State Capitol Reporter

The State Capitol Reporter produces relevant, original, and engaging coverage of Colorado state government, politics, elections, and public policy for radio, digital, social, and other platforms. Coverage will explain the legislative process and show how decisions made at the Capitol affect communities throughout Colorado.

This Denver-based position works closely with the Capitol Editor/Reporter. They also collaborate with news teams from partner organizations. The reporter position is part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance, a grant-funded editorial collaboration.

The successful candidate will have strong reporting, writing, on-air, and audio-production skills, along with experience covering politics, government, public policy, or related topics. Experience producing journalism for both broadcast and digital publication is required.

• Report, write, voice, and produce original coverage of Colorado state government, politics, elections, and public policy for radio, digital, social, and other editorial platforms.
• Produce timely daily newscast and digital stories, as well as sound-rich features, enterprise reporting, and longer-term projects that provide context and accountability.
• Cover legislative hearings, bill introductions, budget actions, elections, press conferences, and other developments involving lawmakers, the governor, state agencies, and political organizations.
• Identify and pursue original stories that explain the legislative process and demonstrate how state policies and political decisions affect Colorado residents.
• Develop and maintain a broad and diverse network of sources, including elected officials, public employees, policy experts, advocates, community members, and people directly affected by government decisions.
• Use public-records laws, including the Colorado Open Records Act and federal Freedom of Information Act, as well as data analysis, original documents, fact checking, and verification to produce authoritative reporting.
• Produce journalism that reflects the experiences of Colorado's diverse communities, elevates voices that are frequently underrepresented, and examines systemic inequities and institutional failures.
• Collaborate with the Capitol Editor/Reporter, KUNC newsroom staff, and Colorado Capitol News Alliance partners on daily coverage, enterprise projects, a weekly political podcast, and digital and social video.
• Consistently develop and pitch original daily, enterprise, investigative, and project-based story ideas.
• Use audience-engagement practices to identify community questions, emerging concerns, and topics of importance to listeners and readers.
• Participate actively in newsroom editorial, planning, and project meetings and contribute to coverage produced for KUNC programs, NPR, and other distribution partners when appropriate.

• Maintain an active professional presence on relevant social media platforms to distribute reporting, engage audiences, identify sources, and follow developing stories.
• Participate in interviews, public events, audience-engagement activities, and station promotional efforts related to the reporter's work or the project.
• Participate in on-air fundraising and other station development activities as needed.
• Support coordinated newsroom coverage during elections, breaking news, and other major events.

• Minimum of three years of professional journalism experience, including reporting, writing, editing, and producing stories for broadcast and digital publication.
• Strong editorial judgment and demonstrated ability to produce accurate, fair, balanced, and engaging journalism consistent with AP style and professional ethics.
• Strong interviewing, research, writing, editing, and audio-production skills.
• Demonstrated on-air ability, including voicing recorded stories, conducting interviews, and contributing to live or breaking-news coverage.
• Experience using professional recording and editing equipment and newsroom production, publishing, automation, and collaboration systems. KUNC uses Adobe Audition, Wide Orbit, Dropbox, and Microsoft applications; experience with comparable professional…