Kentucky Education Reporter bei McClatchy

The Lexington Herald-Leader is seeking a dedicated and dynamic journalist to join our team as a multi-faceted education reporter, contributing in a collaborative manner to our coverage of the University of Kentucky, including its UK HealthCare system and statewide K-12 education issues. Education is a passion topic here in Kentucky, and the Herald-Leader puts a premium on delivering revelatory content to the growing audiences that care about education, including taxpayers, parents, professors, teachers and those whose livelihoods intersect with Kentucky’s flagship university system. 

This position will play a pivotal role in providing watchdog, daily explanatory and enterprise reporting that puts accountability and public interest at the forefront. You’ll be asked to track and scrutinize public spending, budgets, and financial decisions at both the K-12 and higher education levels.

The ideal candidate will be part of an award-winning education reporting team that’s committed to providing our readers with insightful, timely and accurate reporting on local governance and policy decisions related to education. Additionally, this reporter will contribute to our coverage of state government as needed, especially on matters of local importance to Kentucky’s higher-education system. 

Lexington, the second-largest city in Kentucky and home to the 36,700-student University of Kentucky flagship system, is fertile ground for journalists passionate about education. The city is globally recognized as the "Horse Capital of the World," and is a major educational hub (Transylvania University and the Bluegrass Community and Technical College system are also here.)  The local economy is robust, featuring strong sectors in technology, manufacturing and health care. The city is rapidly growing, a reality that brings with it challenges around affordable housing, zoning and more.

The ideal candidate will have an understanding of how education works, at the community level with various school districts statewide and the complex UK system and its $6 billion health care system, which includes the medical schools and numerous health clinics and hospitals statewide. We are looking for stories that connect the decisions of those in power to the everyday quality of education in sharp, fresh ways. We want stories that check forces of power when they don’t follow through, as well as stories about the next generation of cultural influencers shaping the education system in a state that has stubbornly had some of the nation’s lowest scores in terms of funding, literacy levels and student performance. 

The position will demand a keen eye for sharp news angles, strong source-building skills and the ability to find scoops and produce revelatory, high-impact journalism.       

We are looking for candidates with strong interpersonal skills who can collaborate with editors, reporters, other staff members and residents. This reporter will work closely with our Fayette County Public Schools reporter and a UK writer who splits her week with editing responsibilities, as well as our audience development team, to make sure we are reaching readers who have shown a thirst for this coverage.

The education team reports to the Executive Editor. 

 Responsibilities:

• A collaborator who works well as part of a broader education reporting and editing team.        
• A self-starter who will develop a strong network of sources to find and pursue stories that will reach a broad audience.       
• Attend and/or track K-12 board of education and UK’s trustees meetings and other relevant events, providing thorough coverage and analysis.
• Develop and maintain relationships with relevant government and education officials, community leaders and other stakeholders.
• Investigate and report on all facets of Kentucky’s K-12 and higher education systems – from government operations, fiscal policies and community impacts.
• Identify subscriber reading trends and use that information to help inform day-to-day coverage
• Strong writing skills and excellent news judgment.       
• An unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism.       
• An understanding of public records laws and how to use them.       
• An interest in telling stories using a variety of media and engagement tools, and an enthusiasm for learning new skills and technologies.       
• Fluency in the science of readership and engagement, including an understanding of metrics/analytics and an understanding of SEO and other audience optimization tactics.       
• Strong interpersonal skills, including empathy and the ability to take and give constructive criticism.       
• Ability to work comfortably in a job that will be fast-paced, data-driven, shaped constantly by feedback and experimentation and always evolving.   
• A track record for innovation, learning and using new skills and technologies, especially AI    
• Write clear, compelling stories that engage and inform our audience.
• Assist in coverage of state government issues, working closely with our statehouse reporters as needed during the legislative session on education-focused issues.

What you'll bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications or a related field.
• At least 4 years of experience in covering education, either at the local level or higher education. 
• Strong writing and verbal communication skills.
• A demonstrated commitment to breaking news, quick-turn accountability and enterprise journalism.
• Experience with public records requests and investigative journalism. 
• An unwavering commitment to accurate, nonpartisan and ethical reporting.
• A willingness to learn and use AI to streamline your workflow.

Requirements:

• This position requires regular attendance at relevant meetings (primarily)  in Lexington and Frankfort, but potentially in other parts of our commonwealth. 
• You may be asked to work outside normal business hours.
• The role is based in Lexington, though occasional travel to Frankfort or other government locations may be required.

What we’ll bring:
As a journalist at McClatchy, you will join a supportive, flexible, collaborative team. McClatchy strives to be an employer of choice, and our benefits package is made with this goal in mind. With a focus on health, well-being, wealth and daily life, our package options include healthcare coverage for employees and their families, financial protection from expected and unexpected expenses, multiple no-cost wellness resources and even coverage for four-legged friends. 

Our overall benefits package also includes a 401(k) with employer match, competitive paid time off and corporate holidays, and a variety of mental health benefits. With an excellent support team and with focus on your well-being as a top corporate strategy, McClatchy provides benefits to support you and your family in achieving your health and wellness goals. For more information on McClatchy's benefit plan, please visit McClatchyLivewell.com. 

About the McClatchy Media Company

The McClatchy Media Company features a portfolio of vibrant and trusted news, lifestyle, entertainment brands and a robust retail distribution network. Our iconic local news brands such as the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star and The Sacramento Bee, have collectively earned a total of 57 Pulitzer prizes and are complemented by popular lifestyle and entertainment brands such as Us Weekly and Woman’s World. Together, our brands reach more than 100 million unique visitors a month, The McClatchy Retail Network, our distribution and logistics arm, offers delivery to more than 56,000 retail locations weekly.