Fellow, In The Thick – The Futuro Media Group (NY)

In The Thick is political podcast where journalists of color tell you what you’re missing from the mainstream news. Co-hosted by award-winning journalists Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela, In The Thick has the conversations about race, identity and politics few people are discussing or want to discuss.

We are seeking recent graduates from a journalism program or journalism professionals with a passionate interest in reporting that centers the voices and stories of girls, young women, and gender-fluid individuals of color in NYC. The fellowship is funded by the New York Women’s Foundation and will focus on stories that encourage girls, young women, and gender-fluid youth of color to lead self-determined lives and create a culture and narrative shift to advance gender and racial equity in NYC.

The fellowship is open to female and/or gender-fluid individuals who are early-career reporters with no more than five years’ experience in the field. They will gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them, honing their journalistic and storytelling skills as well as gaining technical radio broadcasting and podcasting skills.

The fellowship will start in mid-February 2019 and end in mid-October 2019, and it will include a monthly stipend of $1,365 that will be paid out bi-weekly throughout the duration of the fellowship. A monthly travel stipend of $121 will also be provided. The fellow will be based out of our Harlem offices. The Fellow will be immersed in In The Thick’s editorial and production process, particularly gaining feedback on how to research, pitch, produce and edit stories from In The Thick’s unique perspective.

The ideal candidate should play well with others and enjoy production and reporting. They should have a passion for telling POC stories and working with voices that are rarely heard in the public media landscape. We’re a small shop, so we need someone who is a true team player, unafraid of rolling up their sleeves and doing whatever it takes to complete an assignment.

About In The Thick:

In The Thick is produced out of our Harlem office by The Futuro Media Group – an independent non-profit media organization that explores and gives voice to the diversity of the American experience. In The Thick drops two episodes a week. It is a roundtable podcast hosted by award-winning journalists Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela that discusses politics, race and culture from a POC perspective. The podcast is a 2018 Webby honoree and was nominated for a 2017 best interview show Webby Award.

We are looking for the next great podcast producer! We want self-starters to help in the production of the show. We are a tiny—but mighty—team, so there is a lot of room to do meaningful work.

Duties and Expectations

Reporting to In The Thick Associate Producer with additional direction from the Senior Producer as well as editing guidance from the Editorial staff, the Fellow will:

• Attend editorial meetings on days they are in the office;
• Generate ideas for coverage of episodes that encourage girls, young women, and gender-fluid youth of color to lead self-determined lives and create a culture and narrative shift to advance gender and racial equity in NYC.;
• Bring well-developed pitches to our meetings;
• Produce no fewer than seven (7) episodes during the duration of the Fellowship.
• Provide multimedia content (web copy, tweets, Facebook entries, photos, etc.) for each story;
• Encourage local community organizations to share these episodes with the communities they serve.
• Support the daily and weekly production process for In The Thick, including prep, recording and post production of weekly episodes; support of live show productions; and, administrative tasks as needed
• Work approximately 3 days a week.

For episodes that they produce, the Fellow will be expected to:

• Write and edit episodes as needed;
• Report, write, voice and edit segments;
• Contribute copy to show scripts as assigned;
• Secure and organize audio materials for episodes;
• Participate in final listens for their episodes;
• Assist in fact-checking scripts to ensure editorial integrity and quality of content;

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, Multicultural studies, or a related field, or comparable work experience;
• 1+ years work experience in radio/podcast journalism, or 2+ years experience in other journalism medium plus some audio production experience;
• A knack for developing relationships and sources and show guests;
• Experience with ProTools or similar digital audio editing platforms;
• Demonstrated ability to follow a beat;
• Commitment to diverse coverage within and outside of POC communities, in terms of sexual orientation, gender, and race;
• Have an ear for good tape;
• Demonstrate ability to pitch POC-centric political, social and cultural roundtable and evergreen episodes that are newsworthy with voices that are not given a platform in the mainstream media
• Excellent attention to detail is key;
• Excellent team player and thrives in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment;
• Be someone who would do anything to not miss a deadline;
• Strong time management skills;
• Ability to work independently while also fitting into a small, focused team;
• Be curious with a desire to keep learning;
• Accept productive criticism and feedback intended to help you grow;
• Must love radio/podcasts.

Additional Details

• Location: NYC
• Salary: $1,365 a month period paid bi-weekly, for 3 days a week.
• Recording equipment and audio editing software will be provided.
• Travel stipend of $121 a month will be provided
• Duration: 2/2019 through 10/2019

DEADLINE AND APPLICATION PROCESS

Please submit the following:

a cover letter summarizing your background and goals, and why you would be an appropriate fit for this fellowship;

your resume stating qualifications;

three (3) work samples to your audio work (can be links);

and two (2) references.

Optional: An outline of a Project proposal and your reporting strategy, and summary of media coverage of the subject you wish to cover.

Must be submitted by Friday, January 25, 2019 to be considered for this position, but we encourage early applications.

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter via email with the subject “ITT NYWF Fellowship” to jobs@futuromediagroup.org. Please include where you saw this job posting.

Only the most qualified candidates will be contacted.

No phone calls, please.

Futuro Media is a diverse work environment and encourages female and/or gender-fluid individuals from all backgrounds to apply. Journalists of color and of other diverse backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply.

About The Futuro Media Group

The Futuro Media Group is an independent nonprofit organization producing multimedia journalism that explores and gives a critical voice to the diversity of the American experience. Based in Harlem and founded in 2010 by award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa, Futuro Media is committed to creating multimedia content for and about the new American mainstream in the service of empowering people to navigate the complexities of an increasingly diverse and connected world.