Future Perfect Fellowship

Job Description

Future Perfect covers the world through a particular prism: What are the best ways to do good in this world? What are the stories that are both important - meaning they affect large numbers of people - yet are undercovered by the media at large? And what are the solutions to those problems that have actual traction in the world we live in?

Inspired in part by the philosophy of effective altruism - but not beholden to it or any other movement - Future Perfect strives to shine a light on neglected stories that have, or will have, a profound impact on the lives of billions of humans and animals.

Since its launch in 2018, Future Perfect has developed a loyal following for its idiosyncratic, mission-driven approach to news. Among our key subject areas include global poverty and public health, the catastrophic and existential threats that we face, and animal welfare and factory farming. We cover the philosophies and practices surrounding philanthropy and altruism, and the moral and ethical questions that underpin individual and policy choices.

True to the name of the vertical, we constantly ask ourselves: In 10, 20, 30 years, what will we look back on and wish we devoted more time covering? Then we go ahead and do those stories today.

This fall, thanks to a generous grant, we're hiring three fellows to help us ensure Future Perfect is telling the most important stories to our audience and approaching those stories with nuance and discernment. The fellowship is a one-year, full-time position.

The Future Perfect Fellowship is a perfect opportunity for emerging journalism talent, subject-matter experts looking to move into journalism - especially in our key areas, like animal welfare, AI, biotechnology and global development/health - or established journalists who want to switch beats or gain expertise on a new platform.

The fellowship will be a year-long program to receive extensive training and mentorship along with opportunities above and beyond that of traditional entry-level positions. Aside from intensive feedback from editors, fellows will also have dedicated mentors, exclusive networking opportunities, skills training sessions featuring journalists from Vox Media and other outlets, and the chance to attend one professional conference per year.

WHO WE ARE

Vox candidly shepherds audiences through politics and policy, business and pop culture, food, science, and everything else that matters.

Vox is part of Vox Media, the leading modern media company. We guide our audience from discovery to obsession. We inspire essential conversations about what's now, what's next, and what's possible.

As a community of journalists and storytellers, business professionals, creators and technologists, we believe it is a moral and business imperative to amplify voices: to cultivate diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our organization and media. This applies to our candidates, our teams, our storytelling, our creative work, and our platforms, products, and partnerships.

WHAT YOU'LL DO
• Produce distinct Future Perfect content
• Participate in story meetings and pitch fresh ideas
• Work with editors to shape and improve content
• Participate in skill shares, training, and mentorship opportunities

WHO YOU ARE
• A demonstrated passion for and familiarity with Future Perfect's areas of coverage, including global poverty and public health; climate change, pandemics, and other catastrophic threats to humanity; animal welfare; moral philosophy; effective altruism more broadly; and philanthropy. A major factor is being able to understand and articulate what makes Future Perfect's approach different from that of other verticals in subjects like climate change or health that may crossover with our material. Bonus points for demonstrated expertise or previous work in one or more of the above subjects
• An interest in explanatory journalism of the kind long-practiced by Vox.
• Previous newsroom experience (including college papers) or comparable experience in another field - we have had great luck turning lawyers, think tank staffers, scientists and other subject-matter experts into great journalists
• Tenacious curiosity and a creative approach to storytelling, including an interest in telling stories about the world through the Future Perfect lens

If you think you have what it takes, but don't meet every single point in our job posting, please apply with a cover letter to let us know how you believe you can bring your unique skills to the Vox Media team or get in touch! We've hired chefs who became editors, DJs who became UX designers, and sommeliers who became writers.

WHERE YOU'LL WORK

This job is remote. We're dedicated to the health and wellbeing of all of our employees, and when we reopen, will require everyone who works from one of our offices to be fully-vaccinated against COVID-19. Employees with approved religious or medical exemptions may be subject to additional safety requirements, such as submitting to regular COVID-19 testing and/or wearing a face covering in our offices.

PAY TRANSPARENCY

The salary range listed below represents the minimum and maximum base pay for this position at the time of this posting. Final salary offered to the candidate selected for the position will be based on factors including but not limited to the candidate's skills and experience.

Pay Range

$72,000 — $72,000 USD

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-g445pq-3-15-145-114-42 in your application.