Wisconsin Watch is hiring an investigative reporter to focus on the state Legislature, governor’s office, state agencies and Supreme Court in a deeply polarized state where democracy itself is in peril.

This position is ideal for a relentless reporter who knows how to navigate bureaucracies to uncover the effects of state legislation, policies and laws on the lives of people in Wisconsin. The coverage will amplify the voices of underserved residents and expose efforts to weaken democracy in the state through government secrecy, disinformation and other strategies. 

This reporter will be the third member of our Wisconsin Watch statehouse bureau. Strategic partnerships with other Wisconsin news organizations, built upon more than a decade of collaboration, will provide the reporter with insights to inform and increase the impact of our journalism.

Start date for the position is negotiable, although we would love to have someone in place by July 2023.

If you have just some of the skills listed below, or others we failed to list, please consider applying for this position, especially if you are a candidate whose experience includes working with diverse members of the public. We are a nimble organization that strives to make the best use of the skills of our staff, and is dedicated to developing them.

The reporter will: 

• Work with the statehouse bureau chief, managing editor, deputy managing editor and associate director to strategize, frame, report and write news stories. 
• Develop sources in state government and in diverse communities, including urban and rural, and engage members of the public in identifying breakdowns in systems, attempts to dissuade or mislead residents and explorations of potential solutions to problems. 
• Cultivate collegial and productive relationships with other news organizations.
• Work with early-career journalists working as interns and fellows for Wisconsin Watch.
• Collaborate with journalists at for-profit and nonprofit news organizations in Wisconsin and across the nation.

To apply: Please fill out and submit this form. (You may need to create an AirTable account to apply.) It will require you to upload a PDF version of your resume and provide links of up to five work samples plus a list of references with their contact information. If you’d like to chat about the job before applying, contact Statehouse Bureau Chief Matthew DeFour at mdefour@wisconsinwatch.org.

The ideal candidate will be able to report and complete complex stories and visualize related multimedia elements while meeting deadlines. The candidate also will be comfortable working with experienced as well as early-career journalists.

Bonus skills: 

• Be able to analyze and visually present data. 
• Familiarity with Wisconsin, its history and its politics. 
• Multimedia skills including photography, audio, video and editing.
• Spanish-language proficiency.

Wisconsin Watch embraces diversity and inclusiveness in our journalism, training activities, hiring practices and workplace operations. The complex issues we face as a society require respect for different viewpoints. Race, class, generation, sexual orientation, gender and geography all affect point of view. Reflecting these differences in our reporting leads to better, more-nuanced stories and a better-informed community.

We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities.