Higher Education Reporter

Posting Summary

The Hechinger Report, the award-winning nonprofit news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education, seeks a Higher Education Reporter to cover national higher education issues. The reporter will write in-depth stories that appear on Hechinger’s website and with our many partner publications, including The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and NPR.

Job Summary/Basic Function

The ideal candidate will bring strong reporting and writing skills and an interest in data and accountability journalism. The reporter will develop expertise on the higher education beat, identify emerging trends and report on issues including inequality, college affordability and access. Stories will combine on-the-ground reporting from campuses and training programs with research, analysis, expert perspectives and compelling examples of people affected. The position requires an understanding of how politics, policy choices and economic forces affect colleges and universities and influence young people’s paths after high school.

This is a remote position with travel as needed for reporting and an annual trip to meet with colleagues in New York. The Hechinger Report is housed at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York City. The position includes the College's comprehensive full-time employee benefits package.

Hechinger is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive newsroom. Just as we seek to elevate diverse perspectives through our journalism, we also strive to ensure that the writers and editors telling those stories come from diverse backgrounds. Candidates who do not meet every qualification but believe their skills and experience would allow them to succeed in the role are encouraged to apply and share what they would bring to the newsroom.

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Report and write enterprise stories on higher education for the Hechinger Report and partner publications, with a focus on stories and angles that have not been covered elsewhere for general audiences
• Develop and cultivate sources on the higher education beat
• Represent The Hechinger Report at conferences and participate in media interviews and panel discussions, as needed
• Collaborate with the Audience and Engagement team to build readership and expand the reach of Hechinger stories
• Write our biweekly higher education newsletter
• Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• Four years of reporting experience
• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, or a related field, or equivalent experience and training
• Excellent news judgment and ability to identify important stories and emerging trends
• Strong writing skills and ability to write compelling, in-depth features for a general audience
• Basic understanding of data and how it informs stories
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple assignments
• Experience with data and accountability reporting and an interest in developing investigative and narrative reporting skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience covering higher education
• Five years of reporting experience, including for national outlets
• Strong data and investigative reporting skills
• Experience appearing in broadcast media
• Experience building and engaging a dedicated audience through newsletters, social media or other platforms.

Salary Range

$78,000 - $80,000

Work Modality

Remote

Application Instructions

The application deadline is November 20 at 10:00 a.m ET. In your application, please include:

1. Your resume
2. A cover letter that describes a project or story that you are particularly proud of, why you are proud of it, and any impact it had.
3. A link or an accessible authorized PDF copy of the project or story you describe in your cover letter. (Please label this sample 'Cover Letter Sample' followed by the story's headline or title.)
4. Two more clips of your published journalism, either as links or as accessible authorized PDF copies.These should be examples of your best journalism and do not need to be education stories.