Sahan Journal is a nonprofit digital newsroom dedicated to reporting for immigrants and communities of color in Minnesota. Our diverse staff creates exceptional journalism: coverage that truly represents the changing face of Minnesota and recognizes that democratic engagement and power belong to everyone.
Our stories reach audiences across many platforms, including our website, social media, video, and community events. To reach new audiences, we share our stories with small community papers and with the state’s biggest mainstream newsrooms, in print and over public radio.
Sahan Journal’s mission is to give immigrants and communities of color the kind of committed, responsive news coverage that we all deserve.
The opportunity
Since its founding in 2019, Sahan Journal has produced groundbreaking local news coverage about education, health care, immigration policy, elections, climate, policing, entrepreneurship, labor, housing, and more. We frequently frame stories through the lenses of equity, access, and accountability.
The murder of George Floyd, in 2020, sparked a national reckoning with racism and inequality in policing, the courts, and beyond.
Sahan Journal seeks a criminal justice reporter who can report stories that matter to Minnesota’s immigrant communities and people of color.
The ideal candidate will have the experience and ability to report compelling and accurate stories about policing and public safety in a way that’s deeply connected to community concerns.
Our highly diverse, 12-person editorial team strives to change the news narratives in communities that have been ignored—or poorly served—by mainstream news. We seek to do this work in a collaborative newsroom that reflects our talents, values, and vision.
Sahan Journal’s supportive and equitable work culture is committed to developing the potential of our staff and honoring their health and wellbeing.
Position Responsibilities
- Cover daily and breaking news that affects communities of color. Report explainers; accountability coverage; and enterprise stories.
- Respond to high-profile events involving policing and public safety in a way that adds depth, understanding, and context.
- Delve deeply into the communities we cover; show up; listen to their concerns about public safety and policing and report stories that reflect their information needs.
- Highlight topics that are often missed—or misrepresented—by mainstream news organizations, with a focus on racial equity.
- Identify and report deeper stories that uncover both specific cases of wrongdoing and systemic problems in policing and law enforcement.
- Build strong relationships with community members, stakeholders, and other sources in public safety.
- Report and write accurately on tight deadlines, including rolling digital deadlines as stories develop throughout the day.
- Develop familiarity with the functions and records of local police and sheriff’s departments, the state oversight board, fire departments, and state courts.
- Work within flexible hours as news dictates.
- Work with your editor to shape your coverage, priorities, and focus areas.
- Write stories that inform and provide service through compelling narratives and accurate information.
- Collaborate with the newsroom to create social media, data reporting, and video content. Help present your stories across multiple platforms, where readers will find them.
Desired skills, knowledge, and abilities
- At least 3 years of experience in journalism, reporting and writing news.
- Sound news judgment: the ability to identify good stories and execute them on a deadline.
- Adherence to journalism values including accuracy, equity, fairness, and respect.
- commitment to a supportive and equitable work culture.
- Strong capacity to work independently and take initiative, while collaborating well with coworkers and accepting direction.
- Social and multimedia skills: sharing information/stories on social media platforms, live-tweeting events, gathering photo or video in the field.
- Bonus if you can work competently in a language widely spoken in Minnesota, such as Spanish, Hmong, Somali, Karen, Oromo.
Salary and benefits
- Salary begins at $65,000 and will be based on prior experience and skillset.
- Employee medical and dental benefits 100 percent employer paid; dependents at 50 percent.
- Health Savings Account.
- 401(k) plan ($1.00 match for each $1.00 you contribute, up to a maximum of 4 percent of your annual income).
- Paid Time Off: 20 days / 4 weeks.
- Sick Time Off: 5 days / 1 week.
- Sahan Journal does not offer standard federal holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.), reflecting the diverse preferences of our staff. Instead, all employees are eligible for 6 floating holidays to be used at personal discretion.
- Cell phone stipend.
- Professional development resources.
- Relocation stipend available.
- Sahan Journal currently offers a hybrid work model, with both remote work (from home) and in-person days at Wellworth, a co-working space in downtown St. Paul.
Location
Sahan Journal is a regional news organization. We are building our staff to reflect the state and communities we cover. The successful candidate will be expected to live in Minnesota, with the ability to report daily around Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the Twin Cities.
Application process
To apply, please send a resume, five clips, and a cover letter, describing your experience and what excites you about working at Sahan Journal. Optional: Include links to any multimedia, social media, or video work you want to highlight.
If you have many of the requested skills and experiences, but not all of them, please apply!
Send resume and cover letter to jobs@sahanjournal.com. The deadline for applications is August 28, 2023.
Additional questions? Please contact cxiong@sahanjournal.com or mtortorello@sahanjournal.com; we’re happy to talk!
