Job Description

The 74, a nonprofit news organization covering America’s education system from early childhood through college and career, is seeking a staff writer to join our award-winning national newsroom and help us expand our coverage of students, families, education trends and innovations, post-COVID learning recovery, and school equity, policy and politics. 

We’re looking for a reporter with an eye for identifying new education storylines, policy trends and noteworthy solutions; a seasoned journalist who aspires to make an impact and is able to juggle daily news hits, second-day features and longer-term enterprise investigations. 

Given such colliding issues as COVID learning recovery, the new political landscape, the rise of artificial intelligence, chronic absenteeism and the fiscal cliff, we are seeking a reporter who is comfortable pivoting quickly to cover the storylines that will emerge in 2025 and beyond. From tutoring and learning recovery to widening classroom achievement gaps, the mental health crisis, the rethinking of the high school and college pipelines, eroding district finances and the emergence of new political coalitions, this staff writer will be asked to cover a broad range of topics and help fill in coverage gaps where needed.   

The staff writer will also play a key role in helping us cover equity, innovations and “whole child” policies, spotlighting areas where students are being left behind, as well as highlighting forward-thinking educators and institutions that are improving the status quo. As part of our growing national team, this staff writer will collaborate with top editors in researching geographies and school systems that can be used as focal points for our core coverage of timely developments, innovations and trends, especially within some of  America’s largest urban centers.  

Who are you? 

• A proven journalist who demonstrates a growing ability to write for national audiences and can enthusiastically commit to both chasing the story and perfecting their writing craft. 
  
• Someone who is comfortable balancing daily breaking news with longer-form enterprise, feature and occasional investigative reporting
  
• A self-starter who is comfortable working in a hybrid workplace environment and communicating over Slack and using other collaborative tools. 
  
• A journalist who is able to cover a wide range of topics that may play out in different states or affect different major school districts in the U.S.
  
   
• An effective team member who is able to collaborate with senior writers, editors, web producers and our directors of video, art and technology to produce impactful, visually compelling stories.
  
• A digital journalist who is well versed in using social media as a tool for sourcing and for engaging and developing their audience. 
  
• Someone who is comfortable in a dynamic, entrepreneurial, always-changing digital news environment; who is nimble and able to adapt.
  
• An eager promoter of their work, as well as their colleagues, who seeks to establish themselves as a regular participant in the daily online education discussion through social followings, media appearances and industry panels.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Editorial Output
  
  • Produce anywhere from 5-10 articles a month, depending onscope
  • Develop and write several longer form enterprise features throughout the year 
  • Pitch, report and write breaking news when needed 
  • Reliably pace short- and long-term projects and meet deadlines  
  • Translate important (but occasionally wonky) policy debates surrounding school equity, innovation, performance and accountability for a mainstream audience.
  • Assist as needed with 74 creative efforts, including newsletters, social videos and events

• Newsroom Collaboration
  
  • Partner with editors in identifying key storylines, issues, and news events 
  • Surface important and relevant breaking news and offer insights on how to cover those stories for 74 readers
  • Collaborate with point editor in choosing projects that stretch, develop, and improve your reporting, writing, and interviewing skills
  • Collaborate as needed with The 74’s creative team, including art and video teams 

• Beat Ownership
  
  • Be an active source of ideas for your beat in one-on-one and larger editorial meetings
  • Scour mainstream, trade, and social media to identify beat developments, emerging trends and compelling personalities in the education space
  • Work to develop an authoritative voice and expertise in defined coverage areas 
  • Seek out and nurture key source relationships to foster new ideas, angles, exclusives (canvassing via phone, flaks, conferences, coffees, etc.)
  • Create and maintain a budget of story ideas 
  • Routinely file Freedom of Information ACT (FOIA) requests to relevant agencies in order to access underlying data, break news and hold public officials accountable
  • Be an engaged, communicative, and transparent partner with their editor in discussing pitches, assignments, projects in motion, and promotional needs

Qualifications, Skills, Qualities:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, public policy, or other related field
  
• At least 5-7 years of experience as a reporter, previous education coverage a must 

• Demonstrated reporting and writing ability involving both daily and enterprise stories
  
• Open to editorial feedback
  
• Strong communication and time management skills
  
• Solid organizational skills and keen attention to detail

• Ability to work effectively in a hybrid work environment
  
• Strong work ethic coupled with an enthusiastic and passionate approach to the work
  
• Commitment to the idea that strong, credible journalism is vital to the health of our democratic institutions
  
• Models The 74’s values and editorial mission at all times
  
• Strong follow-up and follow-through skills, with a focus on final, published pieces.

• Professionalism, collegiality, and a positive attitude.
  

Details:

Generous salary, benefits package, 401(k) match, and vacation/holiday calendar (including 15 days of PTO and a paid winter recess) 

Location: Flexible. (We offer a flexible work environment with access to shared office space in our New York City headquarters, as well as shared office spaces in most major American cities, and the ability to work from home. Preference may be given to East Coast candidates who can meet more regularly in-person with assigning editors in various cities) 

The 74 is committed to equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees and encourages people of all races, colors, national origins, ancestries, creeds, religions, genders, ages, disabilities, veteran statuses, sexual orientations, and marital statuses to apply.

Please submit your resume to careers@the74million.org. 

About The 74

The 74 Media is an award-winning nonprofit education news site covering education and the forces shaping America’s youth from cradle to career. In the United States, less than half of our students can read or do math at grade-level, yet most education coverage and debate fails to focus on the kids who are being left behind, the barriers to increasing student achievement, and what’s working for students and families. Since 2015, our mission has been to lead an honest, fact-based conversation about how to give America’s 74 million children under the age of 18 the education they deserve. 

The 74’s coverage enjoys extensive reach, thanks to our strong, strategic social media presence, our syndication on such mass-audience platforms as Apple and Yahoo News, and our ongoing editorial partnerships with publications such as The Texas Tribune, Fast Company, Axios and The Guardian. Our newsroom consists of 22 editors, reporters, producers and videographers along with a network of contributors. In addition to daily news coverage, we also publish a robust opinion page and are known for long-form enterprise features, in-depth investigations, short-form documentaries and informational explainers. Beyond the newsroom, we have published multiple books, launched numerous microsites targeting specific topic areas, and hosted/moderated more than 100 education events across the country.

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