Esserman Investigative Reporting Fellowship at the Miami Herald

Work with the investigative team that exposed the sweetheart deal that enabled serial sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to escape serious punishment and led to the resignation of a member of President Trump’s cabinet.

The Miami Herald’s investigative legacy dates back for decades, from work that exposed Mob influence in 1950s Miami to reporting that changed laws on how Florida treats its most vulnerable residents.

This fellowship on the Miami Herald investigative team is the result of a generous donation by the Esserman Foundation, created by a South Florida family that has a strong belief in the value of investigative reporting. It is a one-year fellowship with the possibility of extending for a second year.

We’re looking for a fearless and resourceful up-and-coming reporter skilled in public records and shoe-leather reporting to work with and learn from our growing team. If you have a passion for accountability journalism and the drive it takes to sift through data, dig through documents and cultivate sources, you could be the right candidate for this position.

Job description and responsibilities

We are looking for:

• A developing, early-career reporter who has demonstrated skill in finding and delivering accountability stories.
• Someone who wants to report stories about wrongdoing, injustice and abuses of power, and has some experience doing this through internships and/or early career work.
  
  A journalist who truly gets excited about all the possible tools we can use for journalism now, from engaging with readers to analyzing data.
• Someone who is enthusiastic about working in a bilingual newsroom in one of the most diverse communities in the United States. Language skills - Spanish, Portuguese, French/Creole - all add value in South Florida.
• A collaborator; someone who works well as part of a team. In many cases, our investigative efforts involve two or three or more journalists working together to bring a story home.
• A self-starter who will develop a strong network of sources to find and pursue stories that will reach a broad audience.

• This is for an early career journalist.
• A college degree is required.
• Must have reliable transportation. Must have valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance required (at least minimum insurance required for the state in which the employee works).

Don’t worry if you don’t check every box. And tell us in your application if you have moves that we haven’t described that also are important.

The Herald strives to attract journalists from a broad array of social, ethnic, and economic backgrounds into our newsroom, including African Americans, Hispanics, other people of color, women, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities. We encourage members of underrepresented communities to apply.