Senior State Investigative Reporter/Editor

The state investigative reporter/editor is a seasoned journalist who helps lead high‑impact accountability and investigative reporting serving NEWSWELL’s local newsrooms from within our networked investigative team.

This job is housed within a new standalone investigative team that serves the Western newsrooms in NEWSWELL’s nonprofit collective.

This player/coach role will focus on investigative reporting and will assist with editing and guiding a small team, sometimes serving as first or second editor on projects.

The team’s work may focus on a core topic area including:

• housing and income disparity
• urban policy and disruption
• health care and health disparity
• agriculture and immigration
• education and child development
• technology influence and malfeasance
• criminal justice and rule of law

This reporter/editor will collaborate with other team members and staffers from NEWSWELL’s local newsrooms also focus on serving a key NEWSWELL newsroom or coverage region including San Diego and the border, the Inland Empire, coastal California and the Central Valley and agricultural regions.

This reporter/editor has the skills to originate, scope and execute sophisticated accountability projects that examine how power, money, decisions and public systems shape life across California and the West.

This reporter/editor will use advanced reporting techniques — complex public records work, deep sourcing, data analysis and document‑driven research — and help elevate investigative standards across the team and our local newsrooms. This reporter/editor demonstrates skill at mentoring colleagues and collaborating on digital presentation, packaging and impact tracking.

This reporter/editor should bring a leadership and mentorship sensibility to the role, and take responsibility for managing the team’s legal and safety risks.

Every piece of our team’s work will focus on two equal priorities: impact and audience connection:

IMPACT:

All our efforts should pursue righting a wrong and demonstrating the power of journalism to improve public life.

AUDIENCE CONNECTION:

Everything we publish should also be in pursuit of strengthening audience ties to our newsroom, through two-way dialogue, public events, uses of new platforms or other methods to demonstrate public outreach.

NEWSWELL helps newsrooms become nonprofit and for-community, providing strategic guidance, innovative solutions and operational support so journalists can focus on what matters most: serving their communities. Through partnerships with Arizona State University — named the nation’s most innovative university for 11 years in a row — NEWSWELL brings cutting-edge ideas, research and tools to reinvent local news and strengthen democracy.

Our innovative model has earned us support from journalistic and philanthropic organizations nationwide. This new team’s work is designed to leverage and grow that support, so that we can grow and transform local journalism.

Submission Requirements

A cover letter explaining the key contributions you would bring to the role, and explaining how your clips shed light on the path to that role.

A resume explaining your professional skills and background.

At least three clips demonstrating aptitude for investigative impact and audience connection.

What you’ll do

Primary role: Conceive, develop and produce original investigative and accountability stories that deliver exclusive findings, reveal systemic issues or influence and have measurable civic impact.

Secondary role: Serve as first or second editor on projects from within the team.

Mentor and coach local newsrooms and collaborate on local reporting.

Integrate solutions journalism, audience interaction and other innovative techniques into the investigative workflow.

Lead complex public records reporting.

Analyze data at an advanced level or collaborate with others to do so.

Develop and protect sensitive sources across government, institutions and communities.

Travel as needed to NEWSWELL locations and other reporting locations.

Collaborate with editors and the impact producer to present stories to a broad range of audiences.

Use multiple digital publishing formats when appropriate.

Represent the newsroom at community forums and partner events; engage transparently with readers and stakeholders.

Pilot new tools, including responsible AI, to enhance research, document analysis and workflow efficiency.

Partner with ASU’s Walter Cronkite School and other academic institutions to create strong student engagement opportunities, including reporting, learning experiences and newsroom collaboration.

Contribute to an inclusive, collaborative newsroom culture that values transparency, fairness, equity and community impact.

What you'll need

• Investigative mastery: FOIA/OMA strategy, document analysis, source development, meticulous verification.
• Financial literacy: ability to read and explain budgets, balance sheets, audits/ACFRs, pension disclosures, bond offerings and contracts; comfort interviewing fiscal experts and translating jargon for readers.
• Solutions journalism practice: familiarity with evidence standards, comparative case vetting and transparent limitations; ability to integrate solutions frames without advocacy.
• Data reporting: spreadsheet manipulation, dataset cleaning, identifying trends; collaborate on charts/maps/visuals.
• Storytelling excellence: ability to distill complex information; strong organization and project management across multi‑month investigations and faster accountability hits.
• Digital fluency: SEO‑aware writing, smart packaging, social and audience collaboration to maximize reach and comprehension.
• Risk awareness: strong judgment around legal, safety and trauma‑informed practices.
• Leadership and mentorship: capacity to guide reporters on methods, ethics and craft; clear, collaborative communication.
• Proficiency in Associated Press style; commitment to fairness, accuracy, inclusion and community‑centered journalism.

Relevant qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in journalism or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five to seven years of reporting experience with a record of accountability or investigative work.
• Demonstrable experience producing exclusive findings, document‑driven reporting, public records work and data‑enhanced stories.

Preferred education and experience

• Editing and leadership experience, with a track record of guiding accountability reporting and project publication in a larger team or newsroom.
• Experience reporting in California and the West.
• Experience with cross‑newsroom or regional accountability collaborations.

Preferred skills and abilities

• Advanced data tools (SQL, R or Python) or mapping software (ArcGIS, QGIS).
• Fluency in languages other than English.

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.

NEWSWELL is an Equal Opportunity Employer.