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We are looking for a juvenile justice and youth reporter to explore what it’s like to be young in this city. This reporter will spend time at juvenile court proceedings, listening deeply as they learn the people and ways involved; they’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with the public safety & justice reporter on stories and projects. They’ll follow the various child welfare systems. 

The reporter will connect with youth-led and youth-supporting organizations and explore their work and findings. They’d delve into youth and civic engagement. They’ll talk to young people in the places they gather, virtually and in real life. They’ll capture them as they mark milestones and navigate their city, cautiously and joyfully.

This is a Report for America position; YOU MUST APPLY to become a corps member by 11:59 P.M. JAN. 31, 2024. 

To learn more about this position, contact Executive Editor Adrienne Johnson Martin at jobs@mlk50.com.

We are looking for an experienced public safety and justice reporter who can explore what can, will and does keep Memphians safe. This reporter will track the city’s criminal justice system including the efforts to reform policing after the killing of Tyre Nichols by Memphis police officers, and the Department of Justice’s recent pattern and practice investigation.

They’ll cover the Shelby County district attorney and examine juvenile incarceration, sentencing, backlogs, mediation attempts and the workings of local jails. Also means digging into police misinformation or “copaganda,” environmental design, and measures residents take to make them feel safe, such as neighborhood watch groups, self-defense classes and mental health techniques.

Success in this role will require a deep understanding of MLK50’s mission and values and strong news judgment. The ideal candidate would have at least five years of full-time reporting experience, should be able to produce two to three stories a month and is good at cultivating community sources, navigating (sometimes hostile) government bureaucracies and handling research. 

Find out more about this position and how to apply here.

We’re looking for an experienced administrative assistant who believes in our values and wants to support independent journalism in Memphis. Our ideal candidate would have at least five years of administrative assistant experience with a track record for providing excellent team support. They should seamlessly manage various organization-wide tasks and communications. Collaboration is important to us, so the candidate should welcome working with other staff members on projects as assigned. 

We are postponing this hire until a later date, but we are still accepting applications. Find out more about the role and apply here.

We’re looking for a managing editor who will have a central responsibility in shepherding the heart of our organization: the journalism. That means they must make a true commitment to changing policies and practices that keep people poor, establishing MLK50 as a trusted community source that people use to hold power to account, and shifting the local news and civic ecosystem in Memphis toward justice. 

The ideal candidate will have at least eight years in journalism and four years of managerial experience, ideally managing a team of reporters. They should be knowledgeable about equity and systemic issues, white supremacy and Black history.

Find out more about this position and apply here.