Investigative Data Journalist

CBS News and Stations is seeking an expert data journalist with a proven track record breaking important stories and investigations using data, programming, records, open-source intelligence, and traditional and digital sleuthing. You will work with data journalists, investigative journalists, visual journalists, and innovative producers, in an environment where important stories are the North Star – ones that help people, make a difference in the communities we serve, reveal injustice and wrongdoing, and hold the powerful to account to find solutions. The right data journalist is a reporter first, someone who is as comfortable talking to sources as working in a code editor, someone who brings the same enthusiasm to breaking news and local journalism as they bring to a big national investigation, and someone who works well with a group in a culture committed to collaboration, respect and excellence.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Acquire and analyze data to reveal and produce original segments focused on helping people and solving problems.

• Collaborate with local and national newsrooms, and teammates, on breaking news, emerging enterprise and investigations that make us essential to viewers and set our journalism apart from competitors.
• Help produce compelling data-visualizations and innovative storytelling on the web, television and streaming platforms.
• Clearly and concisely communicate findings from complex data and analyses to reporters, producers, newsroom leaders and the public.
• Work diligently with data journalists, reporters, producers, newsroom leadership and legal counsel to ensure our journalism is fair, accurate and well-documented, and that it meets all CBS News’ standards.
• Collaborate, advise and review data work of colleagues as needed.
• Report, interview, research and develop sources.
• Know and optimally use federal and state open records laws.
• Appear in broadcasts clearly and concisely explaining your work.
• Relentlessly expand your knowledge of data and other sources beyond traditional, easy-to-get government datasets as well as computational investigative techniques.

Minimum Requirements:

• 5+ years’ experience as a data journalist, working in professional newsrooms, including 2+ years producing investigations.

• Portfolio showing your ability to use data and programming to uncover and report important news segments with revelatory findings that are communicated clearly in writing, images, graphics, web design, and data visualization. While you may not have produced every visual in the work, you should show be able to show your ability to influence and work with designers, graphic artists and data visualization specialists.
• Experience producing multiplatform content preferred, especially experience developing stories for video, streaming or broadcast.
• Expert-level skill with Excel or Google Sheets. Data analysis skills, preferably using at least one programming language such as Python or R. Knowledge of geographic information systems, spatial analysis and SQL databases helpful.
• Experience with charting platforms such as Datawrapper or Flourish is useful. Ability to build data visualizations using D3 or other programmatic visualization tools are a bonus.
• Your proven ability to use data and programming to find and report stories that matter will weigh more than the tools you use.
• Must have basic mathematic and statistics familiarity, ability to assess the reliability of datasets and sources, to and coordinate messy data.
• Excellent reading, writing, spelling, grammar and organizational skills.
• Voracious news consumer who has developed a diverse information diet that includes broadcast, digital, print and other sources.
• Expertise and passion for any of the following topics is useful: open-source intelligence, visual or forensic investigations, government and political accountability, climate change’s impact on people’s health, finances and quality of life, consumer fraud, public safety, and malfeasance involving emerging technology and surveillance.

CBS News and Stations, brings together the power of CBS News, 28 owned television stations in 17 major U.S. markets, the CBS News Streaming Network, CBS News Streaming local platforms, local websites and cbsnews.com, under one umbrella. CBS News and Stations is home to the nation’s #1 news program 60 MINUTES, the CBS News Streaming Network, the first 24/7 digital streaming news network, the award-winning broadcasts CBS MORNINGS, CBS SATURDAY MORNING, the CBS EVENING NEWS WITH NORAH O’DONNELL, CBS SUNDAY MORNING, CBS WEEKEND EVENING NEWS, 48 HOURS and FACE THE NATION WITH MARGARET BRENNAN. CBS News and Stations provides news and information for the CBS Television Network,  CBSNews.com, CBS News Radio and podcasts, Paramount +, all digital platforms, and the CBS News Streaming Network, the premier 24/7 anchored streaming news service that is available free to everyone with access to the internet. The CBS News Streaming Network is the destination for breaking news, live events, original reporting and storytelling, and programs from CBS News and Stations’ top anchors and correspondents working locally, nationally and around the globe. CBS News’ streaming services, across national and local, amassed more than 1.01 billion streams in 2021. Launched in November 2014 as CBSN, the CBS News Streaming Network is available on 30 digital platforms and apps, as well as CBSNews.com and Paramount+. The service is available live in 91 countries. CBS News and Stations is dedicated to providing the highest quality journalism under standards it pioneered and continues to set in today’s digital age. CBS News earns more prestigious journalism awards than any other broadcast news division.  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Hiring Salary Range: $85,000.00 - 110,000.00. 

The hiring salary range for this position applies to New York, California, Colorado, Washington state, and most other geographies. Starting pay for the successful applicant depends on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education.  The benefits available for this position include medical, dental, vision, 401(k) plan, life insurance coverage, disability benefits, tuition assistance program and PTO or, if applicable,  as otherwise dictated by the appropriate Collective Bargaining Agreement.   

https://www.paramount.com/careers/benefits

Paramount is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) including disability/vet.

At Paramount, the spirit of inclusion feeds into everything that we do, on-screen and off. From the programming and movies we create to employee benefits/programs and social impact outreach initiatives, we believe that opportunity, access, resources and rewards should be available to and for the benefit of all. Paramount is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, gender expression, and Veteran status.

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