Environment Investigations Editor

Sep 14, 2020 | Pulitzer Center
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The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting is an American news media organization established in 2006 that sponsors independent reporting on global issues that other media outlets are less willing or able to undertake on their own. The Center's goal is to raise the standard of coverage of international systemic crises, and to do so in a way that engages both the broad public and government policy-makers.

The Pulitzer Center is seeking to expand its talented editorial team with an experienced, high-energy, creative Environment Investigations Editor. They will recruit and coordinate a network of journalists and news organizations that will investigate activities that are responsible for alarming levels of deforestation and degradation of the world’s main tropical rainforest regions (Amazon, Congo Basin and Southeast Asia). This work requires a systematic, coordinated and data-driven approach that harnesses the knowledge and resources of newsrooms across the globe.

This is a leadership role with a big mandate: to inspire a diverse team of top-notch journalists to work collaboratively across borders on game-changing stories at the intersection of climate change, corruption and governance.

The Pulitzer Center is looking for an editor with a proven track record in investigations, superb collaboration skills, and experience managing complex reporting projects on the environment.

The initiative represents a new major investment by the Pulitzer Center, an award-winning nonprofit news organization, to foster investigative global reporting on rainforests. It builds on the success of the Rainforest Journalism Fund and is intended to complement the ongoing work of the RJF.

In 2005, the Pulitzer Center opened its doors with a donated desk, modest seed funding, and high ambitions: to fill in the gaps in under-funded global reporting and inspire a new generation of journalists to cover the big global issues that affect us all.

Since then, they have built a considerable staff— based in Washington, D.C.; Bogor; Chicago; Houston; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Seoul; and Sao Paulo — and expanded their funding and mission to support more than 150 reporting projects a year on pressing global issues, sparking high-impact stories in more than 600 news outlets annually. Our projects have won the Pulitzer Prize, George Polk Awards, Peabodys, Emmys, National Magazine Awards and more.

They have forged strong partnerships with leading national and international media, including The New York Times Magazine, Le Monde, PBS NewsHour, and The New Yorker, as well as local, regional, and specialty media outlets in all continents.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most talented journalists and educators, and a deeply committed, hardworking, and high-spirited Pulitzer team, with plenty of opportunities to influence strategy and demonstrate leadership.

For more information about the Pulitzer Center, visit pulitzercenter.org.

The Environment Investigations Editor’s responsibilities include:

• Shaping the vision and strategy of the Rainforest Investigations Network and recruiting a core coordinating team, including a technology/data specialist.
• Recruiting and reviewing applications to identify the most promising journalists for the network and the most ambitious projects to support, in collaboration with host newsrooms in the rainforest regions of Southeast Asia, the Congo Basin, and the Amazon.
• Inspiring and coordinating the network of investigative journalists and newsrooms: assessing risk; surfacing pertinent data; and building community among the fellows and partner news outlets.
• Identifying and/or developing, alongside the technology/data specialist, the most useful datasets, networking platforms and digital tools to support the work of the investigative journalists and host newsrooms.
• Working with journalist grantees and host newsrooms to assure timely and successful completion of projects.
• Working collaboratively with our education and outreach teams to ensure maximum engagement with the reporting at the school and university level in the three rainforest regions, as well as with the general public.
• Participating in select events that bring our journalists and their work to our network of schools, community colleges, universities, and our two annual conferences.
• Leading the organization of virtual and in-person meetings and events that bring together journalists in the investigations network to deepen their trust as a community and share resources and experiences.
• Performing administrative tasks as needed, including issuing grant agreements, writing progress reports to funders, and ensuring payments are completed. The initiative will include an administrative coordinator as part of its core team.
• Ensuring communication and collaboration with the Pulitzer Center’s Rainforest Journalism Fund initiative, as appropriate, in order to identify constructive partnerships and synergies.

Skills and work experience

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

• A proven track record in investigative and accountability reporting, including following the money across borders.
• A deep understanding of the scientific, environmental, social, legal, political and commercial forces at play when it comes to deforestation and forest degradation around the world—and why this issue matters to our larger global well-being.
• Experience in managing complex, collaborative reporting projects and steering reporters to do their best work.
• Experience in working with data and guiding the work of developers/data specialists in support of editorial projects.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, and the ability to work effectively and sensitively across borders and cultures.
• Superb news, ethics and legal sense and the ability to assess risk and make difficult calls.
• Experience and contacts at traditional and new media platforms in the U.S. and in other countries.
• The ability to motivate and work effectively with freelance journalists and editors of external publications, as well as exemplary communication, writing and presentation skills.
• The ability to think of strategic and proactive solutions to challenges and opportunities.
• The ability to work independently and to have an open and collaborative management style, characteristic of a team player.
• Proficiency in English and at least one official language in regions of interest (Amazon, Central Africa, Southeast Asia), such as Portuguese, Spanish, French, or bahasa Indonesia
• Collegial disposition and sense of humor.

Please note that due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Pulitzer Center is currently working remotely. Stable, high-speed internet access and a laptop or desktop computer with webcam and microphone are needed. It is anticipated that employees will return to the office at least part of the work week once Washington, D.C., safely reopens, although employees will have some flexibility during the transition.

The Pulitzer Center is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to forward diversity through its programs and hiring. For more information, check their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion statement.

Compensation

Compensation for this position is competitive and commensurate with experience. In addition, the Pulitzer Center offers a comprehensive benefits package.

To Apply

Please send your application via Submittable.

Applications should include a detailed CV, names and contact information for three references, three samples or your work, and a written statement of interest (no more than 500 words). Your written statement should link your passions and experience to this opportunity and how you think that experience can help advance the Pulitzer Center’s mission.

Deadline: Applications will be reviewed and interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis, giving an advantage to early applicants. The last day to apply is Sept. 27, 2020.

• Job Title: Environment Investigations Editor
• Status: Full Time
• Start Date: As soon as possible
• Location: Negotiable based on strength of candidate