What are the responsibilities and job description for the Data Reporter position at Houston Chronicle?
Job Description
Data Reporter
The Houston Chronicle is hiring a Data Reporter who thrives on finding and telling stories with data in a fast-paced, audience-centered newsroom. In this role, you will work closely with reporters, editors and other data journalists to produce impactful, data-driven journalism that serves and grows our audiences.
This is a general assignment role, with an opportunity to pursue stories across a wide range of topics that matter to Houston-area audiences. You will collaborate across beats areas — including sports, food, life and culture and more — to reveal and explain the forces shaping culture and our lived experiences. From major institutions to everyday trends, this role is ideal for a curious journalist who has a proven track record of using data to tell engaging stories across various topics.
Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:
We’re Looking for Someone Who:
This role is based in the Houston Chronicle newsroom.
The Houston Chronicle, recognized for its Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism, serves its 2.3 million residents with content and marketing solutions across two of Houston’s largest websites — HoustonChronicle.com and Chron.com , along with our magazine, television and newspaper brands. Our mission is to spark conversations that inspire action to create a better Houston. All our content and the innovative business solutions we provide invite Houstonians to join conversations about a community we’ve been committed to covering and helping prosper for more than 120 years. The community we all call home.
About Hearst Newspapers:
With 2,500 employees across the nation, HNP encompasses a network of 24 daily and 52 weekly publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union, several top digital-only news and lifestyle sites, marketing services businesses, and entertainment businesses such as King Features Syndicate.
At HNP, we are investing in new and innovative ways to tell stories – growing newsrooms, diversifying tools, evolving platforms – to support the millions of people who trust us each month to help them make decisions, take action and be inspired.
Be a part of something bigger – your headline awaits.
Recognizing the diverse needs of our candidates, if you are interested in applying for employment and need assistance or an accommodation to use our website or regarding the application process, please contact us by email at hnpemployment@hearst.com. Please do not use this email address to inquire about the status of applications. We will only respond to inquiries concerning requests for a reasonable accommodation through this email address.
Data Reporter
The Houston Chronicle is hiring a Data Reporter who thrives on finding and telling stories with data in a fast-paced, audience-centered newsroom. In this role, you will work closely with reporters, editors and other data journalists to produce impactful, data-driven journalism that serves and grows our audiences.
This is a general assignment role, with an opportunity to pursue stories across a wide range of topics that matter to Houston-area audiences. You will collaborate across beats areas — including sports, food, life and culture and more — to reveal and explain the forces shaping culture and our lived experiences. From major institutions to everyday trends, this role is ideal for a curious journalist who has a proven track record of using data to tell engaging stories across various topics.
Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:
- Produce data- and graphics-driven journalism across a variety of coverage areas — including sports, food, life and culture and more — with an emphasis on stories that explain trends, systems and impacts for everyday readers.
- Collaborate with reporters and editors across multiple beats to produce data-informed reporting at both a daily and project-based pace.
- Approach datasets with a healthy dose of skepticism, identifying meaningful patterns and accountability angles while ensuring accuracy and transparency.
- Write and document reproducible, bulletproof code for data analysis.
- Collaborate with reporters and editors to craft audience-focused stories, pairing explanatory writing with compelling data visualizations.
- Support and further data literacy in the newsroom by sharing tools, methods, and leading data trainings.
We’re Looking for Someone Who:
- Has experience working collaboratively in a deadline-driven newsroom environment.
- Can self-manage and balance multiple projects at once, from quick-turn stories to deep enterprise projects.
- Possesses command of Excel and Google Sheets.
- Comfortable using Python, R or similar tools to clean, analyze and present data.
- Is comfortable with data visualization tools such as Datawrapper or Adobe Illustrator/ai2html.
- Has a working knowledge of Git and Github.
- Has a desire and ability to keep learning new data skills on the job.
- Bonus: experience with mapping tools such as ArcGIS or QGIS, APIs and web scraping, or navigating federal and Texas open-records laws related to higher education and athletics.
- Publishing data-driven stories that identify and explain patterns, shifts and trends that help readers better understand life in Houston and the forces influencing it.
- Building visualizations and data explainers that help audiences understand complex trends in a clear, engaging way.
- Providing data support and mentorship that empowers other reporters to integrate data into their work.
This role is based in the Houston Chronicle newsroom.
- To be considered, you must submit all required documents in PDF format:
- One-page résumé.
- One additional page that includes: three work/character references (with titles, email addresses and phone numbers) and links to at least three digital work samples.
The Houston Chronicle, recognized for its Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism, serves its 2.3 million residents with content and marketing solutions across two of Houston’s largest websites — HoustonChronicle.com and Chron.com , along with our magazine, television and newspaper brands. Our mission is to spark conversations that inspire action to create a better Houston. All our content and the innovative business solutions we provide invite Houstonians to join conversations about a community we’ve been committed to covering and helping prosper for more than 120 years. The community we all call home.
About Hearst Newspapers:
With 2,500 employees across the nation, HNP encompasses a network of 24 daily and 52 weekly publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union, several top digital-only news and lifestyle sites, marketing services businesses, and entertainment businesses such as King Features Syndicate.
At HNP, we are investing in new and innovative ways to tell stories – growing newsrooms, diversifying tools, evolving platforms – to support the millions of people who trust us each month to help them make decisions, take action and be inspired.
Be a part of something bigger – your headline awaits.
Recognizing the diverse needs of our candidates, if you are interested in applying for employment and need assistance or an accommodation to use our website or regarding the application process, please contact us by email at hnpemployment@hearst.com. Please do not use this email address to inquire about the status of applications. We will only respond to inquiries concerning requests for a reasonable accommodation through this email address.