Local Investigations Fellow

The Wirecutter; United States; Remote; USD 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The Times is looking for reporters with a local story idea who want to investigate it under the editing guidance of Dean Baquet, The Times’s former executive editor, and a group of veteran investigative editors.

This one year program is for reporters in local newsrooms or freelancers. Fellows will be based in the communities where they are reporting and make periodic trips to The Times’s offices for training and support.

Qualifications

• 3 to 5 years of professional experience as a reporter covering a beat for a local newspaper or local digital news outlet
• Independent journalist or journalist employed at a newsroom willing to provide a yearlong sabbatical
• Significant experience covering a beat and an idea for an investigative story that you have not had the time, resources or editing support to pursue
• Ability to bring a new perspectives to investigative journalism

Responsibilities

• Spend a year producing signature investigative work focused on your state or region
• Under the guidance of editors, learn the judgment, skills and techniques needed to excel at investigative journalism

Job description

The mission of The New York Times is to seek the truth and help people understand the world. That means independent journalism is at the heart of all we do as a company. It’s why we have a world-renowned newsroom that sends journalists to report on the ground from nearly 160 countries. It’s why we focus deeply on how our readers will experience our journalism, from print to audio to a world-class digital and app destination. And it’s why our business strategy centers on making journalism so good that it’s worth paying for.

About the Role, Mission or Department Overview

The Times is looking for reporters with a local story idea who want to investigate it under the editing guidance of Dean Baquet, The Times’s former executive editor, and a group of veteran investigative editors.

The goal of the Local Investigative Fellowship is to provide fellows the opportunity to learn the ways and means of investigative reporting from some of the best in the business. Our fellows will be based in the communities where they are reporting and make periodic trips to The Times’s offices for training and support.

This one year program is for reporters in local newsrooms or freelancers.

Responsibilities:

• Spend a year producing signature investigative work focused on your state or region that will be published by The Times.
• Under the guidance of Mr. Baquet and a handpicked group of veteran editors, you will receive the rare opportunity to learn the judgment, skills and techniques needed to excel at investigative journalism from the best in the business.
• Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.

Basic Qualifications:

• 3 to 5 years of professional experience as a reporter covering a beat for a local newspaper or local digital news outlet
• You are an independent journalist or a journalist employed at a newsroom willing to provide a yearlong sabbatical

Preferred Qualifications:

• Significant experience covering a beat and an idea for an investigative story that you have not had the time, resources or editing support to pursue
• Ability to bring a new perspectives to investigative journalism

Learn more about the program here.