Southwest Reporter

ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. 

We’re looking for a driven reporter to take on compelling stories that are grounded in the Southwest but have national resonance — work that is compelling, revelatory and brings about change.

The Southwest has been the focus of some of ProPublica’s most ambitious coverage. Our investigations have exposed the Trump administration misrepresenting federal preparedness to combat wildfires, the growing subsidization of and ecological devastation caused by grazing on public lands, an Arizona county’s costly and ineffective pursuit of the death penalty, scientists’ destruction of Indigenous human remains, Albuquerque, New Mexico’s criminalization of homelessness and Utah officials’ efforts to undermine solar energy.

You’ll join a team covering the Southwest with a focus on Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah.

We’re interested in pitches for covering issues affecting members of the region’s many federally registered tribes, and for reporting on state government accountability, particularly in Arizona or Utah.

We’re looking for a reporter who:

• Has at least a five-year track record of producing investigative stories, ideally in the Southwest, and a vision for how they’d cover this region and its diverse communities.
• Relishes pursuing accountability stories that are both important and powerfully told.
• Embraces, and has experience with, a wide range of reporting techniques, from underpinning stories with exclusive data analyses to using creative strategies to engage with readers and sources.
• Brings an accountability lens to issues of the day through both quick investigations reported over a couple of weeks and longer projects that take a few months (or more) to land.
• Really likes working with others. We are a highly collaborative newsroom — we collaborate within our team and across the newsroom, and with other news organizations regionally and nationally. We believe we do our best work together.
• Can travel, as needed, for assignments, training and staff meetings.

This job is full time and includes benefits. We will consider applicants who already live in or are willing to relocate to our Southwest coverage area. Applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S.

The expected salary range for this position is $95,000 to $140,000.

This is a good-faith estimate of what we expect to pay for this position. The final salary figure will take into account a person’s experience, accomplishment and location. ProPublica is committed to paying its staff equitably, and these ranges should not be considered career salary limits or caps.

We will begin reviewing applications as we receive them, but we will continue to consider candidates as long as the posting remains live on our site.

Questions? Send an email to talent@propublica.org.

No phone calls, please.

We know there are great candidates who may not fit into what we’ve described above or who have important skills we haven’t thought of. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.

We are dedicated to improving our newsroom, in part by better reflecting the people we cover. (Here is a breakdown of our staff.) We are committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and ages. And we are taking steps to meet that commitment. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities. We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age or any other status protected under applicable law.