• 11 holidays, including your birthday
• Parental leave
• Significant tuition reductions
• Professional development is highly valued at ASU Enterprise Partners, where employees are encouraged to look across the organization and nurture new areas of interest
• $30 bi-weekly cell phone reimbursement