The Seattle Times, a family-owned news organization and one of the nation’s premier regional news sources, is looking to hire an Education Lab Reporter. This reporter will focus on early childhood education and elementary education.
Education Lab is a team focused on equity journalism from early childhood to post-secondary that is financially supported by local foundations and other groups. It combines in-depth reporting with an ambitious community engagement effort. This reporter will join a dedicated team that has been an industry leader for more than a decade.
We’re looking for an experienced journalist who can dig into the full range of childcare and early childhood education issues, including equitable access and how families are grappling with costs and other challenges of caring for their young children. We want to identify promising solutions and explore what roles governments and the private sector can play in preparing children for their futures. We also want a reporter who can deftly handle the intersection of early childhood education with the traditional K-12 system, and break down policy debates into approachable and interesting stories.
Successful candidates will have experience covering education systems, and a strong understanding of education trends, policies and challenges at the state, local and federal level. We are looking for a collaborative reporter who can help the team cover the most pressing education issues of our time.
Responsibilities
- Be curious and widely read about education issues, and be ready with a diverse, ever-growing story list that mixes daily stories with longer-term enterprise and watchdog pieces.
- Use good, empathetic interview techniques to gain a better understanding of your story and the people in it.
- Write with authority based on understanding of your subject matter. Show your excellent command of language, and self-edit for crisp, clean copy.
- Be comfortable filing public records requests and flexing your investigative muscles on a daily basis.
- Analyze databases to find your own story ideas.
- Work closely with photographers and graphic artists to illustrate your stories.
- Pitch solutions stories that interrogate responses to problems.
- Make engagement part of your reporting. We want your creative ideas for how we can better interact with our community.
- Be a good team member. We pride ourselves on trusting and supporting each other and being flexible during unexpected moments of need.
- Model unimpeachable ethics and standards.
- Master new digital tools and write with a digital-first approach when warranted. (i.e., writing iteratively in breaking-news situations.)
- Demonstrate a commitment to equity and inclusion in story choice, sourcing and framing.
- Contribute to coverage of major breaking news and larger newsroom initiatives. Participate in a staff rotation covering occasional weekend and holiday breaking news shifts.
Qualifications
We are committed to diversity and creating an inclusive newsroom and encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply. If your profile does not match this job description exactly, you may still be a candidate for this position. Please let us know how your skills and experience relate to the role and its objectives in your Cover Letter.
- Experience: A minimum of four years’ reporting experience, preferably at a metropolitan daily news organization. You should have at least a year with a specific emphasis on education or state and federal government.
- Education: College graduate or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Preferred skills:
- You should be able to read education research and quickly separate the wheat from the chaff.
- It is our job to reach underserved communities, many of which include immigrants. Fluency in a language other than English is an advantage.
Compensation: The full salary range for this position is $62,425 to $104,700. We typically pay between $62,425 to $85,000, depending on experience and qualifications.
Benefits:
- Medical, dental, vision, and long-term disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Optional life and AD&D insurance and long-term care insurance
- 401(k) plan with employer match
- 10 days of annual vacation accrual, increasing with tenure up to 20 days
- 10 days of annual sick accrual; unused sick pay accrues to an extended illness bank
- 9 paid holidays
- Monthly internet stipend for predominately remote employees
- Subsidized transit cards and parking costs
- Complimentary Seattle Times subscription
- Wellness program
- Fertility coverage (with lifetime limits) for eligible employees
- Parental leave options
Please Note: This position requires the successful completion of pre-employment assessments including a criminal background check, a drug screen (excluding cannabis), and a motor vehicle report once an offer has been made. This position requires that you have access to reliable transportation to respond to work assignments. If you opt to use a personal vehicle for transportation, you must be able to provide proof of a valid driver’s license and auto insurance meeting the company's liability limits prior to hire. Finally, please note that this is a union-represented position.
Skills Required
- At least four years of reporting experience
- At least one year emphasizing education or state and federal government reporting
- College graduate or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Reliable transportation to respond to work assignments
- Valid driver's license and auto insurance meeting company liability limits if using a personal vehicle
- Ability to read education research and evaluate its quality
- Fluency in a language other than English
What We Do
The Seattle Times is the Northwest's most trusted source for independent journalism, connecting you to your community and the world in print, online and on the go. Home, sports, travel, entertainment, health and wellness — we’ve got the information you need where you want it, when you want it, to get the most out of your life.
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