Freedom of the Press Foundation is hiring for a Research Reporter, USPFT

Responsibilities

• Research incident submissions for inclusion in the database, with a willingness to follow up on story leads, verify information, stay on top of developing‬ news, and write for publication.
• Report on press freedom incidents, balancing the competing priorities of breaking news updates with long-term research and reporting projects.
• Track incidents throughout the internal editorial process — from research and intake through editing and publication — and maintain editorial calendar.
• Paginate and proofread prepublication copy with a discerning eye for incident and category details.
• Research published incidents or categories with pending elements on an ongoing basis and write updates on developments as needed.
• Keep reporting and research organized via Google Workspace for the internal editorial team and external contributors, and maintain or support maintenance of multiple internal datasets.
• Review court case alerts and filter searches for actionable updates and potential new cases.
• Maintain the digital Rolodex, including sensitive contact information; cultivate source relationships and press freedom knowledge.
• Other responsibilities as assigned by the managing reporter.

Required qualifications

• Five-plus years of reporting or research background, preferably with experience in local news reporting and legal research.
• Experience with public databases like LexisNexis and Bloomberg, and federal and state court systems.
• Ability to use open sources, including court records and social media accounts, to identify, research, and verify news stories.
• Experience with datasets and database management.
• Strong project management skills with attention to detail.
• An independent yet collaborative approach; a reliable team player adept at completing tasks in a timely manner while working with remote management and staff.
• A passion for the First Amendment and protecting the press freedom rights of all.
• Understanding of or willingness to learn strong data privacy practices and appropriate custodianship of sensitive data and communications.