Video Reporter

CIVIL EATS | VIDEO REPORTER

Civil Eats, the award-winning, nonprofit news organization, seeks a full-time video reporter to produce clear and compelling short-length explainers, features, and interviews as part of its remote newsroom. Under the supervision of the editorial director, and working closely with the audience engagement editor, the ideal candidate will have solid video reporting experience in our subject areas, a strong interest in the food system, a commitment to nuanced, solutions-driven storytelling, and the ability to translate complex policy issues for a general audience.

The qualified candidate will be able to identify timely and relevant news stories and produce viral-ready content for various platforms to drive audience engagement. Knowledge of and familiarity with food systems, food policy, and/or agriculture are strong positives. Exceptional technical skill, high creativity, and collaborative spirit are essential for this role.

Civil Eats’ editorial team is well known for its hands-on approach to working with staff reporters, and our editors collaborate closely on story ideation. The video reporter will be an integral part of our small, virtual team, and will be responsible for crafting insightful, informative, and timely short-length videos from conception to final production that are highly visual and compelling. This position is exempt. Must be based in the United States.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The video reporter is expected to produce regular short-length stories on U.S. food and agriculture issues, published in English. The reporter will work closely with Civil Eats’ editorial team to discuss those story ideas and coverage plans and is also expected to contribute ideas to a larger pool of potential stories as well as deliver on assignments provided by staff editors.

Working cooperatively with the editorial director and in collaboration with the audience engagement editor, the candidate will pitch, write, produce, shoot, and edit between 2-4 short-form video stories per week for social media, stories for the site, and occasional promotion of Civil Eats’ work. The stories should cover breaking and developing news while offering compelling, visually engaging narratives that incorporate stills and graphics as needed. These duties might change as necessary.

In addition, the candidate will:

●Effectively research and generate story ideas.

●Conduct interviews, phone calls and/or meetings, and perform other research as needed to gather background for the planning of stories and article series.

●Cultivate sources relevant to food and agriculture policy.

●Travel occasionally for reporting assignments.

●Factcheck and review articles prior to publication.

●Source and/or produce visual content for videos, including photos, videos, charts, and maps.

●Write, edit, and occasionally post stories via Civil Eats’ content management system (WordPress).

●Report regularly to Civil Eats’ editorial director on progress toward reporting objectives.

●Support editorial planning to reach established goals in the set timeline.

●Contribute story ideas for contributors and other team members to execute.

●Must be able to work within deadlines and be responsive to Civil Eats leadership and to other team members via email, video calls, and text messages.

●Pivot as needed to work with limited resources.

EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATIONS, & REQUIREMENTS

Civil Eats recognizes that relevant qualifications of a successful candidate will come from a broad range of lived experiences, education, and areas of expertise. As part of the organization’s commitment to advancing equity within our organization and through our work, we are committed to an equitable hiring process.

We believe that when our organization reflects the communities we report on—including people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and more—Civil Eats is at its most impactful and effective. Desired experience includes the following, but candidates will not be screened exclusively based on these qualifications:

●Five or more years of experience working in journalism/editorial/writing.

●At least five years of experience producing videos, preferably in a daily news environment.

●Knowledge of and familiarity with food systems, agriculture, and other environmental issues (required).

●A portfolio of published enterprise reporting inclusive of multimedia-rich features and/or data journalism.

●Experience with multiple camera setups, skilled at using studio and field lighting setups, and professional-level understanding of Adobe Suite, with a high level of expertise in Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Final Cut Pro, and other programs as necessary.

●Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

●Demonstrated editorial ability to work with a variety of content, including formatting of feature articles, graphics, photo captions, and HTML.

●Familiarity with Microsoft Office, WordPress (or similar), Google Drive, social media platforms (X, BlueSky, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram).

●Reliable access to high-speed Internet (required).

●Must be willing to commit to a full-time role (40 hours per week) and available during regular business hours.

●Comfortable performing multifaceted tasks in conjunction with day-to-day activities while meeting deadlines.

●Ability to get along with diverse personalities; tactful, mature, and flexible.

●Ability to work remotely and independently.

SALARY & BENEFITS

Civil Eats offers a competitive and comprehensive salary and package of employee benefits. The salary for this 40-hr/week position is $77,500.

LOCATION

Civil Eats operates a virtual newsroom, with the senior management team based on the West Coast. This position can be located anywhere in the U.S.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter, CV, and links to recent video stories. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of Civil Eats. Civil Eats is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring diverse employees.

We strongly encourage candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, including those from historically marginalized communities, to apply so we can build a team that reflects the diversity of the communities we wish to serve. We view diversity as multi-dimensional and intersectional, encompassing race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, age, ability, class, geography, veteran status, lived experiences, and more.

Applications accepted until the position has been filled; to apply, please send an email to hiring@civileats.com. All inquiries will be held in confidence.

ABOUT CIVIL EATS

Since 2009, Civil Eats, an independent, nonprofit digital news site about the American food system, has focused on high-quality, original journalism that breaks news, educates leaders and policymakers, serves as a resource for broader mainstream media, and sheds light on the food system for the general reader. Learn more about our work here.

Join Civil Eats in telling the stories that shape our food future

Journalism is at a critical inflection point. At a time when misinformation spreads quickly and trust in media is fragile, Civil Eats delivers much-needed insight into the workings of the U.S. food system, with dependable accuracy and integrity. Since 2009, we’ve been dedicated to producing rigorous reporting that cuts through the noise and helps readers understand the forces that shape every bite we eat.

Civil Eats believes that journalism must hold the powerful to account and represent a breadth of voices, especially those that aren’t often heard. We stand by nuanced, deep storytelling within a digital media landscape increasingly focused on clicks and hot takes. Our work is rooted in a vision of journalism that not only informs but also encourages critical thinking and empowers readers to act, driving meaningful change in food, agriculture, and policy.

Joining our team now means being part of an independent newsroom that is deeply committed to fact-based, inclusive journalism that resists oversimplification, challenges power,and uplifts voices often left out of the conversation.

About Civil Eats

Civil Eats is an award-winning, nonprofit newsroom that has been shining a light on the U.S. food system for more than 16 years. At a time when political divisions and the climate crisis fan our fears and threaten our collaborative spirit, we offer fair, accurate, and accessible journalism that reveals how our food system works—and where it breaks down. Our reporting has earned multiple national awards and has helped our audience—from policymakers to concerned citizens—work toward solutions that create a more just and fair food system.

As we grow, we are looking for a full-time video reporter to help us expand our storytelling, reach new audiences, and break down complex topics in a clear and compelling way. Join us in telling the biggest story of our time: about how we choose to feed ourselves and our communities, amid climate and biodiversity crises and historic inequality.

Why Join Civil Eats?

We believe in journalism that educates, inspires, and holds power to account. As part of our small but mighty virtual team, you’ll collaborate with editors and colleagues who are deeply committed to mentorship, creativity, and editorial excellence.

If you are passionate about justice, sustainability, and equity in the food system, and you thrive on translating complex policy and science into compelling human stories, we want to hear from you.

At Civil Eats, our work is guided by these core values:

●Lead with Compassion + Empathy

Our reporting begins with employing empathy for everyone in our brittle food system. Internally, we encourage all team members to bring their authentic selves to their work, while seeking empathy for and uplifting underrepresented voices in our reporting.

●Prioritize Integrity

We are fair in our reporting, substantiating every claim and seeking input and comment from all sides.

●Practice Intellectual Rigor

We go deep to tell the whole story; we resist simplification, hot takes, and clickbait. We give people the historical background and wider current context that allows for better understanding of an issue and lets our readers reach their own conclusions.

●Communicate With Clarity

We strive for clear, direct communication as an organization, with each other, and with our readers.

●Cooperate + Collaborate

We seek ideas, opinions, and contributions from all team members in our editorial system and production. We value working together, both within our newsroom and with the broader communities we cover. Our team is collaborative, transparent, and supportive, fostering clarity in both communication and storytelling.

●Empowerment Through Knowledge

We present the fullest, deepest, most accurate and well-balanced reporting possible.