Vacancy: Journalist (food, land and nature)

This vacancy has now closed.

We have an exciting opportunity to become a Carbon Brief journalist, helping us to expand our coverage about the intersection between food, land, nature and climate change.

• Do you have expertise in land use and food systems?
• Can you turn complicated information and data into a clear, compelling story?
• Do you want to contribute to accurate coverage of nature and climate change?

Job description

Carbon Brief’s award-winning journalism is respected by scientists, journalists, policymakers and campaigners around the world. We write articles and create data visualisations, infographics and videos to help us cover climate science and related policy issues. 

Reporting to the Section Editor, you’ll report on the latest scientific and policy-related developments on the interactions between land use, nature, food systems and climate change. 

This could range from disentangling claims in the media about meat and dairy production, to summarising the latest study on biodiversity loss, or working with our multimedia journalists on an infographic about the environmental impact of farming or global commodities.

You’ll have an eye for a story and be comfortable navigating competing claims, misinformation, emotion and vested interests. You’ll also be meticulous about accuracy and fact-checking.

Responsibilities

• Produce news features, analysis, factchecks, interviews and explainers.
• Monitor and report on new scientific research and policy developments.
• Summarise news for Carbon Brief’s email newsletter, Cropped.
• Help plan how Carbon Brief covers land, nature, food, biodiversity and climate change.
• Help build and maintain Carbon Brief’s network of science and policy contacts.
• Identify and report from relevant conferences on behalf of Carbon Brief.
• Engage on social media on behalf of the organisation.

Qualifications

Essential

• Demonstrable experience of food, land, nature and climate change.
• Excellent writing skills and the ability to write to a deadline.
• Meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy.
• A commitment to journalistic integrity and a good understanding of the media landscape, especially in the UK.
• An understanding of the public and political context around food, land and nature.
• An appreciation for Carbon Brief’s brand, style and tone. 

Desirable

• A strong grounding in journalism.
• A global perspective, with particular knowledge/experience of issues related to food, land and nature in the global south. 
• Fluency in languages other than English.
• A network of contacts within the food, land and nature communities.
• Excellent social media skills.
• Experience of producing multimedia content.

Location: Carbon Brief’s office is in central London but the food, land and nature team is based in different locations (currently Washington D.C. and Mumbai). There is flexibility within this role to be based remotely, anywhere in the world, and the successful candidate will be comfortable working with an international team across different time zones. You may be expected to undertake some travel as part of your work.

Hours/Duration: This is a full-time permanent (non-sponsored) position. Applicants who plan to be based in Carbon Brief’s London office must already have the right to work permanently in the UK. 

Salary: Between £30,000 and £38,000 per year, depending on skills and experience, with generous benefits. Salary will be discussed with shortlisted applicants, due to the possibility of there being more than one role.

How to apply

To apply, please send:

• Your CV. 
• A short covering letter explaining why you would be a good fit for the role and the organisation, and links to 2-3 writing examples. (If you don’t have any, please write a short article in Carbon Brief style on a topic of your choice).
• Your ideas for building Carbon Brief’s coverage of food, land and nature (no more than 500 words).

To: [email protected]

Please state “Food, land and nature journalist application – Carbon Brief” in the email subject header.

Applications must be submitted by 8AM GMT Monday 10 Oct. Interviews will be held on Wednesday 19 Oct and Thursday 20 Oct via Zoom.

Carbon Brief is committed to encouraging equity, diversity and inclusion among our workforce. Our aim is to be truly representative of all sections of society and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. We strongly encourage applications from those who feel underrepresented in climate journalism, including ethnic and social minorities and reporters from the global south.

About Carbon Brief

Carbon Brief produces award-winning journalism covering the latest developments in climate science, climate policy and energy policy. We specialise in clear, evidence-based articles and data visualisations to help improve the understanding of climate change, both in terms of the science and the policy response. We publish a wide range of content, including Q&As, in-depth analysis, profiles, interviews, interactives, infographics and maps, as well as newsletters summarising the latest news, research and policy developments. We are proud of the reach and engagement we have with our audiences, who value our rigorous and authoritative brand of ‘explainer journalism’. Our audience is global and diverse, but we particularly serve policymakers, journalists, NGOs and academics.