Reflect America Reporting Fellow

OVERVIEW

A thriving, mission-driven multimedia organization, NPR produces award-winning news, information, and music programming in partnership with hundreds of independent public radio stations across the nation. The NPR audience values information, creativity, curiosity, and social responsibility – and our employees do too. We are innovators and leaders in diverse fields, from journalism and digital media to IT and development. Every day, our employees and member stations touch the lives of millions worldwide. 

Across our organization, we’re building a workplace where collaboration is essential, diverse voices are heard, and inclusion is the key to our success. We are committed to doing the right thing in our journalism and in every role at NPR. This means that integrity, adherence to our ethical standards, and compliance with legal obligations are fundamental responsibilities for every employee at NPR.

INTRO TO POSITION

The Reflect America Fellowship

For its 2025-26 Reflect America Fellowship, NPR is seeking an early- to mid-career journalist to spend a year reporting on education in Indigenous communities across North America.

The fellow will embed with NPR’s Education Desk, where they will pitch and report stories on the full spectrum of education topics within Indigenous communities, from K-12 through higher education. Fellows will work and learn alongside journalists at NPR and Member stations, whose award-winning stories reach millions of listeners and readers, as well as collaborate on reporting with public radio station KOSU in Oklahoma City, OK. 

The fellow will build skills in essential aspects of education reporting. They will learn to analyze and understand data, develop sources on their beat and pursue explanatory stories about how schools work and how humans learn.

We seek an individual who can break news and deliver the incisive, in-depth reporting that is the hallmark of NPR journalism. Working with the NPR Training team and journalists across platforms, fellows will learn and refine their skills in audio and digital storytelling.

Candidates should value learning and have a passion for identifying issues that are of particular concern to Indigenous communities, such as teacher training and supply, cultural isolation, funding and governance.  

A strong candidate will possess a distinctive voice and employ creative storytelling to distill complex information into accessible stories with compelling characters.

This position requires occasional travel for reporting purposes.

This is an NPR editorial role covered under the terms of the NPR Ethics Handbook. All editorial staff are bound by this guidance. Editorial staff are defined as staff members who play a role in shaping the journalistic or creative direction of NPR's content, including events.    

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Research, pitch and report stories focused on education policy in Indigenous communities across North America.
• Work with editors, producers and reporters on the Education Desk to bring new voices from the beat.
• Produce stories for all editorial platforms, including digital and visual media, social networks and various audio platforms, to reach the largest audiences with the greatest impact.
• Gain local reporting experience in close collaboration with NPR Member station KOSU in Oklahoma City, OK. 
• Develop skills in analyzing data and utilizing it to inform reporting.
• Work on enterprise stories with impact and quick turnarounds for breaking news.
• Other duties as assigned.

The above duties and responsibilities are not an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills. Other duties may be assigned, and this job description can be modified at any time.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• At least two years of journalism experience (including internships and fellowships) in any medium.
• Experience reporting on and writing about Native communities across North America.
• Ability to write with authority, accuracy and fairness.
• Demonstrated interest in the challenges and obstacles many vulnerable communities face in providing high-quality education to their students. 
• Interest in and enthusiasm for developing experience and knowledge in the field of education reporting, with a specific focus on investigative and data-driven stories and character-driven narrative storytelling.
• Experience using social media platforms as reporting tools.
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Critical thinking skills and a healthy lens of skepticism.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Familiarity with da