Recode/Vox seek tech reporters for special project

Vox Media is the leading independent modern media company. Known for building the best media brands and the technology that enables them, we are committed to building a better future for the industry — and getting the future of media right. Vox Media’s editorial networks include Vox, The Verge, SB Nation, Eater, Polygon, Recode, and Curbed. Our diverse storytelling and advertising businesses include the Concert publisher-led marketplace, the Vox Creative brand studio, the Chorus publishing platform, and the company’s entertainment division Vox Media Studios, which includes the Vox Media Podcast Network and Epic.

Our latest editorial project to make that mission come alive will be a multi-platform, explanatory journalism project illuminating the stakes of big tech. To truly understand the news, you have to understand technology. This project will go beyond gadget hype and data fear-mongering to contextualize the benefits of this technological revolution while better explaining the risks — working directly with our audience and testing ideas out in the open.

We are looking for a full-time reporter to help us fulfill that mission. The role requires that you have interests in a broad range of technology topics, with specific interest in one of two topics.

• The first is algorithms and the artificially intelligent technology they power are impacting our lives right now — and how they’ll affect our world in the future. The applications for this technology are myriad and have both exciting and troubling potential, including expanded surveillance, scientific innovation, and work automation. Your coverage will shine a light on these issues by cutting through the hype and demystifying them for non-experts.
• The second is real people’s personal data and how it’s protected, exposed, and exploited, as well as the role that the government and law enforcement plays, as well as that of corporations and private citizens.

The ideal candidate will be a strong writer and a dogged reporter who leaves no stone unturned; you should already be adept at digging into technical studies and public records databases, building and optimizing close source relationships, and asking smart questions others might mistakenly assume are already answered.

If you are someone who is passionate about how technology is changing our world, and you’re obsessed with telling compelling, impactful stories that always explain with clarity why the story matters to readers, then this role is for you.

Responsibilities will include:

• Pitching stories based on your own ideas, as well as ideas inspired by crowd-sourced questions
• Writing reported articles, ranging from breaking news to enterprise stories that uncover, explain, and analyze technology news, with a focus on data privacy and security
• Building sourcing and expertise in the tech world and beyond to tell stories no one else can
• Working collaboratively with other Recode Open Sourced reporters on crowd-sourced pieces and projects

What you’ll bring:

• Desire to produce innovative, impactful journalism
• A self-starter attitude that drives you to be always thinking about your next story or a better angle into a story everyone else is covering
• Strong reporting background and experience with technology coverage, along with a unique vision for a new approach to the industry
• Demonstrated ability to bring analysis and sharp angles to technology stories
• Clear understanding of the fast speed of web journalism and the importance of careful writing
• Strong execution and communication skills
• Concise and clever headline writing skills
• A sharp eye for SEO and social media savvy
• A proven track record writing for a news or digital publication
• Experience with explanatory journalism a plus

This is a full-time, one-year position, based in our San Francisco or New York office.

To apply, please submit the following items:

• A memo that describes your reporting experience and how you’d want to approach covering either algorithms and artificial intelligence OR personal privacy
• Your resume
• Three writing samples

To apply, go here.