(The Root) — Is it your dream to have a cutting-edge journalism career? Are you an information hoarder with a wide-ranging news obsession — from gun control to the sequester to racism on Mad Men? Do you know who Desiline Victor is and why her story matters? Do you follow influencers on Twitter? Do you have your ears and eyes on all things black culture — from the highbrow to the low (Yes — Real Housewives of Atlanta counts)? Do you know your way around Photoshop and blogging tools?
If the answer to those questions is yes and you're a resourceful problem solver who can work well independently as well as with a very small team, then we want you! The Root is looking for wildly driven, tech-savvy, smarty-pants journalists to join The Root Fellowship Program. The Root fellows will have the opportunity to work with and learn from the best journalists and editors at the Washington Post, Slate and The Root.
Sound enticing? We know. Keep reading.
The Root fellows must:
* Be based in either New York City or Washington, D.C., for the duration of the 12-week fellowship
* Be juniors or seniors at a four-year college, recent grads or grad students
* Be journalism majors and/or have practical journalism experience
* Have proven reporting, writing and photo-editing skills — student publications are OK
* Possess a strong knowledge of the black media space and interest in topics relevant to the black community in the areas of politics, social justice, history and pop culture
* Have the ability to identify stories that have the potential to go viral
* Be comfortable working independently
* Be resourceful problem solvers who don't just follow instructions but go above and beyond the call of duty
* Have an active social media presence (Twitter accounts are mandatory)
* Know AP style
* Know basic HTML
* Have experience using content-management systems
Bonus points if you:
* Have photography and/or filmmaking experience and know your way around Final Cut and iMovie
* Know advanced HTML
* Are a talented digital illustrator or graphic designer
The Root fellows will:
* Do photo research and edit photos
* Research, report and write original stories, blog posts and slideshows, as well as aggregate news from other websites
* Moderate community conversations on the site and on social media
* Pitch timely story ideas to be considered for publication
* Identify and execute innovative storytelling techniques
The Root fellows will get:
* Bylines (you'll complete at least one short writing assignment per week and two long-form, reported pieces over the course of the fellowship)
* Monthly lunch-and-learn seminars hosted by award-winning journalists, editors, photographers and columnists from the Washington Post and Slate, as well as award-winning black bloggers
* Photo- and video-editing workshops
* Hands-on experience and on-the-job training at a fast-paced news website
* A generous monthly stipend
* Connections, contacts and possible opportunities for advancement at The Root
How to apply:
Make our job easier and show off your writing skills with a cover letter that tells us why you are perfect for The Root Fellowship Program. Send that, along with your résumé, links to three writing samples and three story ideas, to TheRootStaff@theroot.com by April 26, 2013.
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