Contract Journalist Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Role Details at a Glance

• About us: Future Caucus is a national, nonpartisan organization dedicated to supporting the next generation of elected leaders
• The role: Contributing Writer, Young Lawmakers' Storybank (Contract_
• Position type: 10-15 hours per week; 6-month contract with possibility for renewal
• Compensation: Anticipated $2,500 per month, depending on experience
• Reports to: Elizabeth Rosen, Senior Director, Communications
• Location: Remote, with regular availability during core hours (12-4p.m. ET)
• Start date: early September

ABOUT FUTURE CAUCUS

Future Caucus has an audacious mission: activate young leaders to bridge the partisan divide and transform American politics. Future Caucus is a national, nonpartisan organization dedicated to supporting the next generation of elected leaders. We provide the resources, networking, and capacity-building opportunities for these policymakers to forge productive partnerships on critical national issues.

In 2013, Future Caucus organized the nation's first and only caucus for young members of Congress, the Congressional Future Caucus, to build coalitions on future-oriented challenges. Future Caucus also scaled this model into 36 state legislatures, each with a Future Caucus consisting of young, high-potential legislators, and has engaged more than 2,100 young legislators nationwide. In 2025, Future Caucus' President & CEO was named to the TIME100 Next list. Learn more at www.futurecaucus.org.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Contributing Writer will own the editorial pipeline for Future Caucus' Young Lawmakers' Storybank, a curated database of stories about young legislators governing effectively and a vital tool for helping target audiences connect with the impact of Gen Z and millennial lawmakers across the country. They will report directly to the Senior Director, Communications.

This individual will serve as the Storybank's primary journalist, responsible for the full life cycle of each article: identifying and pursuing story leads, conducting interviews with Future Caucus members from both parties, and writing and editing reported articles of approximately 800-1,000 words on a biweekly publication schedule. Story formats include legislative deep dives ("Anatomy of a Bill"), cross-state policy roundups, profiles of effective lawmakers, and event coverage. The Contributing Writer will coordinate with the Communications team on editorial priorities and with program staff to surface leads from across the Future Caucus network.

The ideal candidate is an experienced journalist or features writer who can run a story from pitch to publication with minimal editorial oversight - sourcing their own leads, conducting interviews with elected officials, and delivering clean, fact-checked, publication-ready copy on deadline. Fluency in state and federal politics and a genuine ability to write about lawmakers of both parties with fairness and curiosity are essential.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Research, report, write, and edit narrative Storybank articles on a biweekly publication schedule (approximately 12-13 articles over the contract term)
• Identify and pitch story leads by reviewing Future Caucus video content and internal policy tracking, monitoring state and local news coverage, legislative activity, and social media across the Future Caucus network, and by coordinating with staff on legislative victories, events, and member milestones
• Propose, schedule, and conduct interviews with young state and federal lawmakers from both parties
• Manage each article through the full production cycle: pitch, first draft, editorial revisions, lawmaker review, and publication, in coordination with the Senior Director, Communications
• Maintain the Storybank editorial tracker with story status, sources, and publication timelines
• Write across the Storybank's established content streams - including Anatomy of a Bill, Policy Impacts, Profiles of Effective Lawmakers, and event recaps - matching their tone, structure, and balance of quotes and interpretation
• Fact-check all articles and ensure adherence to AP style and Future Caucus editorial and brand guidelines
• Flag standout quotes, moments, and visuals to the digital content team for social media amplification
• Be available for editorial check-ins, edits, and interview scheduling during core hours (12-4 p.m. ET)
• Perform other related duties as needed

Requirements

ABOUT YOU

• 3+ years of professional experience in features, narrative, or storytelling-driven writing, whether as a journalist, features writer, newsletter or blog author, or ghostwriter; a state or local politics beat is a strong plus. A traditional newsroom background is welcome but not required
• Demonstrated experience conducting interviews for published work and drawing out compelling quotes and anecdotes; experience interviewing elected officials, candidates, or other public figures is a strong plus
• A portfolio of writing - published articles, newsletter or blog posts, or ghostwritten work - showing your ability to turn reporting into engaging, narrative-driven stories
• A track record of taking writing projects from concept to publication independently, with clean copy that requires minimal editing
• Strong command of AP style, or a demonstrated ability to write cleanly and consistently within a house style guide
• Deep interest in and working knowledge of U.S. politics at the state and federal level
• Ability to write about Republican and Democratic lawmakers with equal fairness, accuracy, and curiosity
• Self-directed and highly organized: you manage your own pipeline, hit deadlines without prompting, and communicate proactively
• Ability to maintain the highest degree of confidentiality and integrity in working with lawmakers and their staff
• Passion for bipartisan cooperation and cross-partisan dialogue

OUR VALUES

In 2020, Future Caucus unveiled a set of organizational value statements developed collaboratively by our team. This ethos represents what we believe in at Future Caucus, and what we have worked to establish during the last 11 years. These are the values we have set for ourselves, and what we see come to life through our legislators in our network, partners, and supporters:

• Listen First: communicate openly and respectfully - make room for others at the table
• Say "We": there is no "I" in Future Caucus - welcome diversity; it makes us stronger
• Build Trust: Integrity in our relationships is fundamental - be reliable and follow through
• Empower Others: Be empathetic - practice transparency and collaborate openly
• Break Barriers: Climb it, go through it, or work around it - limits are challenges to overcome
• Innovate Freely: Disruption leads to creative solutions - forge a new path forward

LOCATION & SCHEDULE

This is a remote contract position. While the position prioritizes deliverables over set working hours, the contractor is expected to be available for editorial check-ins, edits, and other consultations during core hours of 12-4 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Interviews with lawmakers may occasionally require flexibility around legislators' schedules.

Benefits

COMPENSATION

This is a six-month contract compensated at $2,500 per month for approximately 10-15 hours of work per week. The contract may be extended by mutual agreement, though extension is not guaranteed. This is an independent contractor position; the contractor is responsible for their own taxes and benefits.

HIRING PROCESS

The priority deadline for this role is August 23, 2026 and we anticipate communicating to all candidates following our priority deadline. Applications received after this date will be evaluated on a rolling basis.

Applicants should submit a resume and three to five published clips, ideally including political features or reported profiles.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

As an equal opportunity employer, Future Caucus is committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. We welcome members of historically underrepresented groups to apply, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and multilingual individuals. Reference checks are conducted on all prospective new hires.