The Trace is hiring a reporter who lives in the Great Lakes region to cover gun violence across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
We are looking for someone who can thoroughly report stories as assigned and help spot new ones, who is familiar with the region and has the flexibility to travel within it, and has an enterprising spirit that will help them deliver in-depth coverage on our beat. The ideal candidate has six to 15 years experience and a proven ability to develop sources, identify juicy areas for accountability reporting, and get records and information through requests and human sources.
As The Trace’s Great Lakes correspondent, you will develop coverage that goes beyond breaking news and create a steady stream of accountability stories. This may include policy and legislation news; human-centered profiles; analysis of data and research; and watchdog reporting on gun dealers or the gun rights movement.
Core Responsibilities:
- Reports and writes 12 to 18 stories that drive change per year
- May work on one to three projects or deep feature stories per year, as scheduling allows
- Develops and maintains a deep bench of sources with knowledge of all aspects of gun violence
- Follows the news and pitches frequently
- Delivers clean, factual copy that is a pleasure to read and works collaboratively through editing to make stories as good as they can be
- Works collaboratively with editors and other staff and contributes to a supportive workplace culture overall
- Is highly organized and self-motivated
The ideal candidate is someone who:
- Has at least 6 years of reporting experience, ideally in the Great Lakes region and/or on the criminal justice beat
- Demonstrates exceptional on-the-ground news gathering skills (variety of well-cultivated and maintained sources; generates story ideas; skeptical of what they gather)
- Works well with colleagues to share information, insights, and ideas
- Is committed to public interest journalism and wants to see gun violence coverage of Great Lakes states go beyond standard coverage by delving deeper
Compensation and benefits:
Salary will vary depending on the candidate, but the general range is approximately $80,000-$100,000. This full-time position may sometimes require evening and weekend work.
This full-time position includes no-cost medical, dental, and vision insurance; 12 weeks of fully paid family leave; a 401(k) with employer matching; four weeks of vacation time, plus 10 sick days and a holiday week in December; several holidays; and professional development resources such as funding to attend conferences.
At The Trace, we are committed to producing journalism that is equitable and inclusive. We welcome applications from journalists of all experience levels and strongly encourage applications from people of color, women, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people.
We know that all of the attributes and interests listed here won’t apply to all candidates. If you think you’d be a great fit and have skills and qualifications not mentioned in this listing, we encourage you to submit an application and tell us why you’d thrive in this role.
This reporter will work remotely from the Great Lakes region. Many of our staffers are based out of our office in Brooklyn, New York, but we also have team members in Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and elsewhere.
To apply
Fill out the application form here by July 12. In lieu of a cover letter, we ask that you answer a few questions about your experience and goals as well as submit your resume.
QUESTIONS? Email us at [email protected] with questions. Please do not reach out to check on the status of your application before we have contacted you; we will do our best to respond to candidates in a timely manner.
