Investigative Reporter

Role Overview

The Houston Chronicle is looking to hire an investigative reporter to join our award-winning investigations team, the largest team of its kind in Texas. This is a chance for an ambitious accountability-focused journalist to mold their own beat and collaborate widely across a newsroom that’s been named the state’s best for seven of the past eight years by the Texas Managing Editors.

Our reporters work in topic areas such as state and local government accountability, suburban growth and development, the oil and gas industry, healthcare, criminal justice and more. Our goal is to serve our readers, answer their burning questions and make a difference with reporting that calls attention to problems, finds answers and tracks solutions.

This new hire will report to the Senior Director of Investigations and be a part of the local investigative reporting team that has been nationally recognized for its impact and scope. Recently, our team’s work was awarded first place by the Online News Association and National Headliner Awards, as well as by SABEW and Best of the West. Our work was also a finalist for the Livingston Awards and semifinalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting.

Hybrid: Hearst Newspapers (HNP) operates on a hybrid work week schedule.

What You’ll Do

• Pitch, report and produce coverage that drives conversation and impacts the way the region’s power brokers make decisions and exert their influence.
• Own all of the subsequent reporting, impact and updates around key investigative storylines.
• Collaborate with other reporters, editors, visual journalists and audience colleagues to elevate our accountability and high-impact reporting in ways that engage our core audience and give new audiences a reason to subscribe.
• Work with visual, audience and data colleagues to present investigations in new and engaging formats that go beyond traditional print storytelling.

What You’ll Bring

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has at least five years producing original accountability stories that have had a major impact on laws, lives and hearts.
• Has strong familiarity with Texas and moves quickly, identifying opportunities for investigative stories and delving into them with speed, rigor and fairness.
• Will thrive in a fast-paced and collaborative environment, juggling priorities and writing with clarity, care and precision.
• Is well versed in investigative reporting skills, including working with data and filing public records requests at the local, state and federal levels.
• Has demonstrated ability to find audiences for their work on different platforms through a variety of story formats as well as on social media.
• Is experienced with scripting and producing videos to accompany or enhance written investigations.
• Can build data visualizations and databases to bring complex stories to life.

Measures of Success

• Produce exclusive coverage that lands with impact and drives conversation — giving new audiences a reason to convert and keeping our core audience coming back for more.
• Publish content at a cadence that ensures we are regularly offering exclusive, must-read impact and accountability work to our audience.
• Take the biggest accountability stories of the day and elevate them into quick-turn investigative stories or seed them into long-term rolling series.

Additional Information

• Sponsorship: This position does not provide immigration sponsorship. Applicants must have the right to work in the U.S. without immigration sponsorship.
• Accommodations: We are committed to an accessible application process. If you need an accommodation to apply, please contact [email protected]. This email address is for accommodation requests only.

Benefits

We support our employees through personal and professional development and promote physical, financial and emotional wellbeing for employees and their families. Our benefits include:

• Physical Wellbeing: Medical, dental and vision coverage to help keep you and your family healthy.
• Invest for the Future: Competitive retirement plan with a matching program in most markets.
• Generous Paid Time Off: Ample time off, including holidays and vacation.
• Paid Parental Leave: Paid leave to support growing families and new parents.
• Monthly Child & Dependent Care Reimbursement: Financial support for the care of your loved ones.
• Emotional Wellbeing: Mental wellness benefits to support your emotional wellbeing.
• LGBTQ+ & Inclusive Health Services: Inclusive healthcare designed for individual needs.
• Fertility Coverage & Menopause Support: Support throughout different stages of your health and family journey.
• Pet Wellness Reimbursement & Rover Credits: Support to help keep your pets happy and healthy.
• And more: Learn more about additional benefits and details here.