Investigative Data Journalist

CBS News and Stations is seeking an experienced data journalist with a demonstrated track record breaking important stories and investigations using data, programming, records, open-source intelligence, and traditional and digital sleuthing in one of the most dynamic news environments in the country: California. You will work with data journalists, investigative journalists, visual journalists, and innovative producers, in an environment where important stories are the North Star – stories that help people, make a difference in the communities we serve, reveal injustice and wrongdoing, and hold the powerful to account to find solutions across California with an emphasis on our markets in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento. The right data journalist for our team is a reporter first, someone who is as comfortable talking to sources as working in a code editor, someone who brings the same enthusiasm to breaking news and local journalism as they bring to a big national investigation, and someone who works well with others in a culture committed to collaboration, respect and excellence.

Primary Responsibilities:

Acquire and analyze data to reveal and produce original stories and investigations focused on helping people and solving problems statewide and in each of our three California markets.
Collaborate with local California newsrooms, and teammates, on breaking news, emerging enterprise and investigations that make us essential to viewers and set our journalism apart from competitors in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento.
Help produce unique and compelling data-visualizations and innovative storytelling on the web, television and streaming platforms.
Clearly and concisely communicate findings from complex data and analyses to reporters, producers, newsroom leaders and the public.
Ability to coordinate data-driven stories across three local markets, differentiating reporting to focus on what matters to local residents.
Work diligently with data journalists, reporters, producers, newsroom leadership and legal counsel to ensure our journalism is fair, accurate and well-documented, and that it meets all CBS News’ standards.
Collaborate, advise and review data work of colleagues as needed.
Report, interview, research and develop sources across California, from the Statehouse in Sacramento to local communities across the Bay Area and Southern California.
Know and effectively use federal and California open records laws. Become the expert for our team, and CBS News, on California data.s
Appear in broadcasts clearly and concisely explaining your work.
Relentlessly expand your knowledge of data and other sources beyond traditional, easy-to-get government datasets as well as your knowledge of computational investigative techniques.

Minimum Requirements:

5+ years’ experience as a data journalist, working in professional newsrooms, including 2+ years producing investigations.
Portfolio showing your ability to use data and programming to uncover and report important news stories and investigations with revelatory findings that are communicated clearly in writing, images, graphics, web design, and data visualization. While you may not have produced every visual in the work, you should show be able to show your ability to influence and work with designers, graphic artists and data visualization specialists.
Experience in California and with California-specific issues is preferred, but not required.
Experience producing multiplatform content preferred, especially experience developing stories for video, streaming or broadcast.
Expert-level skill with Excel or Google Sheets. Data analysis skills, preferably using at least one programming language such as Python or R. Knowledge of geographic information systems, spatial analysis and SQL databases helpful.
Experience with charting platforms such as Datawrapper or Flourish are helpful. Ability to create data visualizations using D3 or other programmatic visualization tools are a bonus.
Your demonstrated ability to use data and programming to find and report stories that matter will weigh more than the tools you use.
Must have basic mathematic and statistics familiarity, ability to assess the reliability of datasets and sources, to and organize messy data.
Excellent reading, writing, spelling, grammar and organizational skills.
Voracious news consumer who has developed a diverse information diet that includes broadcast, digital, print and other sources.
Expertise and passion for any of the following topics is helpful: housing affordability, transportation, wildfires, visual or forensic investigations, government and political accountability, climate change’s impact on people’s health, finances and quality of life, consumer fraud, and public safety.