Careers
New York Focus is currently seeking:
New York Focus is seeking a full-time state government reporter determined to expose how decisions in Albany are made.
Albany is a town of backroom deals. A bill quietly dies without a vote because a lobbyist went to high school with a committee chair. A major contract is awarded to a donor who hosted a fundraiser for the governor the month before. A years-old law gathers dust because a state agency refuses to implement it. And the public is none the wiser.
We’re looking for an obsessive deep-digger who throws light on how power really works by cultivating sources in every corner of state government, poring over financial disclosures, bombarding agencies with records requests, and scrutinizing the gaps in official accounts.
We want someone to tell the story of who runs New York, make characters out of little-known actors, narrate the political dynamics and history underlying the news cycle, and write not for political insiders, but for the New Yorkers they represent.
This position is based in Albany and will involve both quick, scoop-driven stories and long-term investigations. Please submit a résumé, cover letter, references, and three clips to [email protected]. We’ll be considering applications on a rolling basis.
Compensation
$65,000 to $80,000 annual salary, plus great benefits.
About You
The ideal candidate will have:
- Experience in political reporting, whether at the state, local, or national level
- Demonstrated investigative skills
- Ability to write clearly and engagingly
- Enthusiasm to take part in building a young, growing publication
About New York Focus
New York Focus is an independent newsroom investigating how power works in the Empire State. In less than three years, our stories have spurred legislation, shaped regulation, and driven national news cycles. The newsroom is small and collaborative, and this job is a chance to be creative and enterprising in a workplace that encourages ambitious and in-depth storytelling.
We are committed to an inclusive workspace, and we strongly encourage applications from people of color, women, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities. Consistent with federal, state, and local law, we are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, veteran status, or other protected categories.
New York Focus is seeking contributing reporters who will semi-regularly produce and publish deeply reported, hard-hitting stories focused on New York state and city politics.
An ideal candidate would share the enthusiasm we bring to this work and be excited to help build and shape New York Focus. This position is remote, but the ideal candidate lives in or near New York state. The core of the application will involve reporting an investigative story for us, paid at our standard rate of $800.
Please submit a resume, clips, and pitches (described below) to [email protected].
Responsibilities for the position are as follows:
- Generate original ideas for 1-3 hard-hitting, deeply reported pieces a month in New York Focus’s coverage areas
- Work with editors from pitch to publication, often including multiple rounds of edits
- Build relationships with sources beyond the scope of an individual article
Compensation
$800 per article. Articles demanding exceptional effort will receive additional compensation. Contributors are not restricted from writing for other publications.
About You
The ideal candidate would have:
- Excitement about investigative journalism that promotes accountability in New York
- Demonstrated ability to uncover new information on consequential topics — a nose for where to dig!
- Superb writing ability, including close attention to clarity of prose
- Familiarity with the New York media landscape, potentially including relationships with sources in any or all of our coverage areas
To Apply
Please submit the following materials to [email protected]: a resume; three clips of your best work; and one to three pitches for the kind of accountability stories you’d want to report in this role. See our pitch guide here.
About New York Focus
New York Focus is an independent newsroom investigating how power works in the Empire State. In less than three years, our stories have spurred legislation, shaped regulation, and driven national news cycles. The newsroom is small and collaborative, and this job is a chance to be creative and enterprising in a workplace that encourages ambitious and in-depth storytelling.
Consistent with federal, state, and local law, we are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, veteran status, or other protected categories.
We are committed to an inclusive workspace, and we strongly encourage applications from people of color who are excited about contributing to our mission.