ASU Media Enterprise Data Storytelling Student

The ASU Media Enterprise Data Storytelling student worker will play a key role in transforming raw data into visual, interactive and engaging stories focused on local neighborhoods. You'll work with editors at NEWSWELL, part of ASU Media Enterprise, and work closely with your editor to source, clean, and visualize data, and help bring stories to life on our digital news sites in San Diego and beyond.

Much of the work will emanate from a set of databases maintained by our data partner, Crosstown. You’ll learn to query and manipulate these databases to tell stories. You’ll be responsible for creating and maintaining an ongoing set of data reports, plus finding and creating unique new data-driven stories.

Availability of working up to 16 hours a week.

NEWSWELL helps newsrooms become nonprofit and for-community. It provides strategic guidance, innovative solutions and wrap-around operations so local journalists can focus on local news, and newsrooms can best serve their communities. NEWSWELL partners with Arizona State University, the nation’s most innovative 10 years in a row, to offer game-changing ideas, tools and research. NEWSWELL transforms local news to help communities and democracy thrive.​​

What you'll do

• Conduct research and develop outreach strategies for potential audiences

• Create and design new templates and story forms for newsletters, social media platforms and digital sites

• Help research and suggest innovative solutions to local media challenges

• Measure engagement and report on satisfaction, reach, etc.

• Work with stakeholders to adapt and package content for various platforms

• Collaborate with team members to optimize reach and develop an appropriate voice and tone of the content

• Create an inclusive work environment that values diversity, fosters belonging, empowers others and nourishes a culture that pushes for and celebrates wins

• Foster a culture of innovation by harnessing fresh ideas and experimenting with new tools, technologies and techniques that enhance digital and social media storytelling

• Drive audience engagement through social media, SEO and immersion reporting experiences

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What you'll need

• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy

• Strong communication and collaboration skills

• Proficiency in data visualization tools (e.g., Flourish, Datawrapper, or similar)

• Basic HTML/CSS skills and experience working with WordPress

• Ability to Fact-check and cross-verify data, adding reporting via inquiries or interviews as needed

Relevant qualifications

• Degree-seeking students enrolled at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University

• Strong interest in local journalism and community-focused storytelling

• A significant amount of specialized training or 2-3 years of experience is required

Preferred qualifications

• Familiarity with data cleaning and formatting (Excel, Google Sheets; Python/R)

• Experience with GIS and digital mapping (QGIS or similar)

• Prior experience working with public datasets or open data portals

• Proficiency in digital strategy, social media campaigns, SEO and analytics

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite

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Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance 

• 401(k) plan with matching employer contribution 

• 22 days of vacation time 

• 11 holidays, including your birthday 

• Parental leave 

• Significant tuition reductions 

• $30 bi-weekly cell phone reimbursement 

Submission Requirements

Please create a single PDF document that includes the following, in this order:

• Your resume (one to two pages)

• A cover letter highlighting your strengths and explaining why you are a strong candidate for this role

• Links to 3 to 5 online samples of your work along with a one-to-two sentence description for each link. The descriptions should include what you did and how you did it

Plea