National Correspondent, Immigration

Title: National Correspondent, Immigration, USA TODAY

Location:  Virtual•United States

Req #45806

Job Description:

Overview 

USA TODAY is seeking an ambitious and highly skilled National Correspondent to lead coverage of immigration and its reverberations across the United States. This correspondent will break stories and produce urgent, high-impact daily and enterprise reporting that illuminates how tougher immigration policies and enforcement reshape communities, economies and institutions nationwide. 

The ideal candidate is an enterprising reporter with a proven track record of breaking distinct, exclusive stories, developing sources and turning complex policy into compelling narrative journalism. This role requires superb news judgment and the ability to quickly pivot to write the sweeping story of the day when immigration dominates the national conversation. 

This position reports directly to USA TODAY’s Nation Enterprise Editor and works closely with editors and reporters across USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network.

This role is remote and can be based anywhere in the US, except for Alaska, Hawaii and Wyoming. 

What We're Looking For 

• A skilled journalist who is passionate about breaking big stories and who can combine deep reporting with captivating storytelling that features national sweep.   
• A gifted writer who can make complex immigration policy and enforcement decisions vivid and accessible for a broad audience. 
• A curious reporter committed to elevating diverse voices, including immigrants, their families, advocates, employers and those who support stricter enforcement – written with a facts-forward approach. 
• The correspondent must have demonstrable experience in cultivating sources in federal agencies. This position requires developing sources at key agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and others. 
• A versatile team player willing to occasionally pitch in on big breaking news stories and short-term enterprise unrelated to immigration. 
• A collaborative colleague who can work independently or as part of a team and who embraces various audience-first formats featuring visuals, audio, video, data and emerging platforms.  

Responsibilities 

• Report and write high-impact daily and enterprise stories about immigration enforcement and detention, emphasizing how tougher immigration policies affect communities, families, workplaces and institutions across the U.S. 
• Develop and maintain a deep network of sources, including government officials, law enforcement authorities, advocates, attorneys, community leaders, workers, business owners and residents who support or oppose stricter enforcement. 
• Exclusively break news, uncover trends and write under-told stories that set USA TODAY apart. 
• Respond rapidly to breaking news and policy shifts, then pivot to smart, contextual enterprise that explains what these developments mean on the ground. 
• Report and write with clarity, authority and narrative flair, crafting lively, engaging headlines and stories that translate jargon and captivate a national audience. 
• Collaborate closely with editors, visuals, data, audio/video and audience teams to tell stories across formats, including text, video, graphics and data visualizations. 
• Use data and public records to deepen coverage, identify systemic problems and produce strong accountability journalism.  
• Uphold USA TODAY’s high standards for accuracy, fairness, ethics and audience relevance in all coverage. 
• Bring a zeal for innovation and experimentation, trying new approaches to reach and engage audiences.  

Requirements 

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field, or equivalent experience. 
• At least five years of experience and a proven track record of writing distinct, exclusive stories on complex beats, preferably including immigration, demographics, justice, politics or related areas. 
• Demonstrated success developing and maintaining robust source networks and translating those relationships into consistent enterprise and scoops. 
• Fluency in Spanish (reading, writing and speaking) required, with the ability to conduct interviews and review documents in Spanish. 
• Exceptional writing skills, including the ability to move quickly on deadline, pivot to the sweeping story of the day and produce richly reported narrative and explanatory work. 
• Strong news judgment and the ability to identify and sharpen story angles that resonate with a national audience. 
• Ability to work quickly and calmly in fast-moving news cycles, including evenings or weekends, as news warrants.  

Application Instructions

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don’t limit your upload to a resume; show us what you’ve done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order: 

1. Your resume – one to two pages.
2. A cover letter outlining an approach to immigration coverage
3. Three to five examples of your distinct, exclusive stories, particularly deeply sourced enterprise pieces focused on complex topics. 

It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration. 

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The annualized base salary for this role will range between $83,000 and $$129,688. Base compensation is reflective of many factors, including, but not limited to, the market in which one lives/works, individual education level, skills, certifications and experience. Note: variable compensation is not reflected in these figures and based on the role, may be applicable. 

USA TODAY Co., Inc. is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a diverse workforce. As such, we will consider all qualified applicants for employment and do not discriminate in connection with employment decisions on the basis of an applicant or employee’s race, color, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, citizenship status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, marital status, personal appearance (including height and weight), sexual orientation, family responsibilities, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), education, genetic characteristics or information, political affiliation, military or veteran status or other classifications protected by applicable federal, state and local laws in the jurisdictions where USA TODAY Co. employs employees. 

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