Grant Funded Environmental Reporting Fellowship

USA TODAY Co.•Phoenix, AZ

About The Position

The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, are seeking journalists for reporting fellowships on an ongoing grant-funded environmental project. The journalist will be a part of a three-person team that includes an award-winning, nationally recognized reporter and two reporting fellows. The team, working with the environment editor, will work on major projects, enterprise stories, daily coverage and content for social media channels. The position focuses primarily on reporting and research, including interviews with sources for stories. The fellowships last one year and is full-time, 40 hours a week, and includes paid time off, health insurance and other company benefits. This journalist works with the senior reporter and will be expected to work independently on some reporting and research. The Republic covers issues specific to Arizona and of broader interest to the U.S. West, with an emphasis on the Colorado River, climate change, air quality, land management and water conservation. The stories are often shared across the USA TODAY Network. The job also includes producing content tailored for social media. This journalist will help manage the project’s dedicated channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The staffer monitors news feeds and other sources for environmental topics and produces a range of content, including aggregated content from other sources and daily reported stories on trending topics.

Requirements

High school or equivalent and college degree.
Graduate students are encouraged to apply.
Note that this is a full-time position.
Strong command of AP writing, spelling, grammar, and style.
Reporting skills.
Detail oriented.
Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
Experience performing a wide variety of tasks under the pressure of deadlines.
Ability to communicate effectively across all levels of the organization.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills required
Advanced proficiency in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the applicable location.

Nice To Haves

Experience in environmental journalism or research is preferred
Knowledge of related topics, such as endangered species, climate change, water management, forest or land management.

Responsibilities

Gather information from sources at any locations and through any means commonly available for news stories.
Interview subjects in person, over the telephone or via computers, and in writing.
Travel as needed to conduct research or interviews.
Research written materials, graphic and photographic materials, as well as audio and video recordings.
Quickly and accurately reports information, either verbally or electronically, for publication.
Help in the production of stories, videos, photographs and graphics that would be helpful in supporting stories.