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. We've established ourselves, and our model, 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.

Breaking news is in our DNA. In May 2024, the staff of Lookout Santa Cruz won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting. Announcing the prize on May 6, 2024, Marjorie Miller cited our "detailed and nimble community-focused coverage, over a holiday weekend, of catastrophic flooding and mudslides that displaced thousands of residents and destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses." The Lookout team documented in words, photos and video what people were living through, from the San Lorenzo Valley to Pajaro to Capitola.

Since then, we haven't stopped. When huge swells tore off the end of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf on Dec. 23, 2024, our correspondents and photojournalist were there within the hour. That coverage also won first place for breaking news at the California Journalism Awards.

Now, we’re creating a position focused on two essential parts of our mission: getting the story right when news breaks and developing smart, enterprising general assignment reporting that helps readers understand their communities. 

Learn more about Lookout:

• Lookout Santa Cruz: https://lookout.co/
• Lookout Eugene-Springfield: https://lookouteugene-springfield.com/
• Lookout expansion coverage: https://lookout.co/network
• Lookout Pulitzer coverage: https://lookout.co/tag/lookouts-2024-pulitzer-prize

Santa Cruz County makes news constantly, much of it in ways nobody plans for. There are atmospheric rivers and wildfires, coastal surges and landslides on Highway 17, police shootings, high-profile trials and fast-moving public safety debates in Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Capitola, Scotts Valley and the mountain communities. There are also the local decisions, emerging issues, compelling characters and unexpected developments that shape life across the county. Readers count on Lookout to be first and best. They want to know what happened, what it means and what they should do next, and they want it fast, accurately and in context.

As our Breaking News / General Assignment Correspondent, you'll often be among the first reporters on the scene when a major story breaks. You'll help establish what is known, verify information, publish an initial account and keep readers informed as a story develops. You'll work closely with editors and colleagues across the newsroom, who share responsibility for covering major breaking news events and contributing reporting, visuals, context and follow-up.

When the news cycle allows, you'll pursue general assignment stories across Santa Cruz County. That could mean reporting on public safety, crime and the courts, but also local government, transportation, education, housing, the environment, business or the people and issues shaping life here. We're looking for a versatile reporter who follows their curiosity, develops sources, recognizes the bigger story behind the daily news and knows how to make journalism matter to readers.

We prize versatility in storytelling and format, and our collegial correspondent team is fast becoming comfortable with video. Our correspondents work collaboratively, experiment with new approaches and use a range of digital tools to bring stories to life.

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 our 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.

Essential skills:

• 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.

Nice to have:

• Bilingual abilities in Spanish and English.
• Data journalism skills, public records research or experience analyzing trends in government and public safety data.
• Experience with trauma-informed interviewing.
• Evolving applied knowledge of AI use.

What we offer:

• Competitive salary of [SALARY RANGE], plus performance-based incentives.
• Full-time benefits include highly competitive medical, dental, and optical benefits, and 401(k) with matching.
• Stock options in a growing company.
• An opportunity to make a significant impact on and contribute to the revival of local journalism, in a Pulitzer Prize-winning newsroom.
• A collaborative and mission-driven work environment.

If you are interested, please respond with a cover letter describing your capabilities, demonstrating relevant experience and your drive to do this work. Include three to five clips, including at least one breaking-news story you covered from first alert to follow-up and, if you have one, a crime or courts story.

Equal Opportunity Employer: Lookout Santa Cruz is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. We especially encourage applicants from the many communities of Santa Cruz County, including South County, to apply.