Location: Victoria, B.C., option for remote or office-based work
Hours: Full time (37.5 hours a week, Monday-Friday)
Salary: $60,000-$70,000
Type: One-year contract
Deadline: Feb. 11, 2024
Who are we?
The Narwhal is an award-winning online magazine that publishes in-depth and investigative journalism about Canada’s natural world.
Think of us as part newsroom, part non-profit and part start-up. As a non-profit, reader-funded news organization, our goal isn’t to sell advertising or to please corporate bigwigs — it’s to bring evidence-based news and analysis to the surface for all Canadians. We’re leading a revolution in public-interest journalism that is reinvigorating the relationship between readers and the journalists who work on their behalf — and we want you to join us.
We are looking for a reporter who will be responsible for producing the kind of impact-driven journalism The Narwhal is known for. Think punchy, context-rich news stories that get beyond the superficial headlines; explainer stories that break down what’s happening so anyone can understand it; and short investigations.
The storytellers in any society hold tremendous power. At The Narwhal, we recognize that this power represents both a privilege and a responsibility and we aim to use this power for the public good. The Narwhal is working to build an inclusive and equitable team that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage applications from communities traditionally underrepresented in this field. The insights and knowledge gained from your lived experience, especially in the context of the work we do, will be valued.
About the gig
2024 is an election year in B.C. It’s also a year in which parts of the province continue to experience drought — in the middle of winter — and people are bracing for another potentially brutal wildfire season. Against this backdrop, the province is gearing up for the biggest fracking boom in its history, to supply Canada’s first LNG export project. In his first year of office, Premier David Eby promised to safeguard old-growth forests and to protect 30 per cent of B.C.’s land by 2030. Many more election promises will be made by all four major political parties vying for seats and a majority government in October.
It’s in this context we’re looking to hire a B.C. politics and environment reporter.
We are searching for a journalist who gets excited about in-depth news reporting, wants to dig into what’s happening in the legislature and feels passionate about the power of journalism to bridge divides.
The ideal candidate will have an understanding of B.C. politics, a demonstrated commitment to holding governments to account, a track record of producing stories that help the public better understand complicated subjects and will excel at speaking directly to the people and communities affected by changes to the natural world.
You’ll join a team of journalists from across the country and report directly to the B.C. bureau lead.
Qualifications
Skills needed
- Minimum of three years of professional reporting experience, at least some in B.C.
- Familiarity with The Narwhal
- Demonstrated experience with building trust with a network of sources
- Commitment to source diversity. You’re excited to listen, build relationships and ensure your reporting reflects a broad range of perspectives and lived experiences
- Great story ideas about how to cover the B.C. legislature and the intersections between politics, Indigenous Rights and the environment in B.C.
- Experience breaking original stories, preferably on energy and the environment
- Experience with using data to inform reporting
- Demonstrated understanding of Indigenous issues and commitment to continued learning
- Familiarity with solutions journalism and a commitment to complicating the narrative
Desired skills (nice to haves)
- Experience filing freedom of information requests to inform compelling reporting
- An understanding of trauma-informed journalism
What we offer
- Group health, vision and dental benefits after three months and a health spending account
- Professional development opportunities
- A flexible workplace with a vibrant, collaborative culture
- Work from home stipend or an opportunity to work from a shared office in Victoria
- Four weeks’ vacation and annual holiday closure
- 10 personal days
Please don’t be discouraged from applying if you do not possess the precise combination of all of the skills, attributes, qualifications and experience listed above.
To apply, please submit a cover letter and résumé by Feb. 11, at the latest, via this link. Please include your full name in the file name of any attachments you submit. In your cover letter please tell us why specifically you want to work at The Narwhal, what excites you most about this beat and what from your previous experience makes you a good fit for this role.
Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted further.
What to expect
- Selected candidates will be invited to a first-round interview by the end of February. Following that, there will likely be a paid assignment and selected candidates will be invited to a second and possibly third interview
- Candidates will meet a mix of team members during the interview process
- The hiring committee will consist of three interviewers in each session
- All interviews will be conducted online via Zoom
- The start date for this position is April 15 at the latest and the successful candidate must be available for an in-person retreat the week of May 6
The Narwhal is working to build an inclusive and equitable team that reflects the communities we serve. People who identify as being from marginalized communities, including Indigenous Peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, people identifying as 2SLGBTQ+ and people from low-income backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply. Disability-related accommodations are available for candidates taking part in our hiring process. We will ask candidates selected for an interview about any accessibility needs ahead of the scheduled interview.
Lead image: Louis Bockner / The Narwhal
