August 13, 2019

Digital Media Fellowship (New York City)

Mother Jones is looking for a whip-smart fellow to join our digital publishing team in New York City. This fellowship is audio-intensive. We’ll immerse you in the process of turning our award-winning investigative journalism into richly textured, entertaining, and informative podcasts.

Working closely with the digital news team on every aspect of podcast creation, you will sharpen your skills in:

  • Finding and booking surprising guests, and being a cheerful ambassador for our shows;
  • Presenting thorough research and working with editors to shape scripted interviews;
  • Recording field and studio audio, and tracking down archives, news clips, and music;
  • Setting up tape syncs and other remote records;
  • Editing a variety of complex audio timelines, including mixing interviews, clips, and music;
  • Writing program materials, social media posts, and short articles for our website;
  • Keeping show calendars current and producers on task.

At the heart of this fellowship is learning from seasoned editors and producers how to make sharply focused digital content, backed by skill-building sessions covering topics that span the entire organization.

If jumping on breaking news before finalizing the mix for a long investigation, then finally locking in that one guest you’ve been chasing for days sounds like a fun, productive week on Earth (it does to us!), then this is the fellowship for you.

Applicants should possess:

  • Evidence of advanced multitrack audio editing in Adobe Audition;
  • Experience in audio recording skills in the field or studio;
  • The ability to work with a small team while lion-taming personalities across three newsrooms;
  • Organizational prowess to help us keep dozens of balls in the air, week in and week out;
  • Problem-solving skills. These postings always say “must be a problem-solver,” but in this case it’s especially true. We admire colleagues who can take on everyday production challenges and present solutions;
  • Newsroom basics: You know deadlines, you love deadlines; you’re a good writer. (We’re a magazine, after all.)

Mother Jones fellowships are full-time positions lasting six months, with the opportunity to extend the position for an additional six months after that. Those who are still in school or are only available part-time are not eligible, nor can fellowships be used for course credit. Mother Jones is unable to furnish work visas for those applying from outside of the United States. With additional questions regarding eligibility, please email us at fellowships@motherjones.com.

Fellows receive a $2,533.38 monthly stipend, supported by grants from the Irving Harris and Lannan Foundations and by the generosity of our contributors. Fellows also receive a $200 monthly health care stipend.

Mother Jones believes that a diverse newsroom strengthens the quality of our workplace and reporting. We strongly encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.

How to Apply

Please submit the following to fellowships@motherjones.com:

  • In a single PDF, please send a cover letter, résumé (including the names and numbers of two references), and two writing samples.
  • In your cover letter, please clearly state which position you’re applying for, and in which office, and specifically describe how you’d like to reach podcasting glory.
  • Send us 3-5 brag-worthy audio cuts you’ve worked on—and tell us your role in the production;
  • Send us a list of three podcasts you’re listening to now, and a sentence or two on what keeps you listening;
  • Tell us which audio production skills you’d like to improve.

We are currently accepting applications for a position starting mid-September. The window for applications closes Friday, August 23.

WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

payment methods

WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate