Reporter​/Assistant Editor - Editor Track

About The JOLT News Organization

The JOLT is The Journal of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater
, an award-winning nonprofit local-news organization serving the 302,000 residents of Thurston County. We publish civic and general news every weekday on our website and through our newsletter, The Daily JOLT.

For six years, we have been committed to accurate, useful reporting that helps people understand their community and participate in civic life. The JOLT has also received national recognition as an innovator in local journalism, including being selected as a 2024 recipient of the Press Forward Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps.

Why Thurston County?

Located in Western Washington, Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater offer access to both an active local community and the outdoors. Tacoma is about 30 minutes north, Seattle about an hour north, Mount Rainier about an hour east, and the Pacific Ocean about 75 minutes west, with Puget Sound reaching into downtown Olympia.

The area is home to colleges and universities, theaters, nonprofit organizations, festivals and community events, along with easy access to city, county, state and national parks.

We are seeking an experienced journalist who wants to live in Thurston County, become part of the community and cover it in person.

Our current editor anticipates retiring in the coming months. The successful candidate will join The JOLT as a Reporter / Assistant Editor
, with the goal of transitioning into the lead Editor role within approximately six to nine months.

This is not a remote reporting position. The role is built around local, in‑person news gathering, including attending public meetings and community events, developing sources and conducting interviews. During the transition period, the position will combine hands‑on reporting with editing and newsroom coordination.

This is also an opportunity to help shape The JOLT’s next chapter. We will be re‑evaluating our beats, reporting methods, media and distribution channels, and editorial policies, and this person will be an important part of that process.

Reporting

• Report daily and breaking news, community stories, enterprise pieces and occasional in-depth or investigative stories.
• Attend local meetings and events and conduct in‑person and phone interviews with community members, public officials, businesses, nonprofits and other sources.
• Develop original story ideas that go beyond press releases and official announcements.
• Build relationships and sources throughout Thurston County.

Editing & Collaboration

• Edit and fact‑check stories for accuracy, fairness, clarity, completeness and AP style.
• Help plan and assign coverage and provide clear reporting direction.
• Review headlines, captions, summaries and social media copy.
• Work closely with The JOLT’s local team and 5 contract reporters based in the Philippines.

Our collaborative reporting model combines local, on‑the‑ground news gathering with remote writing and research support, allowing local journalists to spend more time in the community without sacrificing local knowledge, accuracy or accountability.

The successful candidate is expected to transition into The JOLT’s lead Editor role within approximately six months, based on organizational needs, the current editor’s retirement timeline and demonstrated readiness.

As Editor, responsibilities will expand to include setting editorial priorities, assigning coverage, supervising and coaching reporters, overseeing newsroom workflow and publication schedules, maintaining editorial quality and consistency, and working closely with the Publisher/Executive Director to support The JOLT’s mission and growth. The Editor will also remain actively involved in reporting and…