Reporters Needed for State Government Corruption Project
Public Radio International, The Center for Public Integrity and Global Integrity are collaborating on a high-profile project to rate each state’s risk for corruption. We’ll be hiring experienced statehouse reporters to work part-time on this initiative between April and December. The effort represents the first in-depth, data-driven account of government transparency and anti-corruption mechanisms in all 50 states, using on-the-ground reporting, high-quality data analysis, and citizen engagement .
Reporters should have experience covering the laws, procedures and inner workings of their state governments and a strong network of sources in and outside the statehouse. They will do research and interviews to dig into areas like state budget processes, state pension fund management, financial disclosure requirements for officials, campaign finance laws, civil service hiring and firing, and state freedom of information laws.
“Integrity indicators” will be scored for each state through a list of detailed questions. The result will be state report cards, rankings and profile stories on each state’s corruption risk. Reporters will also contribute to thematic stories that emerge from the nationwide research.
All research, reporting, editing, and publishing will occur online using the Indaba fieldwork platform, a simple web-based interface for managing geographically distributed research and reporting teams.
Ideal candidates will have:
- 5+ years of experience covering state government, and experience with in-depth, detail-oriented research and reporting.
- A strong commitment to accuracy, truth telling, and holding those in power accountable for their actions.
- Ability to deliver quality work on deadline with limited supervision.
- Solid computer skills
- Experience in investigative reporting is a plus.
Reporters will receive $5000 for their work and should expect to spend roughly 100-125 hours on and off in the second half of this year. Timetables can vary depending on the reporter’s schedule.
Additional funding may be available for enterprising, investigative pieces that go above and beyond the required assignment.
Expected project timeline:
- April-May 2011: Lead reporters hired in all 50 states; reporting and research begins
- July 2011: Draft Integrity Indicators due
- August-September 2011: Reporters make revisions to draft Integrity Indicators based on project manager feedback
- October-December 2011: Peer review of Integrity Indicators, and final revisions to Indicators made by lead reporters based on peer review feedback and questions. National and state-specific summary stories prepared by lead reporters.
- Early-2012: Release of data and stories.
For additional details about the project, please contact Caitlin Ginley.
