Fresnoland is hiring another reporter to join our growing team!
Fresnoland is a nonprofit journalism startup with a mission to make policy public by, for, and with all residents of the central San Joaquin Valley through investigative, explanatory and engagement journalism.
The beat? Housing and home insecurity, in one of the hottest markets in the country right now.
Housing affordability and insecurity is an acute crisis for many residents in the central San Joaquin Valley, especially the working class. Rents are increasing faster here than in most parts of California and the U.S. Families face a growing eviction crisis as the economic impacts of the pandemic disproportionately hit lower-income workers and lower-income communities.
The issue is not just affordability: debt, discrimination, segregation, and housing quality challenges disproportionately impact lower-income people and communities of color in the region.
Your reporting will involve:
- Explaining the policy solutions that are being proposed to solve Fresno’s housing crisis, and who is impacted by them – and if they will be effective
- Looking at how other cities and regions are addressing their housing challenges, and what Fresno can learn from them
- Continuing to document the ways in which residents in the central San Joaquin Valley are affected by the housing crisis
- Engaging with residents to learn about their housing experiences and provide answers to their questions
- Holding those in power accountable to bringing effective solutions to our crisis
- Profiling those impacted as well as those doing interesting work to address our region’s housing challenges
What we expect from you:
- Ability to write simply about complex issues
- Experience with community engagement, including surveys, interactive focus groups, events, canvassing, or in-depth interviews
- Experience with or willingness to learn data analytics and visualization tools
- Curiosity and a desire to become a local expert on the housing beat
- A commitment to accuracy, fairness, and strong ethics
- Ability to network and quickly establish sources
- Ability to use social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram to reach audiences
- Strong interpersonal skills, including empathy and the ability to take and give constructive criticism
- Demonstrated ability to work comfortably in fast-paced job, and
- Data-driven, shaped by feedback and experimentation and always evolving
What you can expect from us:
- Public service is our mission. All of your stories will be in service of that goal.
- Commitment to racial and social justice.
- We take the time to get the story right.
- We have a hybrid set up – all of our team is based in the greater Fresno area, and comes into our work space at least once a week to collaborate.
Where you’ll be living:
Fresno is the biggest city and the smallest town you’ve ever lived in. We’re proud to remind everyone that we’re California’s fifth largest city, but living in the shadow of the Bay Area and Los Angeles, we’re always yelling to get more attention. You might say that a lot of native Fresnans have a chip on their shoulder about being in “The Other California,” as many call it.
Fresno is one of the youngest and most diverse cities in the US. It’s majority Latino, and is also home to large Hmong and Punjabi Sikh communities. You won’t find Michelin star restaurants here, but you will find some of the best street tacos, food trucks, and southeast Asian food in the country.
Fresno is an increasingly liberal city in the reddest part of California. Just outside city limits, you’ll find farms for miles and some of the best produce in the world.
This is California, so while rents in Fresno are a little cheaper than what you might find in LA or the Bay Area, they are increasing fast. You should expect to pay about $1,000-1,500 a month for a one-bedroom apartment.
Fresno is a great base camp for weekend warriors. It’s just 20 minutes to hiking in the Sierra Nevada foothills, one hour from the entrances to Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks, and two hours from the beach.
More details:
The salary range for this position is $54,000 – $66,000 annually, depending on skills and experience.
Fresnoland offers a generous benefits package, including 20 days of paid vacation, 10 sick days, 15 paid holidays, remote work and professional development stipends, full employer contribution to health benefits, and a 401k employer match.
Bilingual abilities (especially Spanish, Hmong, or Punjabi) are desirable but not required.
To apply, fill out this form.