Investigative Reporters & Editors, Inc. is hiring: Data Reporter (Politics) in H

Job Summary

The Houston Chronicle is hiring a Data Reporter who thrives on finding and telling stories with data in a fast-paced, audience-centered newsroom. In this role, you will be joining the Hearst Texas Data Team, a collaborative group of journalist-programmers who partner with peers at the Austin American-Statesman, San Antonio Express-News, Houston Chronicle and Hearst DevHub to produce impactful data-focused reporting.

Key responsibilities

• Produce data- and graphics-focused journalism that’s centered on statewide politics, campaign finance, voter registration and other topics in collaboration with other members of the Texas Hearst Data Team and the Houston Chronicle.
• Approach datasets with a healthy dose of skepticism and find trends and stories in the numbers.
• Write and document reproducible, bulletproof code for data analysis.
• Write audience-focused stories and build data visualizations.
• Support and further data literacy in the newsroom by leading data trainings

We’re looking for someone who

• Has at least 5 years of experience working with large, complex datasets in a newsroom setting.
• Understands how to interrogate political and government data, such as campaign finance, lobbying, and election records.
• Has strong news judgment and can move quickly without sacrificing accuracy.
• Is comfortable using Python, R or similar tools to clean, analyze and present data.
• Brings creativity and curiosity to finding stories hidden in spreadsheets and databases.
• Works well with colleagues across teams and thrives in a collaborative environment.
• Is eager to experiment with new storytelling forms and ways of engaging readers.
• (Bonus) Has skills in web development, data visualization or mapping/GIS.

Success is measured by

• Producing exclusive, data-driven journalism that distinguishes the Chronicle’s coverage.
• Elevating statewide political and accountability coverage by surfacing original data storylines.
• Delivering clean, accurate and well-documented analysis that builds trust with readers.
• Collaborating effectively across teams to ensure the Chronicle makes the most of public data.
• Contributing to a culture of innovation, experimentation and data literacy in the newsroom.

Requirements

• This position is full-time.
• It will likely include some weekend and holiday work.
• The successful candidate must be based in Houston or willing to move to the area.

If you have any questions about this job before you apply, feel free to get in touch with Alexandra Kanik on News Nerdery or Lonely Coders Slack.