Reporter - Election 2020 Battlegrounds - Jacksonville

Reporter — Election 2020 Battlegrounds 

WhoWhatWhy, the feisty, up-and-coming nonprofit news organization, is looking for reporters in key battleground states who can investigate voting issues, election security, and the changing landscape of voting in the time of COVID-19. This is exhilarating work on vital issues that should matter to you, your family, and — frankly, everyone.

In 2018, we fielded an award-winning team that led the way in covering voter suppression and other schemes in Georgia, Florida, and Texas, creating work that set the standard for other news organizations. For the final months before the 2020 general elections we want to go further — to rapidly build and deploy a much larger contingent of reporters to many swing states.

We are looking for experienced journalists to join us for this period in key states and counties where a close election is anticipated. We would expect you to both pitch enterprise story ideas and execute assigned angles on voting integrity in your state. You will interview officials, activists, and legal and technical experts on emerging impediments to a well-executed election — in which everyone who wants to vote gets to vote, and where all votes are properly counted. 

This a flexible freelance role that can be made to fit your schedule, though you must be ready to commit extensive time up to and beyond election day to accommodate expected delays until the results are known. 

You should have an extensive network of sources — or have the resourcefulness to quickly build a network to rely on. 

To be clear, we are talking about months of hard work — gratifying work that, if executed well, can provide a boost to your journalism career while also rendering a crucial public service as the future direction of the country is determined. 

Also to be clear, we are a nonprofit that accepts no advertising and is not funded by a zillionaire. We are attempting to accomplish a great deal on a very tight budget — but are open to a variety of modest compensation scenarios, starting with freelance and, depending on what you show us, potentially moving to a contract basis covering the duration of the project.

Please be sure to submit published clips that demonstrate your ability to produce relevant hard news coverage, along with a resume and a cover letter that pitches your qualifications. 

Qualifications

Responsibilities

Perks

Expectations 

You will work remotely and on your own schedule. Because our staff is spread throughout the world, we communicate mostly through Slack and email, and team members are requested to be highly responsive in a timely manner. 

To Apply 

We will not review applications that appear to be mass submissions. To apply, send your resume, published clips, and a customized cover letter explaining why you're a good fit for this position — and demonstrating that you have carefully studied our brand and mission. If there is no option to attach a cover letter, please send a cover letter to hr@whowhatwhy.org.

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