State politics reporter – Heartland Signal

Position Summary

In statehouses across the nation, lawmakers are setting the rules that shape daily life: how schools are funded, who can vote, what health care looks like, how tax dollars get spent. Most of those decisions get made with too few reporters in the room. Heartland Signal is hiring a reporter to help fill that gap.

We surface underreported stories from statehouses in our coverage area. Our work is grounded in fact-based reporting and the principles we believe a healthy democracy depends on: that all people are created equal with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

This is a reporter’s job, first. You’ll publish written stories built on original sourcing — work that gives readers context and depth on state government. But the page is the start, not the finish. We need someone who can carry their reporting onto the radio, in front of a camera, and into the kind of short, first-person video that meets audiences where they are.

What you’ll do

Cover multiple state legislatures, governors’ and AGs’ offices, and the political ecosystem around them, including campaigns, parties, advocacy groups, and regulators.
Break news and write enterprise stories that hold power to account.
Build sources across the political spectrum and keep them.
File on deadline. Some days that means quick hits. Other days it means a piece you’ve been working on for several days.
Use public records, government databases, and committee testimony to find stories no one else is telling.
Take your reporting beyond the page — on Heartland Signal’s radio programs and podcasts, in video interviews, and in short, first-person social video that you produce yourself.
Help shape coverage with editors and other reporters in daily editorial conversations.
Contribute clips, social posts, and graphics that get the work in front of more people.

What we’re looking for

Required

1–3 years of journalism experience. Internships and strong student journalism count.
A reporting and writing track record you can point to — clips that show you can find a story and finish it.
News judgment. You can tell what matters from what just feels urgent.
Sharp interviewing skills and the patience to build sources over time.
Comfort with deadlines, public records, and the basics of how state and local government work.
Comfort on mic and on camera to talk about your work — for example, as a guest on Heartland Signal’s radio programs.
A commitment to accuracy and fairness, and the discipline to deliver both under pressure.

Preferred

Experience covering politics, government, or policy in any capacity.
Familiarity with one or more of the states we cover.
Experience producing first-person video for social platforms.
Experience with data, submitting FOIA requests, or document-heavy reporting.
A growing audience on social platforms where you cover politics or government.
Experience with video/audio editing software.

If you don’t check every box and still think you can do this work, apply. We’ve hired people whose résumés didn’t predict how good they’d be.

Where you’ll work

This role is fully remote, with a preference for candidates who live in the region they’ll be covering. We’re a distributed team. You’ll need a reliable home setup, good Wi-Fi, and a willingness to travel occasionally to statehouses, district events, and team gatherings. Authorization to work in the United States is required; we are not able to sponsor visas at this time.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
Company-paid basic life insurance and AD&D.
Company-paid short-term and long-term disability.
401(k) through Fidelity Investments.
Paid vacation and holidays.
Professional development stipend and phone reimbursement.
Employee Assistance Program — confidential, no-cost support for mental health, legal and financial questions, family concerns, and more.

The expected salary range for this position is $50,000–$55,000.

How to apply

Send the following to jobs@heartlandsignal.com:

Your résumé.
A short cover letter — a few paragraphs is enough — telling us how you’d approach covering state politics in a Heartland Signal state. We’re more interested in your reporting instincts than your formal experience.
Three to five clips that show your writing range.
Bonus: one or two links to on-camera or audio work — a podcast appearance, a stand-up, a social video, anything that shows you on mic or on screen.

We read everything that comes in. If your application moves forward, you’ll hear from us within two weeks.

About Heartland Signal

Heartland Signal is a digital newsroom and talk-radio network covering state-level politics and policy across the Midwest, plus Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee and soon the Southwest. We exist because accountability journalism focused on statehouses in our region has been thinning out for years, and the decisions made there are too important to leave uncovered.

We’re independent and nonpartisan. We don’t play both sidesism. We believe in representative democracy, and we follow the story where it goes, regardless of party affiliation.

We’re building a newsroom that reflects the communities we serve. We strongly encourage applicants from all backgrounds — including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ candidates, people with disabilities, and people whose paths into journalism weren’t traditional — to apply.

Heartland Signal is an equal opportunity employer.