Who We Are
The Marshall Project is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to covering America’s criminal justice system. We have won two Pulitzer Prizes: in 2021 for national reporting and in 2016 for explanatory journalism; we were also a Pulitzer finalist for investigative reporting. We are not advocates—we follow the facts and we do not pander to any audience—but we have a declared mission: to create and sustain a sense of urgency about the criminal justice system. We do not generally cover breaking news (although we curate the reporting of other news outlets in our morning newsletter). Our work includes investigative and explanatory projects and shorter pieces aimed at highlighting stories that other news organizations miss, underestimate or misunderstand. To assure our work reaches a larger audience we partner or co-publish with other media outlets on almost all of our work; we have partnered with more than 100 newspapers, magazines, broadcasters and online sites.
We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity. We welcome qualified applicants of all races, ethnicities, physical abilities, genders and sexual orientations, including people who have been incarcerated or otherwise involved with the criminal justice system.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
We have TWO openings to join our audience team as engagement producers. These roles will have significant overlap in duties and we expect them to operate as a team. It is our hope that the successful candidates will each have an area of focus that complements each other. See duties below:
Share Marshall Project journalism to social media platforms regularly, including writing social copy, producing quote cards and other visuals
Work with Marshall Project journalists to engage with a social audience on various callouts and story promotion
Assist with on-site SEO, including headline writing
Use analytics from platforms to derive meaningful insights to help drive audience strategy
Work with the Audience Director to set ambitious goals around audience growth and audience engagement
Produce and share video content across social platforms
May occasionally be asked to support Newsletters Manager and/or Engagement Editor in related projects
What You’d Be Working On
Writing sharp social copy for platforms like Instagram, Reddit, Twitter and Facebook with reporters on upcoming stories and investigations or teaming up with staff on other external Marshall Project communications
Developing a roll-out plan for a big project drop, working in tandem with our communications and fundraising teams
Producing social visual assets, ranging from quote cards to Instagram carousels to short video clips
Organizing AMA sessions with Marshall Project journalists on Reddit or other platforms
Investigating and experimenting with emerging social platforms, staying abreast of trends and scams
Assisting and guiding local reporters with engagement projects
Working collaboratively to develop and test the local strategy for social video
Shooting and/or producing social videos across The Marshall Project’s accounts
Occasionally assist development colleagues on marketing initiatives with social media
Who You’d Be Working With
Ashley Dye, our Audience Director and hobbyist bird photographer
Rachel Kincaid, our Newsletter Manager and survivor of Minnesota winters
Another audience engagement producer
Preferred Skills and Experiences
Skilled in both written and visual aspects of off-platform storytelling and audience development
Experience telling investigative stories and sharing highly nuanced journalism on social media platforms
Experience shooting and editing videos for a variety of social distribution channels
Experience managing and growing branded social media accounts, ideally in a news or nonprofit environment
Thoughtful writing and editing skills, ability to break down complex ideas and coverage into nuanced and informational language for a social audience
Ability to adhere authentically to The Marshall Project’s established independent, nonpartisan journalistic voice and tone across platforms, while still enticing and engaging our audiences
Having thoughts about how to reach previously incarcerated people or others touched by the criminal justice system, whether online or offline
We are headquartered in New York City, but these positions are remote within the United States.
Nice to Haves
Specific national newsroom or journalism experience
Personal experience or specialized interest in the criminal justice system
We do not expect every candidate to be equally skilled in all these areas, and this is not a complete list of all relevant qualifications applicants might bring to the job. Please tell us about your other assets not mentioned here that may be valuable to this role. Reaching talent across a range of backgrounds and experiences is deeply important to us.
If you do not have the exact combination of skills listed here, but are still interested in this role and/or in The Marshall Project, we'd love to hear from you.
Compensation and Benefits
This job is full-time, with a competitive salary and benefits including:
Annual Salary Range: $75,000 - $85,000
100% employer-paid medical, employer subsidized vision and dental insurance; matching traditional and Roth 401k (immediate vesting). Voluntary benefits include: Health and Dependent Care FSA, commuter benefits, pet insurance, short and long term disability insurance, employee and dependent life insurance, AFLAC accident, hospital indemnity, and critical illness coverage, legal benefits, personal excess liability insurance, and employee discount marketplace. We also observe 17 days of paid time off each year (in addition to office closure between Dec. 24 and Jan. 2), and provide paid parental leave.
How to Apply
To apply, use this form to send your resume and a cover letter that includes your philosophy on audience engagement. Attach 3-5 social media clips with links; if a clip is expired (ie: Instagram Story), attach screenshots or screen recordings.
Due to the expected volume of applications, we will follow up with the most promising candidates, but cannot respond individually to all applicants. Please know it usually takes us more than a month to review applications.