ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Earned Media Strategist in the Communications & Marketing Department of the ACLU’s National office in Washington, D.C. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. This is a 2-year term-limited position.

The ACLU Communications & Marketing Department creates, maintains, and expands message narratives to engage our supporters and other target audiences, to help protect and expand civil liberties and civil rights, and illustrate the value and impact of the ACLU’s transformational work. Through our messaging, engagement with newsmakers, our written content, creative branding, and visual identity, we encourage support for the ACLU and help to build a more perfect union. The Media and Strategic Engagement team works to bring the ACLU’s work to the most strategic audience. It strengthens and deepens our relationships with media outlets and journalists, identifies opportunities to engage with new media outlets and audiences, and ensures better coordination for paid media work. The team’s thought leadership efforts ensure our leaders and experts continue to expand their profile to elevate ACLU's work and mission and coordinates appearances and writings as part of our strategic goals.

This position is part of a collective bargaining unit. It is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).

WHAT YOU'LL DO 

Reporting to the Director of Media and Strategic Engagement, the Earned Media Strategist will be at the frontlines of ACLU’s media relations work, staffing key spokespeople as needed, with an emphasis on the organization's electoral communications, providing media support to position the organization’s spokespeople as thought leaders and maximize the visibility of our work to advance our electoral and advocacy goals.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

• Pitching and preparing ACLU spokespeople for media appearances, leveraging an existing portfolio of key reporter relationships within the political media industry and leading industry thought leaders 
• Executing strategic engagements in rapid response environments (press conferences, sponsorships, event appearances and speaking engagements, or other high visibility events requiring ACLU principals on short notice) 
• Staff key organization principals at media appearances and strategic engagements as needed, including events that require travel 
• Secondary support for staffing key partners, such as celebrity ambassadors or influencers, during strategic engagements 
• Help prepare briefing materials and prep sessions for external engagements for senior staff, including mock interviews as needed 
• Support cross-organization collaboration regarding the deployment of organization spokespeople, building earned media or strategic engagement strategies around related appearances of these principals driven by Development, NPAD, Legal, or other departments 
• Support the maintenance of spokesperson biographies, headshots, and other portfolio items 
• Map and build relationships with key national media outlets, with an emphasis on emerging outlets or impactful independent reporters in the digital media ecosystem 
• Lead communications and positioning strategies, as well as outreach, for high-level principals and projects and announcements, as assigned by senior communications leadership. Assist in the development of materials or preparations for events that further the organization’s thought leadership, including op-eds, press conferences, and speaking engagements at high visibility events 
• Secondary coverage for communications strategists on leave or in pressing rapid response moments 
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned by senior ACLU communications leadership 

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL 

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• Significant experience in professional public relations, media or relevant professional experience in a fast-paced work environment is required; experience in political or electoral communications is preferred. 
• Strong judgment and instincts for media and communications-related work. 
• Knowledge and familiarity with the news media and social media landscapes. 
• Excellent research, writing, editing, verbal and interpersonal communication skills. 
• The ability to demonstrate grace under pressure and provide an organized, calming experience for principals. 
• Availability and willingness to travel and staff principals outside of business hours as needed. 
• Ability to work independently as well as within a team. 
• Excellent computer skills including knowledge of Microsoft Office. 
• Familiarity with Cision is preferred. 
• Interest in civil liberties and civil rights and experience with advocacy campaigns preferred. 

COMPENSATION

WHY THE ACLU

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being. 

At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include:

• Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid time-off policy
• Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
• Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match
• We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change.  We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression, anti-ableism, and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.    

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process. 

Intro To Position

Millions of listeners depend on Morning Edition and Up First to set the news agenda that starts their day. We deliver the latest international and national news stories paired with analysis to help put those headlines into context. Morning Edition is also a platform for accountability through interviews with government officials and decision makers who make or influence policy that affect peoples’ lives. The show also features cultural conversations that bring joy and provoke thoughtful discussions about who we are in this world.

An Editor II pitches multiplatform coverage and interview ideas; chases, books and scripts interviews with reporters and guests that are done by the hosts live on the show,  in the podcast or in a pre-recorded taping. The Editor II will also be assigned to edit those radio scripts, recorded interviews or other stories, which may also appear on video, that will be published on NPR owned and operated platforms as well as other sites.

This Editor II is expected to work a shift scheduled from approximately 3pm - 11:30pm ET / 12pm - 8:30pm PT. However, like other staff on Morning Edition, this position sometimes requires filling in on other shifts throughout the day as needed, including on holidays.. 

As with any editor at Morning Edition and Up First, an Editor II frames stories and offers structural input and line edits. They are familiar with the AP style of news writing and are expected to help the staff they work with meet NPR standards.

Other assignments or shifts may include executing and managing the editorial and operational direction of the live show or podcast with supervision. On occasion, this Editor II may be assigned to travel with a host to report from the field.

This is a union represented role covered under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement with SAG-AFTRA.

This is an NPR editorial role covered under the terms of the NPR Ethics Handbook. All editorial staff are bound by this guidance. Editorial staff are defined as staff members who play a role in shaping the journalistic or creative direction of NPR's content, including events.  

Application Instructions

• Application Deadline: Wednesday, May 20th at 10am ET.
• Please submit a cover letter in addition to your resume.

Responsibilities

• Pitches and executes live and pre-taped guest interviews. 
• Edits and helps produce interviews and stories on multiple platforms and mediums. 
• Upholds NPR’s editorial and ethical standards on all pieces of journalism they are assigned.
• Manages and executes original program content for the show, podcast or other products Morning Edition and Up First produces.
• Travels with hosts and staff on field reporting assignments as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

The above duties and responsibilities are not an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills. Other duties may be assigned, and this job description can be modified at any time.

Minimum Qualifications

• At least six years of journalism work experience as an editor, reporter or producer.
• At least two years of experience editing daily national news.
• Experience writing and editing international news.
• Ability and willingness to travel on assignment.
• Ability and willingness to cover additional shifts as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience editing and working with senior-level broadcast show hosts and journalists.
• 3+ years of professional experience at a national news organization.
• Capability to produce and edit news video content using modern editing software.
• Experience with public media journalism.
• Proficiency in a language other than English, such as Spanish, Mandarin or Arabic.

Education Requirement

• Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent in work experience.

Work Location

• Hybrid Permitted: This is a hybrid permitted role. The employee will be required to be in the office at the Washington, D.C. or Culver City, CA locations at least 2 days a week. The employee must also reside in either the Washington, D.C. / Maryland / Virginia Metro area or the Los Angeles Metro area.

Job Type

• This is a full time, exempt position.

Compensation

Salary Range: The U.S. based anticipated salary for this opportunity is $110,000 - $113,000 annually plus benefits. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salaries NPR expects to provide for new hires for the position across all US locations.

NPR Benefits: NPR offers access to comprehensive benefits for employees and dependents. Regular, full-time employees scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week are eligible to enroll in NPR’s benefits options. Benefits include access to health and wellness, paid time off, and financial well-being. Plan options include medical, dental, vision, life/ accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability, short-term disability, and voluntary retirement savings to all eligible NPR employees. 

Does this sound like you? If so, we want to hear from you.

#LI-HYBRID

We are seeking to hire experienced investigative reporters to cover national security issues in Washington. ProPublica’s D.C. bureau will tackle the most urgent investigative targets, and reporters will have the time and resources to pursue stories with creativity and ambition. We’re looking for reporters who are invigorated by the challenges of working in a dizzying news environment and skilled at identifying important investigative angles for stories that others have missed. We want reporters who have a record of producing stories that combine the kind of rigor that is a hallmark of the best accountability journalism with the narrative style of the best magazines. And we’re looking for reporters who have done stories that surprise, expose harm, deliver life-altering revelations, uncover the secret workings of the national security apparatus and bring about change.

We’re looking for reporters with:

• At least five years of experience producing original accountability journalism and a talent for, and dedication to, digging for the truth.
• Experience covering national security issues; you should be sourced and able to hit the ground running on impactful stories. Previous investigative work in Washington is a plus, though not required. 
• Storytelling chops and the ability to deliver findings in ways that connect with readers, as either riveting narratives or muscular, vivid investigative reports.
• A vision for what you’d like to cover at ProPublica.
• Experience with a wide range of reporting techniques, from underpinning stories with exclusive data analysis to using creative strategies to engage with readers and sources. 
• An ability to bring an accountability lens to the issues of the day through quick investigations reported over a couple of weeks and longer projects that may require months (or more) of digging.
• The instincts to pursue urgent, high-stakes stories that are central to the national conversation or crisis of a given moment, which can require carving out a lane amid competition.
• A knack for working with others. We are a highly collaborative newsroom, both across our teams and with other news organizations regionally and nationally. We believe we do our best work together.
• An ability to travel as required.

This job is full time and includes benefits. This role will be based in ProPublica’s Washington, D.C., office, so candidates should live within the D.C. metropolitan area or be willing to relocate. Applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S.

The expected salary range for this position is $140,000 to $180,000.

This is a good-faith estimate of what we expect to pay for this position. The final salary figure will take into account a person’s experience, accomplishment and location. ProPublica is committed to paying its staff equitably, and these ranges should not be considered career salary limits or caps.

We will begin reviewing applications as we receive them, but we will continue to consider candidates as long as the posting remains live on our site.

Questions? Send an email to talent@propublica.org. 

No phone calls, please.

We are seeking an experienced investigative journalist to help expand our coverage of the Pentagon and the U.S. armed forces. The Department of Defense is the government’s largest agency, with a budget of nearly $1 trillion. Its operations at home and abroad are testing long-standing alliances and rules of engagement, just as policy changes have made its activities, and its leaders, harder to scrutinize. We’re looking for someone to add to ProPublica’s long history of holding this branch of government to account through deep reporting that has an impact.

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of breaking through the wall of secrecy surrounding so much of what the U.S. military does; an insider’s understanding of its hierarchy, codes and traditions; and an outsider’s healthy curiosity and skepticism. They will be knowledgeable about the connections between the various agencies and the companies that influence or benefit from national security policies. They will have the kinds of sources who help them to both get behind the scenes of how decisions and policies are made and document their impact. And they will have demonstrated an ability to responsibly handle sensitive information. 

This reporter will be based in ProPublica’s Washington, D.C., office and will be part of a team assigned to nail big scoops and land agenda-setting investigations. Candidates must be willing to collaborate not only with their colleagues on the military beat but also with those working in other coverage areas.

We're Looking for Someone With:

• At least five years of experience producing original accountability journalism and a talent for, and dedication to, digging for the truth. Your portfolio should show that you are already doing this work.
• A vision for how they’d approach military investigations for ProPublica. You should strive to report and write stories that are both important and powerfully told.
• Expertise covering defense and national security; you should be sourced and able to hit the ground running on impactful stories.
• Experience with a wide range of reporting techniques, from underpinning stories with exclusive data analysis to using creative strategies to engage with readers and sources.
• Demonstrated storytelling skills. You should be a skilled investigative storyteller, capable of delivering findings in ways that connect with readers, either as riveting narratives or muscular, vivid investigative reports.
• An ability to bring an accountability lens to the issues of the day through quick investigations reported over a couple of weeks as well as longer projects that may require months (or more) of digging.
• The instincts to pursue urgent, high-stakes stories that are central to the national conversation or crisis of a given moment, which can require carving out a lane amid competition.
• Prior experience and an affinity for working with others. We are a highly collaborative newsroom, both across our teams and with other news organizations regionally and nationally. We believe we do our best work together.
• The ability to travel, as needed, for assignments, training and staff meetings.

This job is full time and includes benefits. This role will be based in ProPublica’s Washington, D.C., office, so candidates should live within the metropolitan area or be willing to relocate. Applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S.

The expected salary range for this position is $135,000 to $165,000.

This is a good-faith estimate of what we expect to pay for this position. The final salary figure will take into account a person’s experience, accomplishment and location. ProPublica is committed to paying its staff equitably, and these ranges should not be considered career salary limits or caps.

We will begin reviewing applications as we receive them, but we will continue to consider candidates as long as the posting remains live on our site.

Questions? Send an email to talent@propublica.org. 

No phone calls, please.