SFGATE News Reporter

Your Impact:

Under the direction of SFGATE’s Breaking News Editor, our ideal News Reporter will be a versatile journalist with a deep understanding of California and a drive to tell stories that matter both to people who live in the Bay Area and California at large. The News Reporter will be writing the stories that impact readers right now: weather, wildfires, crime and more.

Why SFGATE?

Launched in 1994, SFGATE.com was one of the first large-market media sites in the world and served as the exclusive digital home of the San Francisco Chronicle for 19 years. In 2019, the Chronicle (which can now be found online at the paywalled sfchronicle.com) and SFGATE officially became two separately run entities with their own editorial staffs and independent newsrooms.

Today, SFGATE is a digital-only publication that drives around 30 million visits a month and tells the stories of the people, places and ideas that make San Francisco, the Bay Area and even California at large, the weird and wonderful place that it is. We help readers navigate their day, whether it’s by keeping them updated on big breaking news, guiding them to interesting enclaves and destinations or sharing a part of the Bay or the state they haven’t seen before.

The site is home to nine verticals: Culture, offering a unique mix of the entertainment news you actually need and the underground stories from hidden corners of the Bay Area you want; Local, the premier destination for everything that life in the Bay Area encompasses (from wildly expensive real estate to schools to what it’s like to live above a raucous bar); Sports, covering the intersection of sports and culture; Tech, covering the intersection of tech and culture; Travel, covering everything from travel news to hotel hacks and under-the-radar day trips; Politics, where we keep you up to speed on interesting political news throughout the state; Food + Drink, where we tell you the backstory of the people behind the bar and in the kitchen; Cannabis, where we cover the sprawling industry of legal weed in California, good, bad and ugly; and News. Plus, the site has a full-time editor covering California trends, Lake Tahoe and the Central Coast as well as satellite editors covering the state’s North Coast, California Parks, Los Angeles, Hawaii, and Disneyland.

What you’ll do:

Be driven: We’re looking for a reporter who loves breaking news. If it’s happening right now, you want to be the first to share it with your community. You could be jumping from wildfire coverage to a shooting in San Francisco — we want someone who feels excited by the pace of breaking news, not intimidated by it. Be self-motivated: This position comes with a lot of trust. Although you are part of the news desk, we value reporters who can get their stories done with relative autonomy and trust their instincts on sources and story angles.  Be flexible: The news can change on a dime, and it’s important that our general assignment reporters can pivot quickly if major news breaks. A successful candidate will be adept at juggling several stories at once, making calls on one story while waiting for sources to respond on another.

Who you are:

You have 2+ years of relevant experience writing breaking news stories at a publication or in a digital media environment You have a deep knowledge of the Bay Area, and you have an equally deep understanding of the state of California and what impacts it — this is where a lot of great stories come from You have a passion for journalism and telling stories You live in the San Francisco Bay Area or are willing to move here You’ve read SFGATE and have an understanding of the brand and voice

In accordance with applicable law, Hearst is required to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role if hired in California. The reasonable estimate is between $73,000 and $75,000. Please note this information is specific to those hired in San Francisco. If this role is open to candidates outside of San Francisco, the salary range would be aligned to that specific location. A final decision on the successful candidate’s starting salary will be based on a number of permissible, non-discriminatory factors, including but not limited to skills and experience, training, certifications, and educat

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