Data Reporter

ProPublica is looking for a data reporter to uncover abuses of power and betrayals of the public trust.

Data reporters at ProPublica are journalists who use data analysis to uncover scoops, stories and deep dives. We take on ambitious data projects, including digging into how the ultrawealthy use foundations to get tax breaks but give little back to the public, analyzing life-threatening sepsis rates tied to the abortion ban in Texas, showing how a Texas charter school superintendent is actually one of highest paid public school leaders in the country and exploring how a database of allegedly “woke” research captured numerous projects erroneously.

This role will join our award-winning data and news apps team, a group of more than a dozen journalists who work on their own and collaboratively with talented journalists throughout our newsroom. You’ll report to a deputy data editor. Journalism experience and the ability to code are must-haves.

What You’ll Do Here

• Find, or build, the data that uncovers stories with an accountability lens. 
• Conduct analyses that detect bias, influence and other harms.
• Report and write sharp investigative stories that seize attention and spur change. 
• Explain your work and make it reproducible by writing engaging methodologies. 
• Scrape websites and wrangle data, including the unstructured, messy kind.
• Develop accountability stories by combining data analysis, interviews and on-the-ground reporting with excellent storytelling.
• Assist other ProPublica reporters with data brainstorming, acquisition, cleaning and analysis.
• Clean, bulletproof and spot-check data that underpins our investigations.
• Teach and encourage best practices and newsroom data policies.
• Work with some of the best reporters on the planet on some of the biggest and most innovative projects in investigative and data journalism.

About You

In general, we look for people who have proven that they can use technical skills for journalistic ends. The ideal candidate will have many of these qualifications:

• At least five years of experience working on data projects in a newsroom. Prior journalism experience is a requirement.
• 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 a few months (or more) of digging, using data and code to get there.
• Track record of developing and pitching data-driven news stories.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, solid editorial judgment and the ability to write quickly, cleanly and accurately on deadline.
• Extensive experience with cleaning and analyzing data in either Python or R is required.
• A track record of acquiring new skills as needed. This may include experience in several (but not necessarily all) of the following data reporting tools: SQL and database management systems, Google BigQuery, geospatial analysis, statistical inference, web scraping, finding and using undocumented APIs, machine learning and AI, including generative AI and large language models.
• Experience with best practices in data journalism, including a keen and careful eye for detail, documentation and version control. Your data work should be clean and reproducible.
• Familiarity with public data sources across several beats and experience requesting data through public records requests.
• Comfort spinning many plates. You’ll need to stay organized, focused and proactive.
• A talent for translating complex topics clearly and compellingly to our audience.
• The self-discipline to work independently, as well as an eagerness to work with teammates and local partner reporters on collaborative projects.
• Ability to travel for reporting and meetings as required.
• A deep desire to work on important accountability stories and an eagerness to dig for the truth to help spur reform.

This job is full time and includes benefits. The team is distributed, so remote applicants anywhere in the U.S. are welcome. For those who prefer working from an office, our headquarters are in New York City, and we have offices in Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Chicago; Phoenix; and Berkeley, California. Applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S. 

The expected salary range for this position is $110,000 to $135,000.

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 [email protected]. 

No phone calls, please.