Journalist in Residence

The Annenberg School of Journalism is seeking three journalists to mentor, guide and coach students who work in the state-of-the-art Annenberg Media Center, where students produce content for Annenberg Media across all platforms. 

The ideal candidates will be digital media professionals with diverse backgrounds and expertise. They will be early- or mid-career journalists seeking to build newsroom management skills and share their own experiences with young people in a variety of programs. 

Fellows work closely with faculty to manage a complex student-led media operation that is first and foremost, a classroom tied into the school’s Journalism curriculum. Fellows work hands-on with undergraduate and graduate students just beginning their journalism careers to apply basics of reporting, writing and storytelling techniques in the creation of content for uscannenbergmedia.com, social media, television and radio. Fellows have the opportunity to teach many storytelling formats, including digital video, podcasts, live newscasts, newsmagazine shows, multimedia projects, data visualizations, native social media stories and more.

The mission of the Annenberg Media Center is to give students practical experience in the real-world newsroom known as Annenberg Media. The school is committed to exposing students to emerging technologies and practices, as well as pioneering ways to find and reach audiences, especially those who are underserved. As such, we are looking for candidates who will draw on their diverse backgrounds and experience to further these goals. The fellows also will contribute to the organization and workflow of the operation.

If selected, you will:

• Guide and help supervise students’ production of high-impact journalism. Many of these students will need help with the basics of how to find and verify information, how to interview sources and how to tell a story in a professional manner. 

• Work alongside our professional practice faculty of highly experienced, award-winning journalists. 

• Teach students the basics of news judgment, industry best practices and ethics in accordance with Annenberg’s curriculum. 

• Support student efforts to engage with diverse audiences and foster diverse voices within the newsroom.

• Monitor industry trends and innovations and work with student editors to incorporate these in developing best practices in reporting and producing content.

• Help foster diversity, inclusion, equity and access in coverage and in the newsroom.

• Be paired with a faculty mentor.

• Be encouraged to become part of the USC community through attending events, becoming members of the University Club or even auditing a class within Annenberg or another school on campus.

• Contribute to overall administrative and operational tasks of the Media Center, including managing student leaders who work as editors and producers on a variety of desks and platforms.

The fellowship is designed for fellows to gain experience in a large and complex digital media organization in order to provide the profession with journalistically and technologically skilled leaders with diverse backgrounds and experience. You will learn how to manage a digital newsroom and guide students in learning the same. It is not designed as an entryway into an academic career. If applicants are interested in adjunct professor roles, they are encouraged to instead reach out to Annie Mateen, Academic Program Manager at the USC Annenberg School of Journalism.

Fellows will likely be responsible for a coverage area or type of storytelling within Annenberg Media. The roles could include:

• Working with students assigned to the “Community” environment of reporting on stories that should engage multiple audiences within USC and in underserved neighborhoods of Los Angeles.

• Teaching student leaders to manage multi-platform daily news coverage, which would include an emphasis on workflow and communication.

• Providing guidance for students producing on deadline television broadcasts and radio shows and podcasts.

Preferred experience:

• Early career-professional, 5-10 years of journalism experience

• Past leadership experience, ideally in a digital role

• Homepage editing and web production, video, audio or social media skills

• Expertise covering communities across wide-ranging cultural, socioeconomic backgrounds

• Background in dynamic, visual storytelling and excellent writing, researching and reporting skills

• Passion for teaching and mentoring and a patience for helping young people understand the basics of journalism

• Ability to write, edit or speak a second language

ADDITIONAL EXPECTATIONS FOR FELLOWS IF SELECTED

The fellowship will begin Aug. 2 and conclude at the end of May. This is a full-time, Monday through Friday job that may on occasion include a night or weekend event such as election coverage or teambuilding session. During busy production weeks, some days will be longer than others. Fellows will be off during university holidays. 

All fellows will undergo sexual harassment training.

Fellows will report to Media Center Director Christina Bellantoni. Direct questions to christina.bellantoni@usc.edu

Interested candidates must apply through the portal with a résumé and a cover letter outlining how their experience would be a good fit for the program. The deadline to apply is June 1st.

USC is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy.

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at uschr@usc.edu. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring ordinance.