Triad City Beat & Next City are hiring a full-time Equitable Cities Reporter

Title: Equitable Cities Reporting Fellowship for Racial Justice Narratives

Management Level: Non-supervisory, full-time

Salary Range: $24,000, with benefits; and a $1,825 stipend for additional expenses
Location: Greensboro, North Carolina
Position Closing: January 19, 2024

Job Description 

Next City seeks a talented journalist for a four-month full-time reporting fellowship based in Greensboro, North Carolina. This fellowship, in partnership with Triad City Beat, is designed to bring underrepresented voices to the forefront of the conversation about cities and their future. People of color, although representative of more than half the population of the 10 largest U.S. cities, are vastly underrepresented in the media and in many conversations about urban trends and growth. 

Ideal candidates for this Equitable Cities Fellowship are early in their careers, have a demonstrated interest in urban policy, and published clips that demonstrate deft reporting on racial inequality and how it affects marginalized communities in U.S. cities. You will help tell the important stories of a city with vast immigrant and refugee communities. Ideal candidates also understand the uniqueness of the city and the greater Greensboro area.

Within the framework of equity and justice, we’ll encourage you to follow your passion as you pitch and contribute to reporting by Next City and Triad City Beat — whether that’s covering the racial wealth gap, food deserts, environmental justice, social determinants of health or small business growth.

You should be an expressive, engaging writer who can weave together human interest stories with data and reporting. You should be motivated to uncover ways people can move out of or avoid poverty and to investigate policies and strategies that are contributing to inequality. 

The fellowship will begin in spring 2024. You will work with Next City editors remotely and editors in the newsroom of our partner organization, Triad City Beat in Greensboro. The fellowship includes a stipend for use on expenses, membership to the professional journalism organization of your choice, or professional development and thought leadership. 

The $24,000 salary will be paid over four months. While we cannot provide a relocation stipend, you will have access to healthcare benefits for the duration of the fellowship.

Qualifications include:

• A degree in journalism or communications is preferred but not required
• One-plus years of professional writing experience
• Strong and demonstrated interest in Greensboro and the region
• Outstanding research, writing and fact-checking skills
• Ability to independently develop story ideas and sources on a weekly basis
• Efficient and deadline-oriented approach to tasks

If you don’t tick off every qualification above but are interested in this position and meet a portion of them, please still apply. We want to hear from everyone who is interested in this opportunity.

To apply, please submit: 

• a cover letter, a resume; 
• links to three published articles, preferably including at least one demonstrating your reporting on urban policy or a prevalent challenge facing U.S. cities today;

Email your materials to [email protected] with the subject line “Equitable Cities Reporting Fellowship – Greensboro.”

About Next City

Founded in 2003, Next City’s journalism centers marginalized voices while amplifying solutions to the problems that oppress people in cities. At a time when cities face rampant inequality and urgent challenges, Next City’s work is critical: by spreading real stories and workable ideas from one city to the next, we connect people, places and solutions that move our society toward justice and equity.

Next City’s readers are the city-builders who share our vision for the transformation of cities. Our core audience consists of individuals working in city planning, finance, architecture, media, academia, transportation, the arts — or within any sector that must collaborate to make cities run more equitably. This dynamic group uses Next City as a trusted resource for professional education and exploration. The extended audience consists of the people who are part of the change process in cities: grassroots organizers, activists, advocates, elected officials, local business and nonprofit leaders, and voters.

Next City publishes hundreds of stories on solutions to urban issues each year. We also compile our best reporting into ebooks, host webinars with practitioners who share lessons from their work, and convene live events such as our annual Vanguard Conference for rising urban leaders. This immersive event will be held in Richmond, Virginia in September. Learn more at nextcity.org/about.

We are dedicated to improving our organization, in part by better reflecting the people we cover. We are committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities. And we are taking steps to meet that commitment. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people and people with disabilities.

About Triad City Beat

Triad City Beat is a free, weekly publication that was founded in 2014 by Brian Clarey, Jordan Green and Eric Ginsburg. Triad City Beat exists to chronicle the Triad cities as low-cost incubators of innovation, sustainability and creativity. We publish smart reporting and writing that recognizes the intelligence of our readers.

An informed citizenry is the lifeblood of democracy, and we take our responsibility seriously to provide good journalism to hold economic and governmental powers accountable, both locally and across North Carolina. Culture binds us, and we commit to provide lively and vital coverage of food, music and the arts in Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point.

We unapologetically focus on the cities, and won’t shrink from defending LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice and an urban sensibility. We carry the flag for no party or faction, and fiercely defend our editorial independence.

Triad City Beat is owned by Beat Media Inc., based in North Carolina.