Job Opening at CMD: Writer/reporter (environmental, food and agricultural issues)

The Center for Media and Democracy needs a talented writer/reporter/researcher to join our team, with a particular focus on cutting edge environmental, food, and agricultural issues.

Essential/A strong candidate for this position must be able to:

• Write clean, concise, and compelling articles for publication on the web;
• Discern key facts that resonate and help tell the story of why a particular issue matters;
• Untangle complicated information and distill complex ideas into easily digestible news;
• Summarize, quickly and accurately, essential information to engage our online audience;
• Mine the web and other resources for data and connections and then document these well;
• Proofread articles for adherence to style, grammar, and punctuation rules;
• Meet deadlines consistently;
• Organize time well, while juggling assignments and tasks;
• Exercise good judgment and solve problems creatively and ethically; and
• Work well with others, while demonstrating a genuinely enthusiastic approach to work.

Preferred/The ideal candidate will have all of the skills listed above, plus:

• A background or demonstrated passion for public health, ecology, farming, or science;
• Confidence with using social media tools and the web to help grow our audience;
• A Bachelor’s degree or comparable experience in a field requiring strong writing skills;
• Work or volunteer experience with a grassroots, outreach, or political campaign;
• An insatiable appetite for policy issues, intellectual curiosity, and a sense of humor; and
• Live in Dane County, Wisconsin, or be able to work well remotely with regular check-ins.

To apply, email your resume, twitter name (if applicable), and two short writing samples or links to articles to: interviews@prwatch.org. The deadline for submission is January 28th, 2011.  A cover letter and references may be requested subsequently.

Salary is commensurate with experience; students as well as more experienced writers are encouraged to apply. This position requires a commitment of at least 20 hours per week but can be expanded to full-time. Benefits include health insurance and specified holidays and vacation after a probationary period. We are an equal opportunity employer that recognizes the strength of diversity in race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, and socio-economic background. We seek out hard-working people from any background.

About the Center for Media and Democracy

We are an independent non-profit organization that works to promote informed debate by exposing spin. We assist grassroots work that advances public health, economic justice, ecological sustainability, and individual rights. We publish SourceWatch.org, PRWatch.org, BanksterUSA.org. We are actively engaged in innovative efforts to inform Americans about health issues and spin, engage Americans in important environmental issues, help consumers get more involved in economic policies in the wake of the financial crisis, and protect our democracy against undue corporate influence on policymakers. The new position we are hiring for will include investigative research, writing, and reporting on crucial food issues involving farming practices that affect health and the environment, as well as other tasks as assigned.