Staff Correspondent, Budget and Appropriations

Title: Staff Correspondent, Budget and Appropriations

Location: Washington, DC

Type: Full Time Employee

Workplace: hybrid

Category: 210 - Editorial

Job Description:

About the Position

CQ Roll Call seeks an inquisitive and versatile journalist to help lead our coverage of the annual federal budget and appropriations process. This is a high-profile, fast-paced, and competitive beat based in the nation’s capital that is central to the most basic duty of Congress: financing government operations. Stories on this beat help illustrate the federal government’s sweep and the impact the federal budget has on companies of all sizes, nonprofits, educational institutions, hospitals and more.

About Reporting at CQ Roll Call

CQ Roll Call is dedicated to providing nonpartisan news, in-depth analysis and legislative tracking about Congress, the administration and federal agencies. CQ, founded in 1945 as Congressional Quarterly, delivers to subscribers actionable intelligence from the House and Senate floor, committees and congressional hearings. CQ journalists and analysts take you behind the scenes of policymaking with a focus on how legislation is shaped, key players, the political motivations driving the debate, and how the process affects your interests. Our products and services include an award-winning magazine, topic-specific newsletters, transcripts, government documents, and committee and floor votes. Roll Call, founded in 1955, is known for its objective coverage of the people, politics, and personalities of Capitol Hill. We serve as an integral part of FiscalNote’s mission to connect people around the world to their government.  

About You 

The ideal candidate is ready to dig into details of federal budgets and spending bills and can keep track of fast-moving developments. Expect to work some nights and weekends, as Congress does. This beat is about policymaking and politicking: who seeks federal money and why, how members of Congress who decide spending are influenced, and what the impact is in districts and states of those decisions. This beat is part of a team that works together and collaboration is crucial.

The base salary range for this position is $75,000 - 82,000 per year.

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What To Expect In This Position

• Writing a mix of breaking news and enterprise that contributes to two websites, and a newspaper that publishes when Congress is in session and contributing to a daily newsletter for subscribers.  You may be asked to write the newsletter when the lead writer is unavailable.
• Sharing your beat reporting through occasional podcasts and webinars.
• Pitching unique story ideas that help differentiate CQ Roll Call from its competitors on this beat and smartly executing on those ideas.
• Reporting from the halls of Congress and committee rooms, as well as poring through documents, working the phones, attending in-person and virtual events relevant to your beat. 
• Covering committee markups of bills on your beat and entering amendments and votes into CQRC’s proprietary database. This is a critical component of legislative tracking provided to CQ subscribers.
• Working collaboratively and occasionally sharing bylines with other reporters. Every reporter at CQRC covers budget or appropriations in some form, so you’ve got to be comfortable working with colleagues whose beats may overlap with yours.
• Developing and cultivating a network of sources on and off Capitol Hill, ranging from lawmakers and their aides to White House officials to lobbyists and think tank experts.
• Writing or updating member profiles that feed CQ’s Guide to the New Congress and other products about members.
• Working late nights and weekends, depending on House and Senate schedules.

What Sets You Apart

• At least three (3) years of work experience covering Congress for daily newspapers, news websites, news magazines, wire services or other news outlets is preferred. Applicants who have covered a state legislature or other policy-making institution will be considered if they meet other beat requirements. 
• Ability to work with and understand numbers.  
• Strong skills working with Excel, Sheets or other tools to analyze data.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and mastery of AP style.
• Knowing how to use social media to report as well as to amplify the stories you report and write.
• Deep understanding of the journalistic values of accuracy, objectivity, fairness and editorial independence.
• Comfort in working with a variety of content management and publishing production systems. Knowledge of WordPress is helpful.

Excited about this role, but don't meet 100% of the expected qualifications listed above? We'd still love for you to apply! 

About FiscalNote 

FiscalNote (NYSE: NOTE) is a leader in policy and global intelligence. By uniquely combining data, technology, and insights, FiscalNote empowers customers with critical insights and the tools to turn them into action.

Home to CQ, FrontierView, VoterVoice, and many other industry-leading brands, FiscalNote helps organizations stay ahead of political and business risk.

Company Benefits

FiscalNote supports our people by enabling team members with flexibility and benefits to promote well-being and balance, ensuring all FiscalNoters can bring their authentic selves to work. We start by offering competitive salaries, retirement accounts, and equity packages to ensure we’re all FN owners. Plus, our comprehensive benefits packages align with regional requirements and expectations no matter where you are located across the globe. 

FiscalNote values diversity. We are committed to equal opportunities and creating an inclusive environment for all our employees. We welcome applicants regardless of ethnic origin, national origin, gender, race, religious beliefs, disability, sexual orientation or age. FiscalNote is an EEOC employer.