Graphics Reporter (Contract)

Application Instructions Please list all professional experience and explain any gaps in employment history. All of your application materials, which may include PDF files of work samples and/or links to audio, video, photography or graphics, must be uploaded to the field labeled Resume/Cover Letter/Work Samples to be considered for the position. Join the future of news We’re on a mission to deliver riveting storytelling for all of America. At The Washington Post, you’ll help reinvent news. Our work is driven by a deep investigative spirit and enhanced by innovation to bring audiences closer to the stories that matter most. About Our Team The Washington Post is powered by the passion and talent of our people. It takes all of us to reinvent news. Beyond our award-winning Newsroom and Opinions teams, we work across many departments, including Brand & Events, Communications, Customer Care, Engineering & Product, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Marketing & Advertising, Print Operations, and Sales. Why This Role Matters The Washington Post is seeking a creative and technically skilled graphics reporter to bolster our high-performing team of visual journalists through the end of 2026. This contract role is an opportunity to help shape coverage of some of the most consequential stories of the year. We are looking for a journalist who can conceive, report and execute visual-first stories that bring clarity, authority and creativity to complex topics in politics, policy and public life. The ideal candidate combines strong editorial instincts with technical fluency and a passion for visual storytelling. They should be comfortable working independently in a fast-paced environment while collaborating across teams to produce work that is innovative, accessible and essential to understanding the news. This role will contribute to breaking news coverage as well as ambitious enterprise and explanatory projects tied to elections and political trends. This contract position can be based in our Washington, D.C., newsroom or remotely in another U.S. location. We are looking for someone who can start in late June or early July and work through to Dec. 31, 2026. Hours can be flexible; somewhere between 25 and 40 hours per week is ideal. Tell us about your availability in your application. While it’s not guaranteed, there’s a chance this could develop into a permanent position. What Motivates You: You have strong news instincts and are driven to make complicated topics clear, engaging and visually compelling. You enjoy proactively identifying stories that are best told through maps, data visualization and interactive formats. You are energized by election coverage and the challenge of helping audiences understand political change in real time. You thrive in a collaborative environment and enjoy experimenting with new storytelling approaches. You are curious about how politics, policy and demographics shape communities and elections. How You’ll Support the Mission: Proactively pitch, report and execute visual stories in a fast-paced newsroom environment, particularly around the 2026 midterm elections. Create maps, graphics and interactive storytelling that help readers understand electoral trends, voting patterns and political dynamics. Conceive and execute visual projects from reporting and data analysis through design and final production in collaboration with editors. Contribute to breaking news coverage with fast, accurate and engaging visual elements. Translate complex political, demographic and policy information into accessible visual journalism. Collaborate with reporters, editors, developers and audience teams to create work optimized for digital engagement and impact. Help strengthen team workflows, develop tools and contribute to best practices across the Graphics team. The Skills and Experiences You Bring: Experience in graphics, data reporting or a related field. A strong portfolio of maps, information graphics and visual stories for digital audiences. Experience creating graphics with Adobe Illustrator is essential. Experience covering elections or knowledge of political data is strongly preferred. Experience with cartography and tools such as QGIS is strongly preferred. Technical proficiency in tools such as D3, React or other modern web technologies is a plus. Strong editorial judgment and the ability to identify stories that benefit from a visual-first approach. Ability to balance speed and ambition, moving quickly on breaking news while developing more sophisticated enterprise work. Excellent communication skills and a commitment to accuracy, clarity and journalistic rigor. Interested candidates should upload a résumé and portfolio to our jobs portal. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. The pay range for this position is between $50/hr and $65/hr, depending on individual skills, experience and qualifications as they relate to specific job requirements and the duration of the contract assignment. Your story awaits. Apply today! Learn more about The Post at careers.washingtonpost.com.