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We seek a reporter for our Jackson, Mississippi news team with a track record of successful beat reporting — how to develop sources, identify good journalistic targets, and deliver scoops. While this role will develop over time, we envision someone who is able to identify good issues to follow — say, jail conditions as one example — and unearth news with impact. We are seeking quick-turn enterprise and investigative stories that go under the surface and reflect some of the persistent problems in any number of areas, such as policing, courts (including prosecutors and defense attorneys), jails and prisons. Ideally, you would have previous experience or exposure to multiplatform work, including newsletters, video, audio and other story forms.
Duties and Responsibilities
Develop sources, identify good journalistic targets, deliver scoops. You will need to be a clear writer, dogged reporter and source whisperer who digs beyond daily press conferences or incremental updates. We are seeking quick-turn enterprise and investigative stories that go under the surface and reflect some of the persistent problems in any number of areas, such as policing, courts (including prosecutors and defense attorneys), jails and prisons.
Previous experience or exposure to multiplatform work, including newsletters, video, audio and other story forms.
Who You’d Be Working With
- This job reports to The Marshall Project’s local leadership team, including the managing editor, local.
Job Requirements
You will need to be a clear writer, dogged reporter and source whisperer who digs beyond daily press conferences or incremental updates. Collaboration is part of our DNA; all our reporters must work well with colleagues as well as with journalists at our partner publications.
You must be based in the Jackson, Mississippi area.
We do not expect every candidate to be equally skilled in all these areas, and this is not a complete list of all relevant qualifications applicants might bring to the job. Reaching talent across a range of backgrounds and experiences is deeply important to us.
Compensation and Benefits
This job is full-time, with a competitive salary and benefits including:
Annual salary range: $85,000 to $105,000
100% employer-paid and employer contributed medical, vision and dental insurance; matching traditional and Roth 401k (immediate vesting), Health and Dependent Care FSA; commuter benefits; pet insurance; short and long term disability insurance; employee and dependent life insurance; AFLAC accident, hospital indemnity, and critical illness coverage; home and auto insurance; legal benefits; personal excess liability insurance; discount marketplace; 17 days of paid time off each year (in addition to office closure between Dec 24 and January 2); and fully paid parental and family leave.
Who We Are
The Marshall Project is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to covering America’s criminal justice system. In 2016 and 2021, The Marshall Project was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. We have also been honored with the Goldsmith Prize, multiple National Magazine Awards, and for General Excellence from the Online Journalism Awards. We are not advocates—we follow the facts and we do not pander to any audience—but we have a declared mission: to create and sustain a sense of urgency about the criminal justice system. We do not generally cover breaking news (although we curate the reporting of other news outlets in our morning newsletter). Our work includes investigative and explanatory projects and shorter pieces aimed at highlighting stories that other news organizations miss, underestimate or misunderstand. To assure our work reaches a larger audience we partner or co-publish with other media outlets on almost all of our work; we have partnered with more than 200 newspapers, magazines, broadcasters and online sites.
We expect our local news teams to be staffed by reporters who know their community better than anyone. Our national team will provide editorial and operational support, including data analysis and multimedia and visual editing. We will work in partnership, not competition, with local journalists and existing news outlets.
We aim to produce journalism that is written for, and accountable to, the communities in which the teams are based. We will write for people with power to implement changes when abuses are exposed, and for those who have felt powerless. We intend to expand our sources and readers to make sure we are talking to people who often feel excluded or caricatured by the news media — while maintaining our commitment to fact-based reporting. Investigative, data and engagement journalism will be central to our model.
We will also explore alternative ways of telling stories so we make sure our journalism reaches those who might face literacy challenges or who haven’t traditionally received their information from written news outlets.
We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity. We welcome qualified applicants of all races, ethnicities, physical abilities, genders and sexual orientations, including people who have been incarcerated or otherwise involved with the criminal justice system.
How to Apply
To apply, use this form to send a cover letter, resume and five clips that show your best work.
Due to the expected volume of applications, we will follow up with the most promising candidates but cannot respond individually to all applicants.
Please know it usually takes us more than a month to review applications.