Immigration Reporter

NEWSWELL is a new nonprofit devoted to local news, affiliated with Arizona State University, the nation's most innovative university. Our prototype newsrooms are all in California, and they are poised to be epicenters of the immigration issue:

Stocktonia, our newsroom in Stockton, serves San Joaquin County. With an estimated 55,000 undocumented residents, this county sits in the heart of the Central Valley, which grows nearly a quarter of America's food supply and is dependent on migrant labor.
Times of San Diego, our news site in San Diego, sits adjacent to the U.S.-Mexico border and the busiest land-border crossing in the world.
The newly acquired Santa Barbara News-Press serves Santa Barbara County, including agricultural Santa Maria, which is about 80% Hispanic. The county is home to an estimated 44,000 undocumented residents.

The immigration reporter will be based in or near one of our local news markets, or near our ASU in California home base in downtown L.A. This full-time reporting job may involve travel across our California areas, including regionally and/or nationally as warranted.

The Immigration Reporter must demonstrate accuracy and fairness in the subject, and an ability to understand and report on the desires and intentions of many competing or opposed entities. This reporter should seek the on-record perspectives of immigrants, non-immigrants, law enforcement, policy makers and others, for a full view of the many conflicting opinions on the topic.

The Immigration Reporter will have a proven track record of responsiveness to breaking news, independent enterprise story ideas and investigative or accountability reporting that exposes injustice or abuse of power.

The reporter should have the ability to research and pursue public records, documents and data, engage in non-traditional story forms and work both independently and collaboratively. Because this role may involve solo travel, the ability to gather some visuals or multimedia on your own is also a plus.

NEWSWELL helps newsrooms become nonprofit and for-community. It provides strategic guidance, innovative solutions and wrap-around operations so local journalists can focus on local news, and newsrooms can best serve their communities. NEWSWELL partners with Arizona State University, the nation's most innovative nine years in a row, to offer game-changing ideas, tools and research. NEWSWELL transforms local news to help communities and democracy thrive.

The pay scale for this position ranges from $55,501 - $90,000.

What you'll do

Reporting on subject matter expertise in immigration policy, regulations on a state, regional and national level
Identify, develop, report and write quick-turn news, enterprise stories and longer investigative or storytelling pieces about immigration policy, communities and effects across California, including regionally and nationally
Publish stories for our three California news sites, to be shared with our content partners across California, including regionally and nationally
Seek to hold local institutions and public agencies and officials accountable while also highlighting possible solutions
Employ investigative reporting techniques, including developing deep sourcing, seeking public records, analyzing data and conducting in-depth interviews
Report using traditional written forms as well as using audio, video or other formats as news demands
Engage with communities across our news coverage areas
Collaborate with colleagues across the newsroom and with NEWSWELL
Use audience metrics to help identify topics and stories that resonate with readers
Ensure all content is fact checked and meets ethical journalism standards
Create an inclusive work environment that values diversity, fosters belonging, empowers others and nourishes a culture that pushes for and celebrates wins
Foster a culture of innovation by harnessing fresh ideas and experimenting with new tools, technologies and techniques that enhance digital and social media storytelling
Drive audience engagement through social media, SEO and immersive reporting experiences

What you'll need

Ability to multitask and excel under deadline pressure, using time efficiently
A passion for local news and a commitment to serving the community
Track record of producing exclusive stories at a variety of levels
Track record of digital reporting using multiple media or interactive formats

Relevant qualifications

Bachelor's or master's degree in journalism or related field related or an equivalent combination of education and experience
At least (5) five years of reporting experience, preferably covering government or policy and its community effects
Strong analytical, data and writing skills, with a keen eye for detail and a commitment to accuracy
At least (2) two years of reporting experience on immigration policy, immigrant communities, border security or related topics, with a track record of enterprise reporting on the subject
Fluency in Spanish

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance
401(k) plan with matching employer contribution
22 days of vacation time
11 holidays, including your birthday
Parental leave
Significant tuition reductions
$30 bi-weekly cell phone reimbursement

Submission requirements

Please put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

Your resume (one to two pages).
A cover letter that highlights your strengths and explains why you make a strong candidate for the position.
Links to three to five online samples of your work with one- to two-sentence descriptions for each link. The descriptions should contain details about what you did and how you did it.

Please assemble these materials into a single document and upload them in a PDF format.

NEWSWELL is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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Immigration Reporter