State House Reporter

The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram seeks an outstanding journalist to cover state government and politics. We are an ambitious news organization with high standards, and we need a self-motivated reporter who can do it all – from major investigations and data-driven journalism to breaking news and profiles. This is an intense, demanding beat – and one of the most important in Maine journalism. During the legislative session, this beat can requires unpredictable hours and sometimes more than one byline a day. But we don’t just want coverage of legislative action; we need serious, smart enterprise journalism that incorporates everything from examinations of state agencies to scrutiny of campaign finance and lobbying reports. When the legislative is not in session, the appetite for enterprise is even bigger. You will also be involved in coverage of what is shaping up to be an extremely interesting 2022 gubernatorial election.

This is not a job for a rookie reporter. Successful candidates will have several years of daily experience in a watchdog role and be able to submit clips that demonstrate experience working with public records requests, campaign finance reports and other documents. We need a reporter who is aggressive but not arrogant, who is confident but works collaboratively with editors and colleagues.

The state government reporter is based primarily at the State House in Augusta but can work out of our main newsroom in Portland as well as remotely. For the right candidate, this is a fantastic opportunity. But you must be able to juggle a lot – big enterprise stories, dailies and breaking news. You must be adept at working with data, comfortable in a digital-first environment, a savvy user of social media, and available to make TV and radio appearances.

If you are the best at what you do and share our zeal for ambitious journalism, this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. You will be part of Maine’s finest and largest newsgathering operation, and you’ll live in a region with an extraordinarily high quality of life. Send your resume and five examples of your best work to Executive Editor Steve Greenlee at sgreenlee@mainetoday.com.

We offer:

  • Health, dental and vision insurance
  • Short/long-term disability and life insurance
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • 401k with company match

We are an EEO employer.