Editor's note: Our search for a national reporter to take over Streetsblog Capitol Hill
wouldn't be complete without putting out a call to the audience with
the greatest passion for livable streets and sustainable transportation
policy -- our readers.
We are looking for a talented
professional journalist, eager to make an impact, to take over
Streetsblog’s national coverage -- creating original online content,
interpreting news, and managing freelance writers and reporters.
Building on the initial success of Streetsblog Capitol Hill,
Streetsblog's national reporter will research, write, and edit
enterprise stories about the movement to reform the American
transportation system by reducing motor vehicle congestion and
automobile dependence, while improving conditions for transit use,
cycling, and walking.
The ideal candidate shares our vision
of Streetsblog as a respected, insightful information hub about how
transportation and land use policy are shaped at the federal, state,
and local levels -- and why those policies should be improved. With
Congress and the Obama administration dragging their feet on the
passage of a critically important five-year transportation bill,
Streetsblog's national coverage will be essential both to make the case
for reform to an influential audience of insiders, and to attract a
constituency of grassroots advocates to press for more sustainable
transportation and development policies.
Responsibilities
Streetsblog
combines a distinct advocacy bent with newspaper-quality journalism.
Toward that end, we are seeking a reporter with previous professional
experience to do original research, interviews, investigation and
coverage of events, and to develop and manage a stable of freelance
contributors to round out the beat. The ideal candidate will be
comfortable with the notion that journalism can be conducted with
integrity and fidelity to the truth while retaining a point of view.
The reporter and freelance staff will be expected to:
- Produce
engaging enterprise pieces about local transportation stories happening
around the country: Bus cuts in Atlanta, highway widenings in Kentucky,
freeway-tolling fights in Pennsylvania, transit expansion plans in Los
Angeles, bike and pedestrian safety projects in Indianapolis -- all are
part of the national Streetsblog beat. - Manage the flow of
transportation-related news from Congress in a timely manner: Track
bills and provide updates on the status of transportation-related
legislation. - Conduct in-depth interviews and Q&As with lawmakers, lobbyists, activists, and experts.
- Cultivate
relationships with advocacy groups and lobbyists working on federal
transportation issues and state-level implementation. This includes
everyone from environmental activists to highway lobbyists to state DOT
watchdogs.
Qualifications
- Professional journalism experience,
ideally covering the legislative process and/or transportation policy
issues, and experience managing and editing other journalists - Passion for and knowledge of progressive urban planning, transportation, and land use policy
issues - Excellent writing and research skills, as evidenced by clips
- Experience with Word Press or other blogging/content production technologies is a big plus
To Apply
Send a resume, cover letter, and relevant clips/links to jobs [at] streetsblog [dot] org. This position is full-time.
