Data Journalist

Posted On: January 8, 2014

Media-Related Job

Media Organization: Bankrate.com

Company Description

About Bankrate, Inc.
Bankrate is a leading publisher, aggregator, and distributor of personal finance content on the Internet. Bankrate provides consumers with proprietary, fully researched, comprehensive, independent and objective personal finance editorial content across multiple vertical categories including mortgages, deposits, insurance, credit cards, and other categories, such as retirement, automobile loans, and taxes. The Bankrate network includes Bankrate.com, our flagship website, and other owned and operated personal finance websites, including CreditCards.com, Interest.com, Bankaholic.com, Mortgage-calc.com, CreditCardGuide.com, Nationwide Card Services, InsuranceQuotes.com, CarInsuranceQuotes.com, InsureMe, Bankrate.com.cn, CreditCards.ca, NetQuote.com, and CD.com. Bankrate aggregates rate information from over 4,800 institutions on more than 300 financial products. With coverage of nearly 600 local markets in all 50 U.S. states, Bankrate generates over 172,000 distinct rate tables capturing on average over three million pieces of information daily. Bankrate develops and provides web services to over 80 co-branded websites with online partners, including some of the most trusted and frequently visited personal finance sites on the Internet such as Yahoo!, AOL, CNBC, and Bloomberg. In addition, Bankrate licenses editorial content to over 500 newspapers on a daily basis including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe.

Job Description

Bankrate.com is looking for an enthusiastic journalist to work with its editorial desk on data-driven projects. Applicants must be skilled storytellers who are capable of quickly finding and analyzing data. The data journalist will join a two-person statistics team that works in all phases of story development. The stats team pitches its own ideas for the website while working with reporters and editors on other projects.

Bankrate's data journalist must be interested in all aspects of news reporting – not just the numbers. Strong reporting skills are a must. Applicants also must be very comfortable with Excel spreadsheets. They should demonstrate an ability to find data sets and maintain a passion for accuracy and precision. Computer programming, JavaScript, web scraping and mapping skills are also strongly desired.

Responsibilities
• Locate, analyze and explain financial data for Bankrate's vast online audience.
• Develop contacts within public and private agencies that act as gatekeepers for financial statistics, such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, Census, RealtyTrac, etc.
• Work closely with Bankrate.com’s editorial team. Help them troubleshoot any issues with statistics.
• Conceive and assist in building interactive maps and calculators.
• Identify relevant Bankrate content for new products, partner needs and breaking news.
Requirements
• Strong ability with Excel spreadsheets.
• Knack for finding story ideas and trends within the data.
• Experience with turning statistics into maps, charts and calculators.
• 2-3 years of reporting or editing experience.
• Understanding of SEO and Social Media.
• Enthusiasm and a penchant for acquiring new skills.

To Apply

Please send resume to Patricia Buckley Cook: Pbuckleycook@gmail.com