We’re Hiring: Cover the Bay Area Livable Streets Beat for Streetsblog

OpenPlans is pleased to officially launch our search for the next journalist to lead Streetsblog San Francisco. Thanks to the craigslist Charitable Fund, the Seed Fund, Mike’s Bikes, and the generous contributions of many, many readers for supporting our work in the Bay Area. (And thanks to Aaron Bialick for holding down the fort while we’re in between full-time editors.)

With a mayoral election next week and fresh possibilities for change on the horizon, we’re looking for a talented journalist to manage Streetsblog San Francisco’s coverage of sustainable transportation and livable streets in the Bay Area.

We welcome applications from engaging writers who share our vision of Streetsblog as a respected, influential source of information and commentary on transportation and planning issues. The ideal candidate will have a firm grasp of local politics and a keen sense of how Streetsblog coverage can help advance transportation policies that reduce traffic congestion and car dependence while improving conditions for transit, cycling, and walking.

Responsibilities

Streetsblog combines a distinct advocacy bent with newspaper-quality journalism. Toward that end, we are seeking a reporter to craft a well-rounded beat full of original content, interviews, event coverage and engaging commentary. Applicants should be enthusiastic about the notion that journalism can be conducted with integrity and fidelity to the truth while retaining a point of view. Knowing how to effectively impart a message without overwhelming your writing is an essential skill for this position.

The editor will:

• Create a daily stream of news and content that builds Streetsblog SF’s audience
• Research and write enterprise pieces about developments in transportation and planning policy happening around the city and elsewhere in the Bay Area
• Track ongoing stories, such as pieces of legislation or specific street redesigns, and build narratives around them
• Conduct interviews and cultivate relationships with lawmakers, public officials, advocates, and policy experts
• Produce commentary that holds officials to account for their decisions, and corrects errors and misperceptions that surface in the media
• Pinpoint opportunities for transportation improvements and reforms, and explain what has to change to enact them
• Mix in short posts and photo-based content
• Manage and edit freelance contributors

Qualifications

• Previous reporting experience, ideally covering transportation or planning issues.
• Passion for and knowledge of progressive urban planning, transportation, and land use topics
• Excellent writing and research skills, as evidenced by clips
• Experience with Word Press or other blogging/content production platforms is a big plus

To Apply

Send a resume, cover letter, and relevant clips/links to Ben Fried: ben@streetsblog.org.

Streetsblog is produced by OpenPlans, a New York City-based non-profit that improves cities using journalism and open-source software. The San Francisco editor position is full-time, and will report to the editor-in-chief in New York.