We’re Hiring!
New York Focus is currently seeking:
– Climate and Environmental Politics Reporter
– Contributing Reporters
Climate and Environmental Politics Reporter
New York Focus is seeking a full-time staff reporter who will produce a mix of investigations and news stories on issues related to climate, energy and environmental justice in New York state.
Candidates should come to the job with an investigative orientation; a drive to become an expert on environmental and energy policy and the ways it’s implemented; and an eagerness to report gripping stories that uncover new information and trace the impact of regulations and laws on New Yorkers’ lives.
2022 is a pivotal time for this beat. With the governor’s race looming and the state climate law being put into action, this year will chart the next decade of energy and environmental policy. This reporter will bring public attention to whether lawmakers’ rhetoric matches reality; connect policy to on-the-ground environmental harm; and produce a drumbeat of original, in-depth reporting on the state’s progress towards its climate goals.
Please submit a résumé, cover letter, and three clips to hires@nysfocus.com by May 15. We’re reviewing applications on a rolling basis; submit earlier, if you can!
About New York Focus
New York Focus is an independent newsroom covering state and local politics, committed to unmasking the operation of public and private power in the Empire State.
Our stories have moved policy and administrative decisions, been discussed in state and city legislative hearings, and been cited hundreds of times by publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Financial Times, The Intercept, and Politico.
Our reporting on climate policy has directly led to legislation being enacted, shaped public discourse, and kicked off national news cycles. We have uncovered new evidence of environmental degradation, tracked the state’s real time progress toward its decarbonization commitments, and monitored regulators at agencies too understaffed or unwilling to implement environmental laws.
Responsibilities for the position are as follows:
- Produce an average of 4 deeply reported pieces each month, in addition to occasional shorter follow-up stories, helping to establish New York Focus as a permanent watchdog on state climate action and environmental politics
- Develop relationships with sources including elected officials, regulators, advocates, and industry representatives
- File public records requests; obtain and analyze data for investigative projects
- Semi-regularly travel across the state to report on on-the-ground environmental harm, like agricultural pollution and PFAS water contamination
About You
The ideal candidate would have:
- A familiarity with climate and environmental policy and with New York politics
- The ability to uncover information beyond what sources readily say; a nose for where to dig and for what makes a story
- The ability to analyze and clearly explain policy while also engagingly presenting its real-world stakes
- Superb copy and article structure
- At least three years experience in reporting
- The enthusiasm of a team player excited to join a new and scrappy newsroom
Compensation
Salary starts at $55,000 and is commensurate with experience, plus great benefits.
To Apply
Please submit a resume, cover letter, and clips to hires@nysfocus.com. In the cover letter, please explain why you want to work with New York Focus; which issues related to climate and environmental politics you think most deserve more scrutiny and how you would go about reporting on them; and what values and strategies characterize your reporting process.
We strongly encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ people and people with disabilities. We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age or any other status protected under applicable law.
Contributing Reporter
New York Focus is seeking contributing reporters who will semi-regularly produce and publish high-quality, hard-hitting investigative stories, as well as shorter stories following up on those investigations, focused on New York state and city politics.
An ideal candidate would share the enthusiasm we bring to this work and be excited to help build and shape New York Focus. This position is remote, but the ideal candidate lives in or near New York state.
Please submit a resume, cover letter, and clips to hires@nysfocus.com.
About New York Focus
New York Focus is an independent newsroom covering state and local politics, committed to unmasking the operation of public and private power in the Empire State.
In our first nine months, we’ve published investigations of New York’s politicians and power brokers, explainers on under-examined legislation and political processes, and perspectives on nascent popular movements and organizing. Our stories have moved policy, been referenced in state legislature and city council hearings, and been cited by publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Intercept, and Politico.
Our core beats include the state budget and economic policy; climate and energy; housing and homelessness; immigration and labor; and incarceration and criminal justice.
Responsibilities for the position are as follows:
- Generate original ideas for 1-3 hard-hitting, investigative pieces a month in New York Focus’ coverage areas.
- Work with editors from pitch or commission to publication, often including multiple rounds of edits.
- Promote your pieces through social media and other available channels.
- Build relationships with sources beyond the scope of an individual article
About You
The ideal candidate would have:
- Excitement about investigative journalism that promotes accountability in New York State and City.
- Demonstrated aptitude in reporting in-depth stories.
- Demonstrated ability to uncover information beyond what sources readily say; a nose for where to dig!
- Superb writing ability, including close attention to clarity of prose.
- Willingness to work collaboratively and build strong working relationships with editors.
- Familiarity with the New York media landscape, potentially including relationships with sources in any or all of our coverage areas.
Compensation
$800 per investigative article. (Rate may be lower for less intensive follow-ups and other shorter stories.) Articles demanding exceptional effort will receive additional compensation. Contributors are not restricted from writing for other publications.
To Apply
Please submit a resume, cover letter, and clips to hires@nysfocus.com. In the cover letter, please explain why you want to work with New York Focus, how you could help improve our journalism, and what values and strategies characterize your reporting process.
Consistent with federal, state, and local law, we are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, veteran status, or other protected category.
We are committed to an inclusive workspace, and we strongly encourage applications from people of color who are excited about contributing to our mission.
