If you’re passionate about investigative journalism and eager to make a tangible impact on your community, Connecticut Public has the perfect opportunity for you! We are looking for a dedicated and dynamic Investigative Reporter Fellow to join our award-winning Accountability Project team. This is a two-year, grant-funded position where you’ll produce compelling stories across radio, television, and digital media, working with a team that is committed to uncovering significant issues and driving positive change.

We believe that a wide range of perspectives enriches our storytelling and better serves our audience. We encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply, including those who bring unique experiences related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, and socio-economic status.

General Summary

Connecticut Public, the home of WNPR radio and CPTV, is hiring an investigative reporter fellow to join its award-winning Accountability Project team in a grant-funded, two-year position. The investigative reporter will produce stories for radio, television and digital media. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter who can identify significant problems in Connecticut and tell compelling stories about how they affect people, and why they need to be fixed. The reporter will work with the investigative editor on special projects and watchdog stories about local government, education, housing, criminal justice and other subjects.

Essential Functions
Our reporter will possess a range of skills and provide services in collaboration with the entire Content Team. Applicants must have the ability to perform these essential functions: 

• Monitor news reporting and public dialogue in Connecticut to identify matters of public interest.
•  Produce investigative reporting projects that prompt identifiable change in policy or practice.
• Research, report, write, edit and voice stories for radio, television and digital media.
• Work with newsroom staff to develop investigative stories across beats.
• Work with outside news organizations on collaborative projects.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Responsibilities
This position has many responsibilities.  Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Build sources and develop story ideas for quick-turn scoops and longer-term investigations.
• Consider creative ways to tell stories on radio, television and digital. 
• Join Connecticut Public’s hosts on-air for interviews and deep dives into stories.
• Other duties as assigned. 
• Participate in assigned fund-raising and outreach activities, on air and off.
• Work with editor to engage community members

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Knowledge of:

• AP and NPR style.
• Data reporting and analysis.
• Journalism standards and ethics.
• Investigative editing techniques and news tools that support reporting, including Word, Excel, Audition, and Digital editing apps. 
• Leading large complex projects, working in a fast-paced environment and handling multiple and changing priorities simultaneously. 
• Libel laws, and experience with legal and standards review.
• Mission and purpose of CT Public. 
• Multimedia editing software, such as Adobe Audition.
• Navigating complex organizations and making the right connections to drive work forward, while anticipating potential shifts in work.
• Obtaining information through open records requests.
• Public radio organizational structures, workflows, systems, and operating procedures.

Skill in:

• Attention-to-detail, scheduling, and strong organizational skills. 
• Demonstrating effective time management and organizational skills to prioritize, organize, multi-task, and accomplish work in a timely manner, and meet specified deadlines.
• Investigative reporting techniques, and resources that support investigative research.  Investigative reporting with impact and the courage to take on difficult subjects. 
• Principles of narrative journalism and longform storytelling in multiple formats.
• Taking ownership and action within the scope of the position to ensure and/or improve the success of Company products and services.
• Working in a fast-paced environment and handling multiple and changing priorities simultaneously.
• Working in O365 suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, etc.), Smartsheets, Slack and other platforms.
• Writing digital and broadcast news copy.

Ability to:

• Define problems, collect data, and establish facts in order to draw valid conclusions.
•  Maintain high journalistic standards under deadline pressure, including standards of objectivity, balance and fairness that meet Connecticut Public, NPR and PBS standards in order to produce regional and national-quality broadcasting.
• Possess a visceral distaste for office gossip and politics.
• Possess initiative and self-motivation, and work with minimal supervision.
• Take creative direction/feedback from a supervisor or colleague.
• Work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple and changing priorities simultaneously.
• Work with editors and producers in environments that include remote offices.

Work Environment
The investigative reporter will often be in the field and conducting in-person interviews throughout the state of Connecticut. This position may be exposed to adverse environmental conditions, specifically during field work. Other job functions are performed under conditions such as those found in general office work. There is a potential for some remote work, but the expectation of this position is to be on-site. Travel within the state and to our geographically-separated offices will be required.

Physical Demands

 The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The physical activities of this position may include frequent in-person interactions. It is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods, perform computer-related tasks, and create/maintain filing systems. Must have close visual acuity to perform an activity, such as preparing and analyzing reports and information, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, or extensive reading. The typical physical requirements are: light work—exerting up to 25lbs of force occasionally and/or up to 10lbs of force frequently and may include climbing, pushing, standing, hearing, walking, reaching, grasping, kneeling, stooping, and repetitive motion.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time, hourly, non-exempt position. It is the nature of the position to experience non-standard working hours and be on-call when needed for story development or breaking news. Reporters traditionally perform work Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., although weekend shifts or early-morning or evening shifts may be required. Travel throughout the state is required.

Education and Experience

 Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communications, or a similar field from an accredited university AND at least two (2) years of direct and sustained professional journalism experience AND/OR a satisfactory equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.