Reporters In Residence Program - Reimagining Capitalism

Established by philanthropists Pam and Pierre Omidyar, Omidyar Network (ON) is a social change venture that has committed more than $1 billion to innovative for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations since 2004. Omidyar Network works to reimagine critical systems and the ideas that govern them, and to build more inclusive and equitable societies in which individuals have the social, economic, and democratic power to thrive. To learn more, visit www.omidyar.com and follow on Twitter @omidyarnetwork.

Omidyar Network’s Reimagining Capitalism team is working to address the structural challenges at the heart of our economic system, and to shape a new, inclusive economy where markets serve the interests of all people and society. We do so by supporting a range of organizations—nonprofits, advocacy organizations, worker groups, think tanks, journalists, and entrepreneurs—with grants, investments, and the power of our network.

Omidyar Network is launching its inaugural Reporters in Residence program to help expand the amount and quality of reporting on big-picture economic issues, and enable freelance journalists focused on economic issues to devote more time to writing, research, and general career advancement.

We will select three reporters, one tied to each of Omidyar Network’s core programmatic areas within Reimagining Capitalism: New Economic Paradigms; Worker Power; Corporations, Capital Markets & the Common Good. Reporters in Residence will have regular access to Omidyar Network’s Reimagining Capitalism Team, and our diverse network of grantees and partners. As part of our commitment to transparency and journalistic independence, Omidyar Network will have no editorial discretion over reporters’ work.

This program builds on work we began in April of 2021, when Omidyar Network engaged its first Writer in Residence, Zach Carter. While working with us, Zach was able to devote more time to his award-winning coverage of economic policy and history for top publications, and to help drive the national conversation about the structural inequities at the root of our economy. During his residency, Zach wrote articles for publications including The New Republic, The Atlantic, and The New York Times, launched a Substack “In the Long Run,” and began work on his forthcoming book on John Stuart Mill.

Responsibilities:

• Individually develop, pitch, and publish approximately one piece per month related to their core topic area for the duration of the program.
• Attend at least one in-person gathering at Omidyar Network’s office in Washington, DC.
• Check in on a regular basis (~ twice per month) with Omidyar Network team.

Qualifications:

• Passion for covering economic issues and translating them for a diverse array of audiences.
• Actively working as a freelance journalist (with clips from the past 12 months) in any medium of reporting.
• At least five years of published reporting experience, though a college or secondary degree is not required.
• A current U.S. work authorization.

Our goal in the Reporters in Residence program is to help ensure talented freelancers can make ends meet while engaging in the kind of deep, nuanced reporting that drives national conversations, but may not always pay the bills. Reporters from any medium of journalism are welcome to apply.
The inaugural program will run from January to June of 2023. Each reporter contracted will receive a stipend of $8,000 a month and $2,000 travel budget (totaling $50,000). Applications will be open from October 6th to November 2nd, and finalists will be announced the week of December 14th.
To apply, submit your resume, the location where you would like to be based if selected for the program, social media handles, links to three clips, and a short statement (under 1,000 words) indicating which of the three focus areas you would like to cover (New Economic Paradigm, Worker Power, or Corporations Capital Markets, and the Common Good) and describing what stories you would like to cover with additional resources. 

At Omidyar Network, diversity, equity, and inclusion are directly aligned with our fundamental belief that people are inherently capable, but they often lack opportunity. We know that a diverse workforce allows us to see problems in more nuanced ways, creating the thought leadership needed to have outsized positive returns on the world. We actively recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. Omidyar Network is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes people from all experiences, abilities, and perspectives to apply.