Emerald Book, Inc. is hiring: Journalist, Reporter in Atlanta

Role Title: Reporter, Black Economy & Wealth Equity
Department: Business & Culture Desk
Summary of the Role
This reporter covers the Black economy—focusing on Black-owned businesses, homeownership, jobs, wealth, etc. You have full journalistic freedom to choose your angles, sources, and story formats, as long as the reporting ties directly to the Black economy. You may investigate barriers (like unfair lending), highlight solutions (like cooperative investing), or profile key players.
Please note: This is an unpaid, volunteer role. We are transparent about this because we want reporters who genuinely care about the mission.
What Success Looks Like
Success means consistently producing original, impactful stories that you believe are important—not stories assigned to fill a calendar. Whether you expose a discriminatory practice, explain a hidden wealth trend, or celebrate a local business ecosystem, your work should generate conversation and accountability. You own your beat and your editorial judgment.
How This Fits Into the Organization
We are a nonprofit organization with one simple goal: to track and grow the Black economy. Every story you write serves that mission. You ensure race is part of every economic conversation. You act as the in-house expert on racial wealth gaps, but how you report is up to you. Your work builds trust with readers and business owners, which helps grow the publication's audience and your personal reach as a journalist.
Responsibilities Choose and pursue your own stories about the Black economy, from data investigations to feature profiles.
Track key data (unemployment, homeownership, lending rates) to inform your reporting, but decide when and when not to use it.
Develop sources across Black business communities, community lenders, researchers, banks, and government agencies.
Write across formats (news, features, analysis, columns) as you see fit for each story.
Collaborate when useful with data, visual, or audience teams—but work alone when the story calls for it.
Hold power accountable when your reporting uncovers wrongdoing, but also uplift solutions and innovations when that feels right.
Qualifications
Experience
A portfolio of stories on race and economic mobility (housing, lending, jobs, or business).
Ability to work independently with minimal editorial oversight.
Skills
Data basics: Comfort with spreadsheets and public data like home lending or employment records.
Source building: Ability to earn trust from Black business owners, community lenders, and other key players.
Story judgment: Know when to investigate, when to profile, and when to explain.
Clear writing: Produce clean, engaging copy without heavy editing.
Core Competencies
Self-direction: You bring story ideas, not just the ability to execute assignments.
Fair framing: Show Black communities as economic creators, not just victims of disparity.
Courage: Willing to question powerful institutions without being reckless.
A Note on Our Nonprofit Mission
We are a nonprofit organization. We do not chase clicks, sell ads, or serve shareholders. Our only goal is to track and grow the Black economy. That means we measure success by impact—whether a story helps a business owner, changes a policy, or shifts a conversation. We believe the best way to serve the Black community is to give journalists freedom and trust them to do good work.
A Note on Unpaid Roles
We know that unpaid journalism work is not sustainable for everyone. We offer this role to early-career journalists building a portfolio, seasoned reporters who believe in the mission, or anyone who wants to use their skills to serve the Black community. You keep full byline rights and can republish your work elsewhere. Our goal is to eventually pay our reporters—and your contributions help us prove that this beat matters.