State Investigative Reporter

The Illinois Answers Project is an investigations and solutions-focused nonprofit and nonpartisan newsroom published by the Better Government Association, winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in local reporting. The Illinois Answers Project seeks to inform, engage and mobilize residents, civic leaders and public officials to generate and implement changes that build a state of Illinois in which all communities can prosper. The Better Government Association also publishes BGA Policy, which advocates for more transparent, accountable and equitable government through public policy reform. The newsroom staff and BGA Policy staff operate independently of each other.

About the role

The Illinois Answers Project is seeking an experienced local reporter who wants to go beyond the daily headline to investigate problems and solutions in communities across Illinois.

This reporter will join our new state embed team, which seeks to connect the dots between local and statewide trends. It is called “embed” because each reporter on this team works closely with local newsrooms and journalists in communities such as Peoria, Springfield and Champaign to co-report and co-publish investigative and solutions journalism. While we take the lead on reporting, we rely on the expertise of these partner newsrooms to help guide coverage and provide context. The goal is to co-publish projects that can be localized for various communities.

We seek to uncover local and statewide issues and investigate responses to systemic problems in the following coverage areas: Government finance and accountability, equity and economic opportunity, public safety and criminal justice, and education.

As an investigative reporter for our state embed team, a successful candidate will:

Pitch and execute original story ideas that fall within our key topic areas

Demonstrate an eagerness to explore solutions journalism and apply this framework to investigative projects (we will provide solutions training)

Be comfortable juggling multiple short, medium and long-term investigative and solutions stories both independently and as part of a team

Establish sources by spending time in local communities outside Chicago

Be a self-starter with excellent time-management and organizational skills

Have a collaborative mindset and an eagerness to partner both internally and externally

Location: The ideal candidate is already based in central or southern Illinois. For these candidates, this is a remote role that will require occasional travel to our downtown Chicago newsroom. For Chicago area candidates, this is a hybrid position (2-3 office days per week in the Loop) with monthly travel to communities such as Peoria, Springfield, Rockford and Champaign. (Our current embed reporters are based in Chicago.)

Candidate requirements:

At least five years of daily reporting experience, including investigative reporting experience that has had demonstrated impact

Bachelor’s degree in journalism or other relevant discipline

Strong grasp of key issues affecting communities across Illinois

Familiarity with Illinois public records laws

Data literacy and experience with Excel and/or Google Sheets

Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States

Preferred qualifications:

Experience living and reporting in Illinois

Experience in data journalism (version control or collaborating on data projects; familiarity or interest in SQL, R and/or Python)

Compensation and Benefits:

The salary range for this position is $75,000 - $90,000, contingent on experience and other job-related factors. The position also includes medical and dental insurance; vision and transit benefits; a comprehensive paid time off package; and a 401(k) with an employer match. This position is represented by SAG-AFTRA.