The Imprint seeks a New York City child welfare reporter

The Imprint, a national nonprofit news outlet, is looking for an enterprising full-time reporter to anchor our NYC child welfare beat.

There has never been a more important time for in-depth, nuanced reporting about the ways in which government intervenes in the lives of children and families. Our work examines the rapidly changing field of child welfare as it addresses intergenerational trauma, and balances the needs to keep children safe with the necessity of preserving family ties. We highlight harmful practices and expose promising reforms, informing our readers about the field’s most promising advocates, scholars and critics.

The ideal candidate for our NYC Child Welfare Reporter will have some print journalism experience. While we are open to early-career journalists, candidates should feel comfortable obtaining and producing stories from public records, scientific studies and lawsuits. They will be able to interview young people raised in foster care and those who have lost their children with care and sensitivity, while juggling complex legal and social matters with politicians, policy makers and advocates. Candidates must have strong listening skills, and be attuned to the needs of vulnerable populations from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic and socio-economic backgrounds.

The Imprint’s parent company is Fostering Media Connections (FMC), a national nonprofit journalism organization. FMC’s Fostering Families Today magazine serves kinship care providers and foster parents. The company’s Youth Voices Rising program publishes first-person pieces written by young people who have grown up in state custody.

The NYC Child Welfare Reporter’s primary responsibilities will include:

Producing several stories a month focusing on child welfare issues at a local level in New York City, occasionally collaborating with our statewide reporter.
Increasing public awareness through reporting on topics that include family preservation, community-based initiatives, the role of relatives in foster care, trauma and mental health care, issues unique to Native American and African American communities, and racial disparities in the child welfare system.
Ability to work closely with a tight-knit, diverse newsroom in a highly collaborative environment.
Attending daily news meetings of roughly an hour.
Working closely with an editor and a copy-editor on each story, which will typically go through several rounds of editing.
Producing a monthly New York newsletter with our communications team featuring our work.
Assisting FMC staff with occasional online or live events focused on New York news and issues
Occasional reporting for Fostering Families Today magazine, a publication for foster and kinship caregivers.

Qualifications:

We are seeking someone with at least one to three years of journalism experience but are willing to consider budding reporters who have studied journalism at the college and graduate school level.
Strong clips are a must for applicants
A writing test will be required for those seeking employment.
Applicants must demonstrate the ability to write clearly and concisely and be dedicated to precision and accuracy.
Strong working knowledge of AP Style, LexisNexis and other basic journalism news resources are required, as well as an ability to meet deadlines.
Candidates may apply from any part of the country, but residency in the New York metro area will be required.

Above all, we are looking for candidates who are creative, curious, eager and interested in finding and telling untold stories. While some stories will be pitched to the writer, we need a self-starter who will find story ideas on a regular basis.

Compensation:
This position will earn an annual salary of $60,000.

How to Apply:
Please submit the following information, in full, through our application form: