Inaugural Visiting Professorship for Investigative or Data Journalism

The Center for Journalism & Democracy and its academic home, the Department of Media, Journalism and Film at Howard University, welcomes applications from professional journalists with an interest in teaching undergraduate courses in journalism. Selected applicants will hold the appointment and rank of Visiting Professor (non-tenure track).

About the Center for Journalism & Democracy

The Center for Journalism & Democracy, founded at Howard University in 2021, seeks to reshape the American media in ways that foster racial justice, hold power accountable and strengthen U.S. democracy. Guided by the traditions of the Black Press, we promote historically-informed, pro-democracy investigative reporting that exposes how power is wielded against the vulnerable.Through broad-based partnerships with universities, media organizations, think tanks, and local communities, we provide opportunities to students at HBCUs and diverse practitioners within the journalism field for interdisciplinary training, immersive research, mentorship and deep collaboration. We are cultivating investigative journalists able to transform the national conversation about race, policy fairness and representative democracy.

About the Visiting Professorship Program

The Center for Journalism & Democracy Visiting Professorship Program is a signature initiative of the Center’s Journalism Education and HBCU Capacity Strengthening unit. The Journalism Education unit is committed to building rigorous and accessible training curricula for students and faculty at Howard University and across the HBCU system to gain relevant knowledge and practical skills in investigative journalism. We view investigative reporting as the most critical type of reporting in a democracy. Investigative journalism holds institutions accountable and reveals the way the powerful wield their power against the vulnerable. Our aim is to enhance journalism education by adding investigative reporting courses to the curriculum of HBCU journalism programs by means of: faculty professional development; inter-institutional course sharing and collaborative course development; and the recruitment and placement of visiting faculty at HBCU journalism schools to supplement existing faculty pools. The Visiting Professorship Program will strengthen existing faculty expertise at HBCUs, give students access to critical investigative coursework and establish new points of entry for working journalism professionals to engage in HBCU educational and campus life.

Program Details

The Center for Journalism & Democracy Visiting Professorship Program recognizes excellence in journalism and provides opportunities for accomplished investigative journalists and the university community to engage with each other. Positions are available starting in Fall 2024. Investigative journalists from a range of backgrounds and media are encouraged to apply. We are especially interested in candidates whose investigative reporting experience and teaching interests include narrative, data or health journalism. Candidates should have a record of excellent accountability reporting, with a minimum of five years of experience as a professional journalist. We will work with the Visiting Professor to shape the courses that suit their expertise and maximize opportunities for engagement. This is a full-time or part-time faculty appointment. All visiting faculty will be asked to attend faculty gatherings and participate in university life. They may be asked to give talks, participate in panels, advise students, and join in events. Full-time faculty will be expected to take a formal leave from daily journalism to devote themselves to teaching. They are expected to be on campus four full days a week, on average; part-time faculty should be on campus two full days per week.

Eligibility and Essential Qualifications

Applicants must be a practicing journalist–a reporter, editor, producer, or documentarian

Must have at least five years’ experience working at a news organization or writing regularly for major publications, including in the year immediately prior to submitting application

Must have demonstrated skills and track record in investigative and/or data reporting

Must not have a tenure-track or administrative position at an academic institution

Must have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Visiting Professor Responsibilities

The visiting faculty will serve as a campus resource for undergraduate students. Full-time faculty will teach two 3-credit courses plus a 1-credit co-curricular course (eg: internship or practicum advising) per semester. One of the courses might be required to serve as the “Foundations of Investigative Journalism” course for the undergraduate major in journalism. This course will be for advanced students who have taken basic newswriting and reporting courses. The second course may be either a course already offered at HU or a new course relevant to the visiting faculty’s area of expertise. Part-time faculty will teach one 3-credit course plus a 1-credit co-curricular course. The visiting faculty will be expected to take an active role in working with undergraduate students by making informal presentations, holding office hours, being available for consultation, and grading student performance. They will be asked to attend departmental and school-wide faculty meetings, and make a formal presentation to the wider community at Howard and member institutions of an emerging HBCU Investigative Journalism Consortium. They will also be encouraged to participate in the Center’s working groups and other activities.

Length of Appointment

In most cases, a visiting professor will be invited to Howard for the period of one semester. However, depending on an individual’s interest and availability, he/she may be invited for the entire academic year.

Compensation

A full-time appointment offers a salary of $75,000 for the semester, plus fringe benefits including Howard University health insurance. A part-time appointment offers $37,500 and an additional health insurance stipend to be used toward one’s own non-Howard University health care plan. The visiting professor’s round-trip, domestic US airfare from home will also be covered for the relocation, and the professor will receive an allowance of $1,000 per semester to help cover costs associated with travel to conferences, making photocopies, purchasing books and other teaching materials, etc., while in residence. (Note: the allowance cannot be used for equipment purchases). The visiting professor will be provided with shared office space (including phone and fax, computer/internet access, use of photocopier, etc.) at the Center for Journalism & Democracy. In some cases, arrangements may be made for office space within departments co-sponsoring the visitor’s courses.

Selection Process

Candidates for these prestigious appointments will be selected by an internal committee of faculty and staff. Professors will be selected based on: (a) ability to teach courses that are part of an investigative journalism program (e.g., investigative reporting techniques) and (b) distinctive contributions or areas of expertise (e.g., health or data journalism). The most competitive candidates will have demonstrated an interest in mentoring journalists of color and in producing journalism that impacts Black, brown and Indigenous communities.

To Apply

Applicants should submit to CJD@howard.edu the following as a PDF package: (1) a résumé or CV; (2) three professional references (letters of recommendation); (3) official undergraduate or graduate transcript; (4) a 1-page course proposal; (5) a cover letter that describes their interest in teaching; and (6) 3-5 clips demonstrating investigative or data reporting. Applications will be open until filled. However, the selection committee aims to complete its process by April 15, 2023 for a Fall 2024 start date.

The program is supported through generous funding from the MacArthur Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, with additional philanthropic support from the Open Society Foundations.

Questions may be addressed to Dr. Kali-Ahset Amen, Executive Director, at kali.amen@howard.edu.