The data reporter will be a critical part of the newsroom. They will dig deep to find or create compelling data sets that illuminate how Indianapolis residents live, using quantitative analysis to tell surprising stories. They will find, clean, and analyze datasets, sometimes using public records tools like FOIA to break new ground. Working together with reporters and editors, they will produce stories, projects and multimedia content that highlights their findings in clear and accessible language. They will also identify opportunities for the newsroom to produce and host their own datasets on their website as a resource for Indianapolis residents.
Responsibilities & Priorities:
- Regularly identify opportunities to use data to tell the most important stories of Indianapolis, proactively seeking and analyzing new data sets, including those that have never before been published
- Working with other reporters and independently, produce a steady stream of compelling data-driven content that demands attention
- Plan and execute quantitative analyses for accountability and investigative stories and visualizations, providing insights and reporting that strengthen the overall conclusions of the reporting
- Help reporters with data brainstorming and analysis to ensure their work is bulletproof
- Identify, clean and publish datasets of general interest on the initiative’s website
- Work with social media editors to translate your work to accessible social formats
- Proactively identify high-impact targets that will give Indianapolis residents the information they need to thrive in their city
- Have an urgency to be responsive to community information needs; and an ability to be first on breaking news
You’re a good fit if you have some of these skill sets:
- You want a job where you can use your creativity and data skills to do a public service
- You feel an urgency to be responsive to community information needs
- You can interact effectively with a diverse group of individuals internal and external to the newsroom
- You have a strong understanding and knowledge of Indianapolis neighborhoods and communities and respect for the knowledge community members can bring to the newsroom
- You have a strong understanding of Indiana’s open records law and how to use it to dislodge records the community might not otherwise see
- You have stellar news judgment and editorial skills
- You have strong communication and writing skills
- You’re experienced in telling stories on multiple platforms using audio, social media and/or video
- You’re able to work under deadline and prioritize work
- You have a flexible and entrepreneurial spirit—you can thrive in a startup environment where you are expected to learn as you go and think outside the box
- You practice a growth mindset, and have the ability to see opportunity even in the midst of challenges
Salary levels will be commensurate with experience, starting at: $55,000 (early-career reporters); $65,000 (mid-career reporters); $80,000 (senior reporters)
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