Writer for Portland-Focused Newsletter
The Role
City Cast is looking for a sharp, voicey writer to create a new weekly newsletter that complements our existing daily City Cast Portland newsletter and podcast. While our daily products cover Portland's news and happenings, this weekly newsletter will go deeper on a specific topic that Portlanders are passionate about.
City Cast produces daily local news podcasts and newsletters in cities across the country. Our mission is to help people fall more in love with their cities through smart, engaging journalism that makes local news feel personal and accessible.
Application Deadline: March 6th, 2026
Requirements
What You'll Do
- Write a weekly City Cast Portland newsletter with a clear point of view and a strong, engaging voice.
- Research and report on your beat, developing sources and staying ahead of trends.
- Write thoughtful, upbeat copy featuring good news, local tips, or special recommendations that leave readers feeling informed and inspired.
- Collaborate closely with the City Cast Portland team and work with the Executive Producer through the editing process to sharpen structure, clarity, and impact.
- Take photos and source photos to craft a more visually interesting newsletter
- Meet consistent deadlines and maintain high editorial standards.
- Bonus: Discuss your reporting and recommendations on the City Cast Portland podcast when appropriate.
What You Bring
- A strong, confident writing voice and a love of service journalism that helps readers make smart, local choices.
- Strong relationships in Portland communities relevant to your proposed topic area, or a proven ability to learn it quickly and thoroughly.
- Deep familiarity with Portland—its neighborhoods, culture, people, and what makes the city tick.
- Experience with newsletter platforms and basic digital publishing tools.
- The ability to connect ideas across segments and build a newsletter that feels intentional, cohesive, and fresh week after week.
- Self-starter who can work independently while collaborating with a remote team.
- Proven track record of building an engaged audience—whether through a newsletter, blog, social media presence, column, or other platform
- Bonus: Comfort speaking about your work on a podcast or interest in growing as an on-mic contributor.
Benefits
Compensation
Expected range is $200/weekly newsletter (Any other contributions are negotiable on a per-project basis).
To Apply
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and 2-3 writing samples that showcase your voice. In your cover letter, we’d love to hear your pitch for what this weekly newsletter could cover and why Portland readers would love it.