Company Overview

Defense News is the leading news outlet covering the business side of national security. Our readers are decision-makers at the Pentagon, Capitol Hill and at military bases throughout the world.

At Defense News, the beat reporters are the core of the organization. They break stories, provide indispensable business intelligence, write best-of-class enterprise stories and develop plugged-in sources who help readers understand the factors influencing military policy and acquisition.

We have an immediate opening for a journalist to cover the Pentagon.

This job requires:

• Working as one of the lead enterprise reporters in our newsroom and writing ambitious enterprise stories to include profiles, investigations and explainers. This means collaborating regularly with Defense News and C4ISRNET reporters and shepherding enterprise stories that don’t fall squarely in one beat.
• Keeping an eye on the big picture issues at the Pentagon
• Offering smart analysis
• Helping coordinate coverage
• Serving as a public face for Defense News with the Pentagon’s top leaders both for news gathering and to ensure their viewpoints are a presence in our pages and our events via quotes, interviews, and opinion pieces.
• Covering government and industry officials who want to shape how hundreds of billions of dollars are spent each year
• Making routine announcements sing with clean writing and insight
• Moderating panels and leading interviews at our showcase events

Previous coverage of national security is strongly preferred. We don’t want stenography or a reporter who hops from event to event. We want someone who looks past buzzwords, won’t be easily led and thinks hard about the consequences of every decision. This is a high-profile position. 

Sometimes the job includes traveling with defense leaders or attending trade shows in foreign countries. Sometimes the job requires parsing the nitty-gritty of defense acquisition requirements or combing through budget books for crumbs about the future of warfare. We sweat details. Our editors value accuracy, clarity and a good story.

At Defense News, we pride ourselves on covering the business, politics and technology that is critical to national security. Founded in 1986, Defense News has a team of nearly 25 reporters, editors and correspondents worldwide. It is part of Sightline Media, which also owns Military Times, Air Force Times, Marine Corps Times, Army Times, Navy Times and Federal Times.