Posted On: September 16, 2014

Journalism Job

Media Organization: ProPublica

Company Description

ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. Our work focuses exclusively on truly important stories, stories with “moral force.” We do this by producing journalism that shines a light on exploitation of the weak by the strong and on the failures of those with power to vindicate the trust placed in them.

Job Description

ProPublica is looking for a top-notch researcher to help us dig deep into databases and ferret out obscure facts.

Our research editor will work closely with reporters to do everything from background sources to finding examples of kids who were injured by a pharmaceutical drug. The job also includes training staff in research, overseeing at least one full-time intern and a stable of freelance researchers, and maintaining and managing our various accounts for research databases. The job is full-time and based in New York.

Applicants should have significant journalism experience and prior experience with the various databases and resources used in investigative newsrooms, including PACER, Accurint, and Lexis-Nexis.

To Apply

If you are interested in applying, please email researchjob@propublica.org with the following:

A resume.
A letter laying out how you're a good fit. We are also open to the position involving editing. So please note any editing experience you have had.
Answer the following questions, which are examples of typical research requests:
A reporter has heard that a CEO of a pharma company got a DUI somewhere in NJ in 2012 and he wants to confirm it. What do you do?
A reporter is looking into a doctor with a suspiciously high complication rate. He wants to look for all of the doctor's assets and to background everything you can learn about the doctor. What do you do?
A reporter is trying to get a copy of testimony made by an Alabama attorney before a Senate subcommittee in 1985, but she says it's not online. Where do you look?
A reporter wants to find an article that ran in a small-town newspaper in 2000. It's not in Nexis. What do you do?
A reporter wants to find all lawsuits that can be possibly found against a payday loan company that has stores across the country. What do you do?
A reporter wants to find as many former employees of a specific division of a federal agency as possible. What do you do?