Community Colleges Fellow

Southern California Public Radio (SCPR) is a member-supported public media network whose mission is to strengthen the civic and cultural bonds that unite Southern California's diverse communities by providing the highest quality news and information service on air at LAist 89.3, online at LAist.com and through LAist Live Programming & Events. Since our founding in 1999, SCPR has been a fast growing, innovative, multi-platform public service newsroom. Every day, our staff helps audiences catch up on the latest headlines, solve the complexities of life in Southern California, and connect curious communities to one another.

Position Summary:

The California Community Colleges system serves more students (1.8 million) across its 116 campuses than the University of California and California State University systems combined — but, traditionally, higher education coverage has been devoted mainly to four-year universities. 

LAist is seeking a community college fellow to support a beat dedicated solely to community colleges in Southern California. This beat is focused on elevating the voices of students, staff members, and faculty to create a rich portrait of community college life. We’re not seeking to cover community colleges as institutions. Instead, we aim to center our narratives in the unique challenges faced by students and explore pathways to success and equity. 

This is a six-month, part-time position with the possibility of an extension. The candidate will start in early February 2024. 

Compensation: The pay rate for this opportunity will be $18.66 per hour.

Required Qualifications: 

Actively enrolled in Los Angeles-area community college 
Strong writing, research and communication skills 
Passion for telling distinctive stories and amplifying community voices 
Self-motivation, resourcefulness, curiosity, creativity, accuracy 
Proven ability to work efficiently and meet deadlines 

The fellow may be assigned to do any combination of the following:

Conduct research and pre-interviews.
Write, edit, and produce copy as assigned both for on-air and LAist.com.
Assist reporters and producers in coverage. 
Cut audio using digital editing software.
Secure permission to license audio material and images for the web/newsletter.
Build stories/posts on social
Handle any listener/ reader engagement correspondence including social, email and voicemail as assigned.
Take photos
Attend/represent LAist at community college-related events

Preferred Qualifications: 

Proficiency in a second language, such as Spanish
Experience using audio production or editing equipment 
Knowledge of HTML and working in a content-management system 

Physical Demands And Working Conditions: 

Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. 
Physical Demands: 
Required to move about in an office environment and sit for extended periods of time. 
Required to move about in the community. 
Frequent use of hands for data entry/keystrokes and simple grasping 
Working Conditions: 
Moderate noise level 
Occasional exposure to prevalent weather conditions