Congressional Reporter

Job Description

Job Description

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) is seeking an experienced Congressional Reporter to join the editorial team at Transport Topics, the news leader covering the trucking and freight transportation industry. Reporting to the Executive Editor, this position plays a critical role in covering federal policy, legislation, regulation, and political developments affecting the North American freight transportation industry.

As Transport Topics continues its evolution to a digital-first publishing model, this role will focus on delivering insightful reporting that helps readers understand not only what is happening in Washington, but also the practical implications for motor carriers, logistics providers, equipment suppliers, shippers, and other industry stakeholders. The ideal candidate combines strong reporting and writing skills with the ability to develop sources, identify meaningful trends, and produce enterprise and feature-driven journalism that provides context and analysis.

This position offers an exciting opportunity to cover the intersection of government, business, technology, and transportation while contributing to one of the industry's most respected news organizations. This position has no supervisory or budgetary responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities:1. Reporting & Content Development:

• Report and write news, enterprise, and feature stories that are either self-generated or assigned by editors.
• Deliver accurate, fair, and well-written coverage on deadline.
• Produce feature-forward reporting that explains the practical impact of legislative, regulatory, legal, and political developments on the freight transportation industry.
• Identify story opportunities, emerging trends, and follow-up coverage that provide readers with meaningful business and operational insights.

2. Beat Development & Source Building:

• Develop and maintain an assigned beat in consultation with editors.
• Build relationships with sources across Congress, federal agencies, industry organizations, companies, and policy experts.
• Develop a detailed working knowledge of issues, institutions, agencies, companies, and individuals influencing transportation policy and freight markets.

3. Digital Audience Engagement:

• Utilize audience performance data, including engaged time, newsletter metrics, referral patterns, and registration signals, to inform editorial decision-making.
• Collaborate with editors on headlines, story framing, newsletter content, and digital presentation strategies designed to improve reader engagement.
• Use social and professional platforms to support audience growth and distribution of Transport Topics journalism.

4. Collaboration & Professional Development:

• Work closely with editors, reporters, and audience-focused colleagues to ensure content is timely, accurate, and relevant.
• Continually strengthen reporting, writing, feature development, and digital journalism skills.
• Contribute to a collaborative newsroom environment focused on serving industry professionals.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Political Science, Communications, English, or a related field.
• Three or more years of reporting and writing experience with a daily, weekly, trade, business, or policy-focused publication.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong news judgment, sourcing abilities, attention to detail, and knowledge of AP Style.
• Ability to explain complex legislative, regulatory, legal, economic, or technical concepts to a professional business audience.
• Experience analyzing the broader significance and impact of current events and policy developments.
• Proficiency with standard word-processing and newsroom tools.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience covering Congress, federal agencies, transportation, logistics, infrastructure, labor, energy, business regulation, or other complex policy areas.
• Familiarity with trucking, freight transportation, or supply chain issues.
• Experience using analytics platforms such as Parse.ly, Google Analytics, Piano, Chartbeat, or similar tools.
• Knowledge of SEO/AEO best practices and digital content optimization.
• Experience writing feature stories, analysis pieces, newsletters, search-friendly headlines, and social media content.
• Familiarity with Word, InCopy, or comparable publishing systems.

Why ATA?

ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation’s freight. We are a 90-year-old federation with state trucking association affiliates in all 50 states. We represent every sector of the industry, from LTL to truckload, agriculture, and livestock to auto haulers, and from large motor carriers to small mom-and-pop operations.

ATA offers:

• A competitive salary and benefits package
• Flexible hybrid work schedule
• Education assistance
• Various retirement plans with employer match
• Medical, dental & vision benefits at affordable cost
• HSA/HRA plans with employer contributions
• FSA plan

Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States. Please no third-party, agency responses, re-postings, calls or walk-ins. Relocation assistance is not provided. American Trucking Associations is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or other protected veteran status.