This election was characterized by some of the biggest and most sweeping economic promises in modern electoral history. Promises about jobs, trade, immigration, taxes, regulations all with one central goal — returning millions of disenfranchised and angry workers to prosperity by restoring an economy that many feel has left them behind. Marketplace’s Wealth and Poverty Desk reporters use in-depth and personal storytelling that illuminates and explains the challenge facing the country, at a time when it is deeply divided along economic, cultural and racial lines.
Reporters on our desk cover the tensions and questions intrinsic to the modern American economy social mobility, wealth disparity, and who deserves what and why and some of the most pressing economic and social concerns of our time.
The Wealth and Poverty desk is responsible for producing ambitious, creative, and immersive explanatory pieces. Some examples include our year-long series “The Big Promise”, along with “The Uncertain Hour podcast”, and “York and Fig,” a groundbreaking series about gentrification.
The successful candidate for this position will join a talented and diverse team of journalists that report on the growing income and wealth gap in the U.S. and the shifts in wealth and opportunity that are reshaping our economy. The reporter will conceive and execute insightful, original, in-depth reporting on these issues, producing daily spots, features and series for Marketplace programs and all Marketplace audio and digital platforms.
It’s an exciting time to join Marketplace. An industry leader in telling meaningful and creative stories on the radio with close to 13 million listeners, we are evolving into a multi-media enterprise centered around the ambition of raising the economic intelligence of all Americans.
We’re an ambitious shop, fueled by ambitious ideas. Good ideas are the currency of Marketplace. This is a place of creativity and unorthodox thinking. We don’t take ourselves too seriously; but we do take seriously the critical importance of people understanding how the economy shapes the world around them.
This position will preferably be based in a city in which Marketplace does not already have a reporter (i.e. not Los Angeles, New York or Washington DC).
This position will be either a Reporter II OR Senior Reporter -level position depending upon the most qualified candidate’s experience.
Position Responsibility:
- Work with Senior Editor to develop the Wealth and Poverty beat, revealing, explaining and illustrating causes and consequences of widening income and wealth gap. Set priorities and goals.
- Pitch and report ideas for daily spots and features on subject of wealth and poverty, for Marketplace shows and Marketplace.org.
- Conceive and execute in-depth, original, high-impact reporting on the causes and consequences of growing income and wealth gap.
- Integrate development of original, high-impact digital projects and content with conceiving of coverage streams, series, features and short-term coverage.
- Deliver substantive reports quickly on varied subjects, as needed.
- Deliver live reports and host two-ways.
- Consistently deliver stories with Marketplace’s writing style and pace.
- Develop ideas/proposals for reports and programs, both by the reporter and by other reporters, hosts and commentators.
- Gather information and audio for reports and programs.
- Contribute to special projects/series.
- Produce or assist in producing special programming, as assigned.
- Operate production and studio equipment.
- Assist other reporters, producers and editors with information.
- Produce for website with writing and photography (supplying additional audio, visual material, related Web resources).
- Other duties as assigned.
Required Experience and Education:
- BA degree or equivalent work experience.
- Reporter II Level: 5+ years reporting or similar experience. Some experience at a national level preferred.
OR
- Senior Reporter Level: 7+ years reporting or similar experience. Most experience should be at a national level.
Required Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:
- Fully developed on-air style and originality in writing.
- Compelling story teller.
- Ability to bring special expertise to one or several topic areas.
- Ability to deliver sophisticated analytical reporting.
- Ability to consistently deliver stories with program writing style and pace.
- Ability to work simultaneously on short and long term projects.
- Ability to collaborate with other Marketplace reporters and with other news organizations/partners.
- Wide and deep knowledge of program reporting areas of coverage, developed source network.
- Ability to handle complex topic areas – Adapting procedures to accomplish tasks.
- Ability to pitch original ideas and turn them into stories.
- Superlative oral and written skills with ability to deliver originality in writing.
- Capacity to deliver quick turn-around reporting.
- Ability to develop stories with multiple interviews, scene changes and strong knowledge of subject matter.
- Ability to find unexpected angles in stories, even in saturated topics.
- Ability to handle a broad variety of complex assignments.
- Ability to set fresh directions in stories – think outside the box.
- Demonstrated reporting and production skills. Skill in creative use of sound.
- Ability to maintain high journalistic standards under deadline pressure, including standards of balance and fairness.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Preferred Skills and Experience:
- Digital platform experience and/or abilities
- Mastery of all recording and production equipment and techniques
To apply, go here.
