The Hechinger Report is a nonprofit news outlet that covers education across the United States. We’re a small newsroom with big ambitions to cover the most pressing issues facing classrooms and campuses. Our journalists travel across the country and the world asking tough questions, seeking out promising solutions, and listening to the voices of educators, families and kids. Here are the opportunities to join us in our mission.
Openings:
Investigative Reporter
The Hechinger Report is seeking an investigative reporter to serve as an integral member of its award-winning investigative team. The reporter will produce stories in service of Hechinger’s mission to expose inequality and examine innovation in education.
Our investigative team covers early education, K12 and higher education. We’re looking for a self-starter who can help us continue and elevate our accountability journalism by identifying and digging into promising topics for investigation. We want someone with strong writing and reporting abilities, as well as some data analysis skills.
This reporter will be expected to produce stories on their own, as well as collaborate with others in the newsroom on larger data projects.
This position can be remote and will report to an editor based in Texas. To comply with tax and legal obligations, preference will be given to candidates in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia.
This position is paid $72,000 to $82,000 a year, commensurate with experience within our pay equity guidelines. Because we are an independent unit of Teachers College at Columbia University, this position includes the College’s comprehensive full-time benefits package, described here.
We’re sure that not all candidates will match exactly what we’ve outlined below. The Hechinger Report understands that strong reporters can come from all kinds of backgrounds. If you have skills and experiences that you think would allow you to thrive in this role, apply and tell us what you will bring to the newsroom.
Responsibilities
- Conceive and pitch story ideas
- Report and write articles for Hechinger’s investigative team
- Aid with data analysis for investigative team and other newsroom projects
- Participate in weekly editorial meetings
Minimum qualifications
- Three years’ experience as a reporter in a professional newsroom
- Excellent news judgment and ability to spot trends and important stories that haven’t been covered elsewhere
- Demonstrated ability to write with style and confidence about complicated topics in a way that engages the general public
- Understanding of at least one data analysis tool such as Excel, SQL, Python and/or R
- Ability to collaborate well with colleagues
- A passion for exposing inequities and an open and curious mind
Preferred qualifications
- Five years’ experience as a reporter in a professional newsroom
- Experience with investigative journalism
- Familiarity with the education beat
- A track record of producing impactful accountability journalism
- Significant experience with public records requests
The Hechinger Report is committed to increasing the diversity of our newsroom and encourage people from traditionally underrepresented groups to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities and first-generation college graduates. We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age or any other status protected under applicable law.
Application Requirements:
Please prepare to give us a cover letter, resume, and three clips of your recent journalism, with at least one that showcases your data analysis skills. Applications will close June 16, 2024. The start date for this role is September 1.