Data Reporter

Date Posted	August 25, 2026
Industry	Digital Media
Specialty	Investigative
Required Education	Bachelor's Degree
Remote / Telecommute	Hybrid
Job Status	Full-time
Salary	60,000

Description:

The SLAPP Back Initiative, a project of First Amendment Watch, a nonprofit newsroom housed at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, is seeking a full-time data reporter to join our team.

In November we launched The SLAPP Back Initiative (https://slappback.org/), a first-of-its-kind database tracking alleged strategic lawsuits against public participation, in which we identified 500 anti-SLAPP decisions filed in 2024 scattered across dozens of jurisdictions nationwide. We are continuing to analyze the last five years of data while we begin real-time analysis and production of original, investigative reports.

The data reporter will work directly with the project’s senior staff writer and two researchers to identify stories within the Initiative’s dataset. The reporter will assist the team with general research needs and will pitch story ideas for coverage featured on our website, as well as pitches for collaboration with local and national outlets. The ideal candidate will have experience in legal research, can engage in large datasets, and can translate complex issues for a general audience. This position requires creativity and exceptional attention-to-detail.

This is an early career, full-time, one-year contract position, with the potential for renewal based on factors including funding and performance. The reporter will be an employee of NYU and will receive employee benefits.

The data reporter is expected to work a Monday through Friday schedule, from 9:30 a.m. ET to 5:30 p.m. ET. This position is hybrid, with at least three days in office required per week at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at 20 Cooper Square in New York, NY.

Responsibilities of the position:

• Use our data to identify interesting stories and investigative angles that highlight the harms of this malicious litigation, as well as quick turnaround pieces related to new litigation and proposed legislation about SLAPPs.
• Produce short and long-form stories focused on strategic lawsuits against public participation and data from The SLAPP Back Initiative.
• Collaborate with our team to organize, review and analyze SLAPP decisions consistent with our methodology.
• Maintain source and organization relationships to increase our collaborations and online engagement.

Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree in journalism, law, communications or another relevant field. Master’s degree is a plus.
• Proficiency in Google Sheets. Ability to create data visualizations and graphics for article packages preferred. Knowledge of programming languages, AI tools and software is a plus.
• Experience using PACER and other court records systems.
• Knowledge of local and national current events, and issues particularly related to the First Amendment freedoms of speech and press.

The salary for this position is $60,000.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. The deadline for applications is Sept. 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Only applications submitted through NYU's portal will be reviewed. Please submit at this link: https://apply.interfolio.com/190706

If you have any questions or require additional support to complete this application, please contact The SLAPP Back Initiative team atslappback@nyu.edu. Please do not reach out regarding the status of your application.

Apply

https://apply.interfolio.com/190706