Framing challenges

Climate News Fellow: Grist, USA- Deadline 26 November

By 30/10/2023

Opportunity type: Fellowship grant
Deadline: 26th November 2023
Organisation: Grist
Location: Any City, Any State – USA

Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to highlighting climate solutions and uncovering environmental injustices. Since 1999, we have used the power of journalism to engage the public about the perils of the most existential threat we face. Now that three-quarters of Americans recognize that climate change is happening, we’ve shifted our focus to show that a just and sustainable future is within reach. 

Over the past four years, Grist has scaled from a Seattle based team of 20-25 to a nationally distributed organization of ~60 with a growing budget. Grist’s strategy centers on climate, justice, and solutions, and we implement our mission through three areas of work: Our award-winning Editorial Program and our work to transform talent and representation within environmental storytelling.

Grist is seeking a Climate News Fellow to join our Editorial team. This fellowship runs March 3, 2024-February 28, 2025.

With the mentorship and support of Grist’s editorial staff, the Climate News Fellow will be expected to write quick takes on the news, newsletter items, and more in-depth reported stories. You’ll help chronicle the progress being made to tackle the climate crisis, whether it’s coming from scientific laboratories, peer-reviewed journals, the halls of Congress, or companies and corporations.

The annual base pay for this position is $55,000.00. Grist is based in Seattle, but this job doesn’t have to be. We have staff around the country. This position is represented by Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild Local 37082 (“Grist NewsGuild”).

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Identify and pitch ideas for stories that identify the key issues in climate news — quick explainers, short analysis pieces, or smart, voicey aggregation
  • Write 2 to 3 stories — including quick news and analysis pieces — each week
  • Write and report pieces for Grist’s newsletters
  • Assist with editorial duties including research, web production, and fact-checking
  • Pitch, report, and write one enterprise/feature story by the end of the fellowship
  • Contribute periodically to larger projects as part of a team
  • Engage actively in meetings, such as story brainstorms and fellow trainings

QUALIFICATIONS

The mission of the Grist fellowship program is to help underrepresented, early-career climate journalists gain a stronger foothold in our industry. Our definition of “early-career” includes but is not limited to: journalists who are relatively new to the environmental/climate beat, freelancers who have not had full-time newsroom experience, recent journalism school graduates, and scientists without traditional journalism training but with strong writing clips and content knowledge.

Other requirements

  • Four-year degree, or equivalent professional experience
  • Strong understanding of Grist’s brand
  • Demonstrated familiarity with environmental and climate justice
  • Demonstrated experience in research or reporting
  • Demonstrated comfort with writing on deadline
  • Ability to make a full-time, 12-month commitment
  • Legally able to work in the United States
  • Living in the United States for the duration of the fellowship
  • Available during standard work hours in their U.S. time zone.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  • Fellows across Grist meet regularly as a cohort with members of the editorial staff to develop skills and content knowledge specific to climate journalism
  • Through our weekly Newsroom Training Series, fellows are also trained on a range of crucial skills, from filing FOIA requests to audio/video script-writing
  • Fellows benefit from full integration into the workings of a busy and exciting nonprofit media organization
  • Fellows come away with 12 months of solid newsroom experience, a body of clips, and fluency in climate and environmental justice issues

THE GRIST FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Our larger fellowship program aims to provide a formative experience in a geographically distributed yet tight-knit newsroom through dedicated editing and professional development for early-career journalists. We encourage fellows’ full participation in staff discussions and meetings and seek their input on issues large and small.

Fellows can be based anywhere in the United States. Global health conditions permitting, they may work out of Grist’s Seattle office or New York co-working space. Many fellows who work remotely will be encouraged to report on stories in their home community that have national relevance.

THE APPLICATION

Applicants must submit each of the following materials:

  1.  Resume
  2. Cover letter. We are looking for a succinct, thoughtful cover letter that explains what you are passionate about when it comes to climate reporting, gives examples of story ideas you might want to pursue, and reasons you believe you are a good fit for the Grist Climate News fellowship. Applications without both a resume and cover letter will not be considered.
  3. Links to two news writing samples. These can appear within or appended to the end of your cover letter. Writing samples can be newspaper or magazine clips, blog posts, or unpublished pieces. We will gladly accept links to multimedia samples (video, illustration, infographic, podcast, etc.) but cannot review original files. If you have a GitHub account you’d like to show us, please provide a link to your profile.
  4. Candidates who are asked to submit a writing test will be compensated.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:  PLEASE READ

Cover letters must be uploaded as a separate attachment via Greenhouse. Please include “Climate News Fellow” in the document title. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please submit applications by 11:59 PT on Sunday, November 26, 2023.

If you have questions, please email fellowships@grist.org. No phone calls, please.

BENEFITS

  • Medical, dental and vision coverage paid 100% for Employee premiums and 85% for Dependent premiums
  • Employer paid Basic Life, ADD, Travel Assistance, STD/LTD, EAPs
  • Voluntary Insurance include Health, Dependent and Transit FSA, Life/ADD, Critical Illness and Accident Insurance
  • Traditional and Roth 401k with matching (vested immediately)
  • Monthly WiFi Stipend
  • Alternative Transportation Reimbursement
  • Fifteen paid holidays per year (which includes office closure between Dec 25 and Jan 1) plus five floating holidays and 3 summer days
  • Generous paid leave including medical and family leave, parental leave, abortion leave, sabbatical leave and many other paid and unpaid leave programs
  • Annual in-person all-staff retreat (subject to pandemic conditions)
  • 100% Remote work with drop-in offices available in Seattle, WA and Brooklyn, NY

Cultivating an inclusive staff is central to Grist’s focus on advancing equity. We’re interested in hearing from people who can work with diverse colleagues of varied experience. Candidates of all backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Grist is an equal-opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.

For more information or to apply for this opportunity, please visit the Grist website.