Government Reporter

Reports to: Deputy Editor

Position Status: Regular, Full Time, Exempt

Summary:

The government reporter will be a critical part of the newsroom's coverage team. This reporter will be responsible for daily accountability coverage of the mayor's office, Tulsa-based tribal governments, Tulsa City Council and other government agencies that hold officials and policymakers accountable, along with enterprise stories that dig into issues related to Tulsa governance.

The government reporter will be someone who can navigate the weeds of policy and politics but can also break down the stakes in clear terms for a large audience, empowering readers to participate in their own governance. Coverage will be proactive, rigorous, and responsive to the needs of Tulsa residents, particularly those in underserved or underrepresented communities. Through reporting techniques, including the use of public records and data collection, this reporter will shine a light on policies and lawmaking, how budgets work, and how public money is spent.

The government reporter will work in close partnership with the community journalism director and documenters editor in order to integrate community input and priorities into coverage of this beat.

About the organization:

Tulsa Local News Initiative, Inc is home to both The Oklahoma Eagle and Tulsa Flyer. TLNI, Inc is a startup nonprofit organization started in 2025 that has raised $14 million so far in service of a vision to give everyone in Tulsa the local news they need to live more informed and more connected lives. The newsroom produces high-quality accountability journalism while working directly with residents to produce and distribute community reporting, employing an innovative model for local journalism that is directly responsive to local information needs. In addition to a team of editors and beat reporters, the Tulsa newsroom values best-in-class community engagement expertise, multimedia production, service journalism and research, and Tulsa Documenters.

At the Tulsa Flyer, we value learning, curiosity and diverse perspectives. We are dedicated to equitable hiring and follow best practices to create an inclusive hiring process.

https://tulsaflyer.org/

Essential Functions:

Produce a steady stream of local accountability reporting related to governance that will serve Tulsa residents as a primary source of information they need to understand their public officials and policymakers and empower them to hold these leaders to account.
Deliver a combination of day-to-day coverage and ambitious enterprise journalism that demonstrates how the Tulsa Flyer will help residents make government work better for them.
Develop a voice that is solutions-focused and inclusive of formats needed to make information accessible and actionable to all residents, including guides, explainers and other service journalism.
Work collaboratively with other Tulsa Flyer reporters to report on policy debates that cross into other beats. Work with our audience, community journalism and visual journalism teams to make sure our content around public policy is visual and easy to understand for all our audiences.
Work with the executive editor, managing editor and deputy editor to develop an editorial strategy for the beat and coverage priorities. This will include shaping and producing content for our website, newsletters, social media and other formats.
Work within a daily newsroom operation that is deeply collaborative, relies on teamwork and centers on a community reporting program that partners directly with residents to help inform coverage priorities.
Collaborate and learn with the Tulsa Documenters. Leverage the work of the Documenters along with the newsroom’s community gathering spaces to make government reporting deeper and more grounded in community voices.
Attend meetings of the Tulsa city council, agencies and boards, town governments and the county board of supervisors as needed as well as relevant community gatherings to gather information for story ideas and research purposes.
Develop a deep understanding of state and national legislation that affect Tulsa’s residents and use that knowledge to provide context for stories that localize these issues.

Consider applying if you have some of these skill sets and qualities:

Demonstrated commitment to local, public service journalism with a track record of producing and/or leading impactful reporting
Strong understanding and knowledge of Tulsa neighborhoods and communities and respect for the knowledge community members can bring to the newsroom
Years of experience in daily, local newsrooms
4 or more years of experience working a government beat
Strong news judgment and strong communication and writing skills
Ability to work under deadline and prioritize work
Adept at problem solving, detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills
Experience with and/or strong understanding of building digital audiences
Experience telling stories on multiple platforms using audio, social media and/or video
Entrepreneurial spirit — ability to thrive in a startup environment where team members are expected to learn as they go, think in innovative ways and build things from scratch
Willingness to work evenings as needed
Strong interpersonal/communications skills, willing to negotiate and talk through issues in an honest and clear manner
Ability to maintain confidentiality when working with sensitive information
Ability to interact effectively with a diverse group of individuals inside and outside the newsroom
Team player who helps and supports colleagues
Proficiency in using public records and/or data in reporting

Compensation and benefits:

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The starting salary range for this role is $50,000-$80,000. In the spirit of transparency, we present our best offer upfront to every selected candidate — no back-and-forth negotiation required.

We endeavor to create a just and equitable compensation system. Salary ranges represent the starting range of salaries and will be offered commensurate with experience. Entry-level and early-career reporters with fewer than five years of experience will fall within the $50,000 to $60,000 range, while reporters with decades of experience can expect to fall within the $70,000 to $80,000 range.

Full health benefits, including employee’s medical, dental and vision premiums

covered 100% and dependents covered at 50%; paid leave including paid holidays, PTO and

personal time, and 401K with a 4% match

Training: $2,000 annual reimbursement toward outside training and professional development opportunities

We’re committed to building an inclusive organization that represents the people and

communities we serve. We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented

communities to apply, including women, people of color, veterans, LGBTQ+ people and

people with disabilities. Tulsa Local News Initiative, The Oklahoma Eagle and Tulsa Flyer are dedicated to equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. We encourage people of all races, colors, national origins, ancestries, creeds, religions, genders, ages, disabilities, veteran status, sexual orientations,and marital statuses to apply.

Employment Contingency:

All roles require standard reference checks and identity verification. Based on the role, additional pre-employment screening may be required, which may include checks such as a credit screening, a public social media review, or an editorial review of past work.

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