Key Facts

Remote From:

United States

Full time

English

Hard Skills

Legal Research Analytics Investigative Journalism Storytelling

Other Skills

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Critical Thinking
•
Communication

Roles & Responsibilities

Experience in investigative journalism or related research fields.
Strong ability to analyze data and interpret public records.
Excellent written communication skills for storytelling and reporting.
Self-motivated with the ability to work independently on complex projects.

Requirements:

Develop investigative proposals aligned with ProPublica's mission.
Gather and analyze data, documents, and source relationships for stories.
Conduct interviews, research, and data collection as needed.
Prepare and submit detailed reports and story pitches for review.

ProPublica

About ProPublica

ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism with moral force. We dig deep into important issues, shining a light on abuses of power and betrayals of public trust — and we stick with those issues as long as it takes to hold power to account.With a team of more than 75 dedicated journalists, ProPublica covers a range of topics including government and politics, business, criminal justice, the environment, education, health care, immigration, and technology. We focus on stories with the potential to spur real-world impact. Among other positive changes, our reporting has contributed to the passage of new laws; reversals of harmful policies and practices; and accountability for leaders at local, state and national levels.Investigative journalism requires a great deal of time and resources, and many newsrooms can no longer afford to take on this kind of deep-dive reporting. As a nonprofit, ProPublica’s work is powered primarily through donations. The vast bulk of the money we spend goes directly into world-class, award-winning journalism. We are committed to uncovering the truth, no matter how long it takes or how much it costs, and we practice transparent financial reporting so donors know how their dollars are spent.ProPublica was founded in 2007-2008 with the belief that investigative journalism is critical to our democracy. Our staff remains dedicated to carrying forward the important work of exposing corruption, informing the public about complex issues, and using the power of investigative journalism to spur reform.

Company type: SME

Founded: 2018

Company size: 51 - 200

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Job description

ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

While the vast majority of ProPublica’s work comes from our staff, we occasionally consider supporting ambitious accountability stories or projects from independent journalists whose ideas align with the mission of our organization.

Here’s what journalists submitting proposals should know.

We’re open to investigations that are revelatory or substantially advance what is known on a subject of importance. The investigation should have the potential to trigger needed reforms by identifying a problem, who’s responsible and what should change. It should also clearly show harm. The investigation can be rooted in a place or focus on a person, but it should illuminate an issue of broader relevance.

The best proposals have a clear hypothesis, typically based on significant reporting: They don’t wonder whether something bad is happening, they know it. Please include not only a general description of the topic, but also a sense of the anecdotes/data/documents you have gathered, what you expect to find and possible accountability stories you want to tell.

In addition, applicants should detail, as much as is possible at the outset, what an investigation will require: data work, travel, obtaining public records. It’s also important for us to know what data, documents and/or source relationships the reporter already has. Finally, we’d like to hear a bit about why you are particularly suited to do this investigation.

We will begin reviewing applications as we receive them, and aim to notify candidates regarding your proposals within two weeks of submission. Questions? Send an email to talent@propublica.org. No phone calls, please.

For those proposals we accept, we pay competitive freelance rates, including reporting expenses. Freelancers are independent contractors and will not be treated by ProPublica as employees for any purpose.

Independent contractors are responsible for paying any required taxes on any compensation received and for understanding the applicable tax laws. We will begin reviewing applications as we receive them, and aim to notify candidates regarding your proposals within two weeks of submission.

We know there are great candidates who may not fit into what we’ve described above or who have important skills we haven’t thought of. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.

We are dedicated to improving our newsroom, in part by better reflecting the people we cover. (Here is a breakdown of our staff.) We are committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and ages. And we are taking steps to meet that commitment. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities. 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.