Apply for the J-Source/CWA Canada reporting fellowship
There has been much public discussion about how to preserve local public accountability journalism. We want to answer the question: What can journalists do? Working journalists and their unions are the core drivers of media organizations in Canada, yet we often feel powerless to stop what appears to be an unending race to the bottom. Protecting and promoting quality public interest journalism is a shared goal across newsrooms.
J-Source, with the financial support of CWA Canada, is hiring a paid reporting fellow who will take a hard-hitting look at current structures, and explore concrete examples and ideas of how journalists can take collective action to reclaim their workplaces and hold power to account.
Fellowship objectives
The successful candidate will explore broad topic areas at the intersection of journalism, labour and collective action, with the expectation that six well-researched, high quality short features will be the final outcome. Potential story topics could include: worker ownership; media reform; the role of the CBC; creative collaborations; and new revenue streams.
Although each feature will include general context and critique, the emphasis will be on practical news-you-can-use. Journalists and members of the public reading the features should come away with change-making knowledge and guidelines for action.
They will be primarily digital text-based features, with accompanying multimedia elements.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for a current student or recent graduate who is passionate and interested in the work of journalism.
Potential applicants should:
-
Be either a current student in any discipline or have graduated within one year of the posting date
-
Have experience doing digital journalism
-
Be very experienced writing in CP style
-
Have a few solid short and long features under their belt
-
Be interested in labour and work related issues
-
Have experience with self-directed work
-
Be able to meet all deadlines and communicate promptly with editors
The successful applicant can be based anywhere in Canada; candidates will ideally be able to demonstrate a proven track record working remotely with editors at other publications.
We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for this position.
The approximate starting date for the fellow will be mid to late July. The candidate will be expected to meet remotely or in person with J-Source’s editorial staff once a week and provide updates on their work. We expect all work to be completed within six months of the start date.
The fellow will be offered a contract that includes payment of $3,000 for the completion of six articles, or $500 per article, during the fellowship term.
We thank the CWA Canada for its financial support for this position. The reporting fellow will report directly to J-Source’s managing editor and editor-in-chief. No CWA Canada staff or members will be involved in any editorial decisions made by the fellow or J-Source editorial staff. The fellow will have complete editorial independence to pursue stories within the parameters of the fellowship.
How to apply
Please send a cover letter, including a few of your own story ideas, a resume, references and your clips to hiring@j-source.ca by midnight Eastern Time, July 6, 2017. We will contact candidates shortlisted for an interview.
H.G. Watson was J-Source's managing editor from 2015 to 2018. She is a journalist based in Toronto. You can learn more about her at hgwatson.com.