NPR seeks a Technology Reporter who will focus on how the tech industry shapes our lives and society. Technology is one of the most dynamic and influential industries of our times. It has created massive fortunes and the big egos that go with them. This reporter will shine a spotlight on them and the lives of others in the tech world: From users to gig workers to rank-and-file employees.
A love of storytelling is essential: We are looking for someone who can bring us compelling scenes and narratives. So is a high metabolism for news: Covering both breaking news and those second- or third-day stories that illustrate why that news is significant is the bread and butter of this beat. This journalist will critically examine an industry that is opaque and often secretive, and help us understand the economic, environmental or ethical consequences of novel technologies and tech companies’ practices.
This reporter will be a key member of a small but mighty team, so they must be willing to collaborate and take direction. This is a fast-paced job, but one that offers the resources and space to do original reporting that makes a difference.
Their work and analysis will be featured on npr.org and NPR’s broadcast shows and podcasts, including All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Planet Money Indicator and Up First.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Report audio and text stories for all NPR platforms.
- Cover breaking news on tight deadlines, including providing live information and analysis on NPR shows and npr.org.
- Develop news sources to get scoops and recognize big developments on the beat to pursue enterprise stories.
- Report and write with authority, accuracy and fairness.
- Engage with diverse sources.
- Participate in daily check-ins with the immediate editor, pitching story ideas and receiving assignments.
- Collaborate with other reporters across NPR’s newsroom.
- Travel for reporting assignments.
- Fulfill administrative obligations (like time sheets/prompt and accurate expense reports).
REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
- At least 4 years’ reporting experience covering technology or an adjacent industry.
- Strong knowledge or awareness of tech and how it relates to culture and politics.
- Demonstrated ability to pivot from breaking news to analysis to longer-form projects.
- Ability to explain tech jargon and dry business topics so people outside the tech world can understand their significance and absorb the story.
- Ability to meet deadlines and to thrive in a daily, unpredictable news environment.
- Commitment to detailed research and fact checking.
- Proven ability and commitment to work well with others, at all times demonstrating respect for the diverse constituencies at NPR and within the public radio system.
- Commitment to learn and enact the best journalism practices.
- Ability and willingness to relocate.
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
- Experience reporting and producing audio journalism.
- Experience with data-driven journalism.
- Knowledge of public radio and the public radio system.
- Knowledge of AP style guidelines.
- Ability to do interviews in a language other than English.
To apply, go here.
Chris RoushChris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.