Reporter-Researcher

Date Posted	February 13, 2026
Industry	Newspapers, Digital Media, Nonprofit
Specialty	Local News
Required Education	Bachelor's Degree
Job Status	Full-time
Salary	$55,000 - $62,000

Description:

Founded in 1956, Providence Preservation Society (PPS) is one of the country’s first preservation organizations.  It is a unique civic and community nonprofit with a distinguished history of scholarship, grassroots advocacy, and visionary educational and training initiatives that has spearheaded the successful preservation of significant buildings, cultural landscapes and neighborhoods across the city. PPS understands that the work of preservation is not defined by the fight to protect singular examples of architecture, as though the city were a museum, but must engage with planning and policy, place-based research, creative practice, climate justice, and community organizing with the goal of shaping a livable, equitable city for all. Our 2021-2026 Strategic Plan outlines the organization’s progressive approach that prioritizes social and racial justice and new initiatives that address systemic inequities.

PPS seeks a Reporter-Researcher to cover developments in Providence that impact the urban fabric and the city’s diverse cultural heritage practices for our weekly newsletter, and to contribute historical research and writing on the city’s buildings and cultural landscapes to ongoing initiatives and publications including PPS’s markers program, the annual Most Endangered Places List, and the Guide to Providence Architecture, a reference resource used by 35,000 people each year.

The successful candidate will be passionate about history, cities, and design with strong research and analytical skills and the ability to distill complexities of planning and policy into lively prose. Issue coverage will include reports on relevant city commission, committee, or City Council meetings; profiles of people who are preserving or shaping community space and cultural practices; features about historic homes, buildings or spaces that hold meaning for different communities; assessments of current or potential real estate developments with regard to issues of design and equity; and solutions-oriented analyses of policies related to planning, zoning, and adaptive reuse. The candidate should have superb relational skills that make them an asset to PPS’s community relationship building activities as well as excellent research skills.

This is a new position that was created two years ago from the belief that relevant and timely communication backed with rigorous reporting are critical to PPS’s ability to achieve its mission – especially in the current context of weaker local news ecosystems. This is an exciting opportunity to participate in the critical project of rebuilding local news and an informed public from an organization that is regarded as one of the city’s legacy institutions and a trusted source of research and information. The position is part of a highly integrated office of five full-time staff and will work in collaboration with PPS’s other Reporter-Researcher, reporting to PPS’s Executive Director.  

Writing and Editorial – The Providence Post (50%)

• Research and write 1-2 articles per week for PPS’s weekly newsletter, The Providence Post, attending city commission and committee meetings as needed for coverage (30%)
• Edit articles and opinion pieces by occasional guest authors and by interns (5%)
• Contribute photographs, maps, infographics, and/or video to the Providence Post, PPS’s other research and reporting initiatives, or social media (5%)
• Collaborate on managing PPS’s social media with other staff (5%)
• Collaborate on managing the strategic growth of the Providence Post, including policies, development, and audience engagement (5%)
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with civic and community partners and knowledge-keepers to inform coverage and content

Research, Writing and Communications – General (50%)

• Research and write approximately 12-15 historic building reports per year (3-6 pages) to support PPS’s historic marker program, which recognizes sites of architectural and cultural heritage in the city (10%)
• Manage PPS’s Markers Committee, scheduling quarterly meetings, taking meeting minutes, presenting buildings for consideration, and maintaining and sharing files (5%)
• Contribute research and writing for PPS research reports and regular initiatives, including the Most Endangered Places List and Festival of Design (15%)
• Collaborate with PPS staff, volunteers and interns to continue to expand and revise the Guide to Providence Architecture and the associated Gowdey building history files (10%)
• Collaborate with ED and other staff to manage and update content on PPS’s website (5%)
• Provide staff support for PPS events and office administration as needed (5%)

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in journalism, policy, planning, history, or design, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Preference is for at least 1-2 years of professional journalism experience as a metro or related beat reporter, or equivalent demonstrated work in clips in lieu of experience
• Some experience with multimedia journalism and social media, including video and audio storytelling
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Canva and Adobe Suite; knowledge of ArcGIS and Wordpress preferred or enthusiasm and capacity to learn
• Understanding of journalistic conventions on ethics, sourcing, fairness, and accuracy
• Ability to work effectively and comfortably in a city that is multi-cultural and multi-lingual with demonstrated cultural awareness and competency skills
• Demonstrated leadership, interpersonal, and collaborative skills, fostering a positive, creative and productive team environment
• Excellent communication skills both orally and in writing with the ability to elicit and communicate information in a clear, informative and compelling manner
• Access to reliable transportation to meet with sources or cover events

Compensation and Benefits

• This is a full-time salaried professional position with a salary range of $55,000 - $62,000, commensurate with experience
• Current policy affords staff the option of working remotely on Fridays
• Comprehensive benefits package includes health, dental, vacation, personal days, sick time, bereavement leave, and retirement benefits
• Annual professional development stipend

To Apply

Interested applicants should send an email to jobs@ppsri.org with “Reporter-Researcher” as the subject line. The email should contain the following attached as a single PDF document:

• A cover letter that details your mission alignment with our work, and how your experience and skills match the responsibilities of this position (please do not use AI to write your cover letter)
• Resume
• 3-4 published clips
• 3-4 text, photo-based or video posts that relate a complex story for a digital or social media audience

PPS fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are committed to reflecting the communities with whom we work and encourage members of traditionally underrepresented populations to apply.  This position is based in Providence, and candidates should be based in the area or willing to move.  Providence is a diverse city of 190,000 that is home to Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence College, and other institutions of higher education, located one hour from Boston.  

Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis but will be reviewed starting March 10, 2026.