Nation’s Top State Political reporters Identified in New Resource
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A complete list identifying leading political reporters in each of the 50 states has been compiled and released, offering a vital resource as local news organizations face unprecedented challenges. The project, spearheaded by political analyst Chris Cillizza, comes as the nation has lost over 3,400 daily and non-daily newspapers in the last two decades, according to publicly available data.
Cillizza’s list aims to connect audiences with self-reliant and established journalists covering state-level politics, recognizing the growing role of platforms like substack and YouTube in supporting individual journalism. The compilation includes reporters from legacy media, independent outlets, television, digital platforms, and even radio.
The list is based on Cillizza’s own observations, recommendations from political consultants, and nominations received from his Substack and social media followers. It encompasses reporters focused on purely political journalism, investigative reporters with a political focus, and influential state columnists.
Cillizza intends the list to be a dynamic document, inviting contributions from readers to ensure its accuracy and completeness. He encourages submissions of overlooked reporters via email at cillizzac@gmail.com, requesting a name and brief justification for inclusion.
Alongside each reporter’s name and media outlet, the resource provides direct links to their work. Cillizza is also developing a consolidated Twitter/X list for easy access to all featured journalists.
Furthermore, Cillizza is actively building a Substack network for state political reporters, offering platform support, guidance for navigating independent journalism, and potential seed funding for collaborative content creation. Interested reporters are invited to contact him at cillizzac@gmail.com.
Access to the full list is currently restricted to paid subscribers of Cillizza’s Substack publication, with a subscription cost of $6 per month or $60 annually.
