Reporting residency

Injustice Watch seeks applicants for a paid reporting residency. Prior experience researching or reporting on the court system is preferred but not required. Ideal candidates are early to mid-career professionals looking for opportunities to establish or further a career in investigative journalism. Please apply online by 11:59 p.m. on June 12, and see more details about the opportunity below.

Time Commitment

The residency will run from August 1 to October 31. Residents may work up to 40 hours per week. Our regular working hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Injustice Watch offers flex-time and flexible schedule accommodations with prior approval. Our team is currently working remotely, with the option to utilize our downtown office, as needed. There may be occasional in-person meetings.

Compensation

Residents will earn $20 an hour for the duration of their residency. They will also receive professional development and networking opportunities provided by Injustice Watch and partner organizations.

What You’ll Do

Residents will work together on in-depth reporting and research for Injustice Watch’s 2022 judicial election guide. Residents may also have opportunities to cover court cases and write short news articles and explainers about the judicial system. Residents will also collaborate with Injustice Watch’s engagement team to connect more readers with our vital public service journalism.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must be:

• At least 18 years old and authorized to work in the United States.
• Devoted to listening to and centering communities disproportionately affected by the criminal justice system.
• Open to learning new skills to fulfill expectations for the role and willing to work collaboratively on team projects.
• Active listeners with strong interpersonal communication skills.
• Able to maintain an ethical, honest, accurate, and fair standard in their work.
• Creative with an inquiring mind.
• Adaptable and able to build rapport with a diverse array of people.
• Proficient in basic word processing and spreadsheet programs like those included in Microsoft Office and Google Suite.

Preferred skills, experience, and attributes

While nothing below is a requirement, it’s a plus if you are:

• Purpose-driven in your work with a strong ability to self-manage in the workplace.
• Knowledgeable about Chicagoland history, institutions, and communities.
• Able to articulate how race, identity, and systemic oppression has shaped policy, governance, culture, and inequity in the U.S., and understand critical issues driving current social movements.
• A proficient interviewer, writer, and fact-checker.
• Experienced with investigative reporting techniques and research tools, including obtaining public records and navigating research databases and open records.
• Proficient in data analysis via programs like Excel, SQL, Python, and R.

About Injustice Watch

Injustice Watch is a Chicago-based nonprofit, nonpartisan journalism organization that conducts in-depth research exposing institutional failures that obstruct justice and equality. Injustice Watch strives to be a diverse and inclusive organization. We embrace professional growth, learning, and collaboration. Our goal is to listen to and center people impacted by institutional injustices and provide them with the perspectives, information, and resources to hold powerful people and oppressive systems accountable.