Posted On: July 29, 2020

Journalism Job

Media Organization: The Forward

Company Description

The Forward delivers incisive coverage of the issues, ideas and institutions that matter to American Jews. Its rigorous reporting and balanced commentary on politics, arts and culture have won numerous awards year after year, including repeated recognition by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily, the Forward soon became the most widely read Jewish newspaper anywhere, with a larger circulation in the 1920s than the New York Times. It chronicled the events that affected a population of immigrants eager to take their place in American life, and published regional editions around the country before any other newspaper.

The English Forward was launched as a weekly in 1990. Its perspective on world and national news, and its unparalleled coverage of Jewish arts and culture, have made it the most influential nationwide Jewish media outlet today. Millions of readers visit forward.com each month for award-winning news, thoughtful commentary, and captivating videos. And close to 100,000 Facebook friends and subscribers receive e-newsletters that highlight the latest stories in news and culture, food and feminism, as well as the best in Jewish opinion.

The Forward has always been a not-for-profit association and is supported by the contributions of its readers.

Job Description

The Forward is seeking an experienced digital journalist to join its news team.

The successful applicant will be an omnivorous newshound with deep knowledge of — or at least passionate interest in — the Jewish world. We need someone who moves fast, juggles well, synthesizes clearly, pivots easily, writes cleanly, loves engaging directly with readers and possesses excellent news judgment, broad empathy, and contextual understanding. We seek a reporter steeped in internet tools and culture, a writer with a strong, conversational and explanatory voice. We are committed to having a diverse staff, and value connections across our communities.

This journalist should be as comfortable writing newsletters or social-media posts as traditional newspaper or magazine articles — and equally excited about these various forms and platforms. We are a small team with limited resources, so we value entrepreneurial instincts, and the combination of creativity and wherewithal to use third-party tools to vary storytelling formats. Data-visualization and multimedia skills are a plus; collegiality and a track record of collaboration a must.

Among the core topics the news team covers are U.S. politics through a Jewish lens, Israel, and the organized/professional Jewish world, so demonstrated experience on those or related beats is helpful. We are open, however, to being dazzled by a candidate with a different background or approach, especially as we are working to reinvent our products and broaden our audience.

Founded in 1897, the Forward is the leading voice in American Jewish journalism and a platform for civil discourse on issues that divide us. We are an independent, reader-supported nonprofit 501(c)(3) that sees journalism as a public service and pillar of our democracy. While we began as a socialist Yiddish newspaper, our only ideology now is that of inquiry, and we aim to serve the full Jewish community.

Digital-only since May of 2019, the Forward is in the midst of a transformation to better serve the next generation of readers, and is seeking for its news team a flexible journalist committed to ongoing innovation. Applicants should have at least five years of experience working in journalism, or a compelling alternate path; our pre-pandemic newsroom was in Manhattan, and the job is based there.

 

To Apply

Send resume, a one-page pitch for the job, and five clips to jobs@forward.com with the subject line: Digital Journalist.