Posted On: October 22, 2019

Contributor

Media Organization: The Chronicle of Social Change

Company Description

The Chronicle of Social Change is an independent, nonpartisan daily news publication dedicated to covering the child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health and educational issues faced by vulnerable children and families. We are the most widely read outlet for people working and interacting with these systems, and our investigative and breaking-news journalism drives the conversation about how to improve policy.

Published by Fostering Media Connections (FMC), a nonprofit journalism organization based in Los Angeles, California, The Chronicle of Social Change is supported by foundations, donors and subscribers.

Job Description

The Chronicle of Social Change, an independent, nonprofit digital news site, is looking for a journalist to join our bureau in New York. Your reporting will focus on one of the most high-stakes, overlooked functions of government: the child welfare system.

Duration: Approximately 6 months, part-time.

Compensation: Competitive, depends on experience.

You’ll be joining a New York office that has had an exciting year. Our recent reporting helped force $1+ million in reforms to the city foster care system. We now also regularly co-publish with local and national outlets, including Vice, Washington Monthly, The Crime Report, The New York Daily News, and other local newspapers statewide. Our own site is featured in widely read morning tip sheets like Politico New York’s and City & State’s, and our watchdog reporting is beginning to catalyze policy change around the state, so it’s a good time to join us.

The ideal candidate will be comfortable reading obscure government reports and striking up conversations with politicians and advocates after hearings. They will be capable of writing competently and very quickly, and identifying and reaching out to primary sources from all walks of life. They are creative, curious, and eager.

The role’s primary responsibilities include pitching ideas and writing stories each week for The Chronicle of Social Change, and preparing a monthly newsletter. There will be some public records request filing, and some proofreading and fact-checking. Occasionally, we’ll ask you to help with administrative tasks like managing a statewide juvenile justice reporting project, or planning an event for lawmakers in Albany. Visiting vulnerable communities and courtrooms where this system affects the most lives will be an important part of the job, too.

We are seeking someone who likely has 1 to 3 years’ journalism experience, which can include time spent in a journalism school program. Interest in foster care, the rights of children and parents, and the growing field of nonprofit news is a must.

The Chronicle believes that a diverse newsroom strengthens the quality of our workplace and reporting.

To Apply

Please submit the following by email to hr@fosteringmediaconnections.org by November 4, 2019:

A cover letter and résumé
2 writing clips, 2 story ideas, 2 references (only 2 of each please)