Reporters in Residence (Winter 2024)

Established by philanthropists Pam and Pierre Omidyar, Omidyar Network is a social change venture that has committed more than $1.86 billion to innovative for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations since 2004. Omidyar Network reimagines critical systems, and the ideas that govern them, to build more inclusive and equitable societies—for the benefit of the many, not just the few. Omidyar Network partners with funders, advocates, innovators, businesses, scholars, and others to advance responsible technology, reimagine capitalism, and build cultures of belonging so that all individuals have the social, economic, and democratic power to thrive.

To learn more, visit https://omidyar.com/.

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 opening up the application period for the Winter 2024 Reporters in Residence program. The purpose of this program is 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 and contract with 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.
Previous Reporters in Residence have covered a range of issues for outlets including The New York Times, Teen Vogue, Slate, In These Times, and more.
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. Individuals that are unable to travel will be asked to join in convenings virtually.
• 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 dedicated 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 encouraged to apply. Applications will be open from October 2nd to November 3rd and the new cohort will be announced on December 13th. The interview process will consist of an initial round of interviews with the relevant program officer. Candidates who advance to the second round of interviews with our programs team but are not selected for the residency will receive a $2,500 stipend.
The Reporter in Residence program is a contractor 1099-status role with no benefits provided. The Winter 2024 program will run from January to July of 2024. Each reporter contracted will receive a stipend of $8,000 a month and $2,000 travel budget (totaling $50,000).
To apply, submit your resume, your location, 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.