Coordinating Data Journalist

Are you an expert data journalist who excels at finding stories that would otherwise be unseen or ignored? If you have experience leading and developing other data journalists, we want your help crafting and coordinating data-driven stories that will be highlighted on CBSNews.com and in major markets across the nation! CBS Television Stations is seeking a coordinator to help lead and connect a group of data journalists across the country. They generate content for and collaborate with their local newsrooms and across the Stations group. The Coordinating Data Journalist’s primary focus will be to guide data journalists as they acquire and analyze data sets to identify and generate original, local and national stories. This position will also work on CBS Innovation Lab stories and projects that can be localized for multiple markets, with compelling data-visualization, storytelling and innovative, multiplatform delivery. The CBS Innovation Lab experiments with next-generation storytelling, and tests new products, workflows and production models for the future. The Innovation Lab collaborates with investigative, consumer, environmental, community impact, and other special projects teams across CBS News and Stations platforms.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Coordinate and provide mentorship to data journalists as they work on stories and projects. Assess and develop their data skills.
• Analyze data to identify new findings for a story. 
• Take charge of communication, workflow, timelines, and execution of group data projects.
• Grow connections and comradery among the data journalists.
• Develop data journalism training, from entry level to advanced skills.
• Ideate, research and build data-driven stories with frequency and impact for newscasts, specials, streams, websites and apps of CBS News and Stations.
• Acquire, analyze and visualize data sets for on-air and online reporting, including summarizing findings, writing narratives, and crafting graphic elements and interactives.
• Perform comprehensive, accurate and efficient computer-assisted analysis using current software, techniques and statistical tools.
• Understand, interpret and simplify complicated information, and then communicate the points and themes to viewers in a clear, concise way.
• Localize stories through personalization and examples in multiple cities or regions.
• Collaborate with and support the work of reporters, producers, graphic designers and website developers to bring stories to publication. Certain assignments will include assisting and producing content for reporters and anchors who present the story on-air.
• Enhance skills and experience to advise others and lead editorially on data projects.
• Improve newsgathering and investigative tactics to obtain information and story elements, such as developing relationships, cultivating sources, strategically landing interviews, and navigating open records laws.
• Solicit and vet tips and story ideas to identify and prioritize original, timely and topical investigative stories.
• Urgently develop and implement investigative angles to elevate breaking news coverage.
• Work closely with management, journalists and legal counsel in creating accurate, well-documented, bulletproof stories.
• Communicate frequently and effectively with respect and candor, and maintain highly collaborative, productive working relationships with management and news personnel. Represent company professionally at all times in public interactions.
• Must be willing to work an unpredictable schedule as assigned. Occasional travel may be required.
• This is primarily not an on-air position.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

• Portfolio required demonstrating visualization and integration of data, combined with compelling, creative writing and design. Experience producing multiplatform content preferred.
• Ability to do reproducible data analysis using Python or R. Familiarity with GIS software such as QGIS or ArcGIS preferred.
• CMS skills required, plus expertise with platforms such as Datawrapper or Flourish to create interactive data visualizations. Familiarity with JavaScript and creating custom data visualizations preferred.
• Excellent reading, writing, spelling, grammar and organizational skills required.
• 10+ years’ experience as a data journalist, including leading data teams and projects, and journalism degree prefer

CBS News and Stations, brings together the power of CBS News, 28 owned television stations in 17 major U.S. markets, the CBS News Streaming Network, CBS News Streaming local platforms, local websites and cbsnews.com, under one umbrella. CBS News and Stations is home to the nation’s #1 news program 60 MINUTES, the CBS News Streaming Network, the first 24/7 digital streaming news network, the award-winning broadcasts CBS MORNINGS, CBS SATURDAY MORNING, the CBS EVENING NEWS WITH NORAH O’DONNELL, CBS SUNDAY MORNING, CBS WEEKEND EVENING NEWS, 48 HOURS and FACE THE NATION WITH MARGARET BRENNAN. CBS News and Stations provides news and information for the CBS Television Network,  CBSNews.com, CBS News Radio and podcasts, Paramount +, all digital platforms, and the CBS News Streaming Network, the premier 24/7 anchored streaming news service that is available free to everyone with access to the internet. The CBS News Streaming Network is the destination for breaking news, live events, original reporting and storytelling, and programs from CBS News and Stations’ top anchors and correspondents working locally, nationally and around the globe. CBS News’ streaming services, across national and local, amassed more than 1.01 billion streams in 2021. Launched in November 2014 as CBSN, the CBS News Streaming Network is available on 30 digital platforms and apps, as well as CBSNews.com and Paramount+. The service is available live in 91 countries. CBS News and Stations is dedicated to providing the highest quality journalism under standards it pioneered and continues to set in today’s digital age. CBS News earns more prestigious journalism awards than any other broadcast news division.  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Hiring Salary Range: $110,000.00 - 125,000.00. 

The hiring salary range for this position applies to New York City, California, Colorado, Washington state, and most other geographies. Starting pay for the successful applicant depends on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education.  The benefits available for this position include medical, dental, vision, 401(k) plan, life insurance coverage, disability benefits, tuition assistance program and PTO or, if applicable,  as otherwise dictated by the appropriate Collective Bargaining Agreement.   

https://www.paramount.com/careers/benefits

Paramount is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) including disability/vet.

At Paramount, the spirit of inclusion feeds into everything that we do, on-screen and off. From the programming and movies we create to employee benefits/programs and social impact outreach initiatives, we believe that opportunity, access, resources and rewards should be available to and for the benefit of all. Paramount is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, gender expression, and Veteran status.

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