Engagement Reporter - Spotlight

Job Description:

The Globe is looking for its first-ever engagement reporter to join the Spotlight Team. 

This is a unique job that allows for an accountability-minded journalist to leave their mark on all aspects of the team’s work. The engagement reporter will work on the front and back ends of all our investigations. At the start, they will make sure we are identifying and hearing from people whose stories must be heard. And at the end, this reporter will make sure our work is consumed by a wide swath of audiences, including those most impacted by the work.

In this role, you’ll help manage the tip line, produce quick-hit pieces for our newsletter, collaborate with project reporters, and engage with various communities to help us find stories. You’ll regularly liaise with our newsroom’s Audience team, working on community callouts, crowdsourcing, and more. And you’ll file FOIAs, collect data, and help develop our journalism beyond traditional text.  

This person will have their bylines and work showcased in the Globe. 

The ideal candidate will be a digital native, comfortable on platforms such as Reddit or TikTok, and have a keen eye for kernels of information that beg for deeper exploration. 

This person should be able to write clearly and forcefully. They also should be accountability-minded, intolerant of government waste and misconduct, and empathetic to those who have been wronged. You’ll often be the first point of contact for people who want their stories told, so you should be a close listener and skilled communicator. 

Responsibilities:

• Manage the Spotlight tip line, help produce our investigative newsletter, and assist in our audience engagement efforts
• Harness the power of technology and community to identify and follow up on appealing tips. Be able to vet each lead’s value and potential, and to communicate your findings clearly to the team.
• Collaborate closely with reporters and editors, including audience, visual, audio, and video colleagues
• Assist in efforts to pry loose valuable information, including by filing records requests, developing community contacts, and more

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree or higher and at least two years of reporting and writing for a news organization 
• Strong news judgment, with a sharp eye for issues, topics, or trends that demand deeper investigations. Most notably, a background in community reporting
• Digital acumen. Abilities must include mining Reddit or other platforms for ideas, pitching SEO-minded headlines, and writing scripts for audio/video or community callouts. You should be comfortable helping enable or push our journalism in a variety of ways and on different platforms.  
• An accountability mindset, an innate skepticism, and – when needed – a sense of outrage. Our guiding principle is impact.
• A willingness to adapt and be audience focused, with a curious mindset and a commitment to creating an inclusive work environment 

Please send a resume, a cover letter that outlines why you’re the right person for this job, as well as clips of at least three stories or projects you’ve worked on.

The BGMP office is located in downtown Boston, near Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, and is easily accessible by MBTA and commuter rail lines. This position is based in Boston, and candidates should be based in the area or willing to move.

This position is a union position covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the Boston Newspaper Guild.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

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EEO Statement:

At Boston Globe Media, our mission is to empower, connect, and convene our communities with independent, trusted journalism and storytelling. We know a critical part to achieve this is by having a workforce that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive - like the communities we serve. Boston Globe Media is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes candidates and colleagues of all backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and skills.