Reporter Enterprise at The Markup

Reporter - Enterprise (Short-Term)

Welcome. We are The Markup (https://themarkup.org/)—a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism organization based in New York City. 

Who We Are 

At The Markup, we believe that not everything that is “new” is “news” and not everything that is “news” is “new.” Reporters here produce a steady rhythm of articles that aim to illuminate the impact of technology on society, some of which will be originally reported news and many of which will assemble for readers the best available knowledge about an important topic. 

Our Reporters persistently monitor and uncover the ways that tech affects people. They produce well-reported, creatively told short- and medium-term enterprise stories, accountability stories, short-term investigations, and explainers that are published at least twice a month on The Markup website.

About the Position

This position is for a temporary Enterprise Reporter who will cover issues of surveillance, privacy, and algorithmic injustice, among other topics The Markup specializes in. This position will report to the News Editor. 

The deadline to apply is October 17.

Responsibilities

• Reporting and writing articles at least twice a month breaking down the impact of technology on society
• Generating and pitching story ideas regularly
• Interviewing sources and subject experts 
• Cultivating sources
• Writing quickly with precise language on technical matters
• Reporting and writing with strong attention to detail and fact-checking
• Writing and review social copy for accuracy and tone
• Collaborating with other reporters in the newsroom on stories
• Working with the graphics department to gather visual assets for stories and social media 
• Pitching, reporting, and writing follow-ups. Stories don’t always end when they publish; reporters should be on the hunt for follow-ups and other stories that can push an investigation further

Qualifications

• At least five years of experience writing news articles on deadline
• Experience researching and assessing the strength of academic studies
• Have shown a flair for enterprise and accountability stories
• Experience with investigative reporting techniques and best practices
• Experience handling, assessing, and analyzing data
• Can demonstrate an understanding of tech issues
• Passionate about accuracy
• Can write clearly and produce easy-to-understand explanatory articles
• Motivated by the issues of equality and justice
• Not scared of numbers
• Work well with others
• Willing to evolve as our startup newsroom evolves
• Proficiency with research tools such as LexisNexis and PACER is a must
• Experience filing public records requests is a must

Compensation and Benefits

This job is full time (40 hours per week) for six months, with a competitive salary and generous benefits including medical, vision, and dental insurance, paid holidays, paid sick leave and paid time off. 

Ideally, this role would be based in New York, but since we all live on video-conference now, we are open to a remote option for strong candidates. 

Our Mission

We investigate how powerful actors use technology to reshape society. With little accountability or oversight, technology is affecting who we vote for, how we raise our kids, who is able to get housing, jobs, health care and have a comfortable life. You deserve to know more about how this is happening, and what you can do about it. 

This mission is woven into everything we do. We don’t take shortcuts—even if that means searching high and low for the right newsletter platform or taking the time to perfect an investigation. We pride ourselves on an organizational culture that is inventive, rigorous, collaborative, and courageous. 

The Markup is committed to becoming an antiracist organization. And as an organization led by women, we do our best to center justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in all that we do—of which hiring is just a part. We encourage you to ask us about what concrete steps we are taking in service of these ideals. We strongly encourage applicants who are people of color, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, and/or formerly incarcerated people. A college degree is not required. Grit, wit, kindness, and a strong work ethic are necessary. 

Come do your best work with us. We’re excited to meet you!

How to apply

To apply, please fill out the form below and submit a cover letter, résumé and three to five clips and three to five ideas for enterprise stories you might want to pursue on this beat. Please do not contact the hiring manager directly, and please do not send a résumé to staff at their individual email addresses.

If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, don’t hesitate to contact jobs@themarkup.org. 

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, country of origin, citizenship, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other category protected by local, state, or federal laws.