Environmental Justice Fellow

  • Full-time

Company Description

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. Grist’s Innovation and Growth team supports and supplements work across Grist, ensuring that our storytelling is impactful and reaches a wide audience. 

Job Description

Grist is seeking an Environmental Justice Fellow to join our Editorial team. With the mentorship and support of Grist’s editorial staff, the Environmental Justice Fellow will report on the connections between social inequality and the environment. They will explore the ways in which the environmental movement can become more inclusive, especially in the current moment — and how communities of color are developing new ways to fight for cleaner air and water and safer neighborhoods. We’re especially interested in journalism that identifies communities and people working on homegrown solutions.

This fellowship is a full-time, remote position and will run for 12 months, beginning March 1, 2023 and ending February 29, 2024. Applications without both a resume and cover letter will not be considered.

For over a decade, the Grist Fellowship Program has aimed 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. We provide hands-on training for fellows in the fundamentals of climate journalism and work closely with supervisors to create a shared culture of inclusion, communication, and respect. 

The annual base compensation for this position is $50,000. 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 look at the effects of climate change and pollution on marginalized communities — as well as what those communities are doing to protect themselves

  • Write 2 to 3 stories — including quick news and analysis pieces — each week

  • 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, scientists without formal journalism training but with strong writing clips and content knowledge, and developing local reporters who are seeking experience with a national news outlet. 

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

  • Must be legally authorized to work in the US

  • Living in the United States for the duration of the fellowship

  • Available during standard work hours in their U.S. time zone

Additional Information

BENEFITS

  •  Full health benefits coverage, including medical, vision, and dental for both employee and eligible dependents
  • 12 months of solid newsroom experience, a body of clips, and fluency in climate and environmental justice issues

  • Company laptop for use during time at Grist

  • Access to $600 in educational funds per year related to their professional development

  • Networking with other members of the editorial team, including Grist’s in-person all-staff meeting

  • Weekly mentorship via our Newsroom Training Series, which covers a range of skills, from filing FOIA requests to audio/video script-writing to battling imposter syndrome

  • Meaningful integration into the workings of a busy and exciting nonprofit media organization

  • The Environmental Justice Fellow is a member of Grist’s collective bargaining unit

Applicants must submit each of the following application 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 environmental justice-focused story ideas you might want to pursue, and reasons you are a good fit for the Grist fellowship program — and this fellowship in particular.

  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. 


SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: PLEASE READ

Cover letters must be uploaded as a separate attachment via Smart Recruiter. Please include “Environmental Justice Fellow” in the document title. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please submit applications by 11:59 PT on Monday, December 19, 2022. 

No phone calls, please.

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 encouraged to apply. Grist is an equal-opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.