LGBTQ Rights Reporter

Job Description

About BuzzFeed, Inc.

BuzzFeed, Inc. (Ticker: BZFD) is home to the best of the internet. Across food, news, pop culture and commerce, our brands drive conversation and inspire what audiences watch, read, buy, and obsess over next. Born on the internet in 2006, BuzzFeed, Inc. is committed to making it better: providing trusted, quality, brand-safe news and entertainment to hundreds of millions of people; making content on the internet more inclusive, empathetic, and creative; and inspiring our audience to live better lives. We'll continue to recruit the best founders and creators to join us in this mission, with more additions like Complex Networks and HuffPost to come.

Business Area: BuzzFeed News
Job Category: Breaking News
Salary: The contractual minimum salary for this position is $72,500
Union Status: Union This position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement between BuzzFeed News and The NewsGuild of New York.

The Role

BuzzFeed News is seeking a writer-editor to cover the LGBTQ community, and the attacks they continue to face in the current political climate. This is a wide-ranging assignment, but the ideal candidate is someone who’s well-versed in anti-trans laws and the special interest groups that support them, as well as the continued and innovative ways that LGBTQ communities resist and thrive.

We were among the first organizations to take a stance on marriage equality, and now, we want to dedicate resources to bring authority and nuance discussion of gender, LGBTQ rights, and the ever-widening cultural footprint of queer communities.

This reporter should be adept at navigating the courts, explaining critical context, and writing about the intersection of politics and culture for our audience. That will likely mean jumping on a breaking story about an anti-trans bill or other beat development while balancing a slate of features or investigative projects. We're particularly interested in exploring how trans childhood is being criminalized, and what this could mean for other communities who've historically been marginalized in discussions about health and justice.

We’re also looking for someone who’s interested in finding new ways of breaking through the noise and telling the LGBTQ community’s stories in a fresh, engaging way.

You Will

• Have a passion and enthusiasm for finding unique ways to cover this topic and be open to jumping on daily assignments as they pop up on your beat
• Carve out a lane of coverage that has other media outlets scrambling to catch up
• Be comfortable collaborating with other reporters and desk editors, as well as representing the BuzzFeed News brand on other platforms
• Be able to hit deadlines with clean, accurate copy

Part of what makes BuzzFeed a pioneer in digital media is our commitment to exploring new ventures that lead to spreading truth and joy. As such, you may be asked to share your knowledge with your colleagues through presentations or trainings, to screen and interview job candidates, or to take part in recruitment or networking events on behalf of the company and be part of a union.

You Have

• At least two years of experience reporting on the LGTBQ+ community
• Fluency in internet culture, what people are talking about, and how to avoid misinformation
• A comfort level calling and messaging a wide variety of sources from officials to people who are not public figures, and sensitivity where it’s warranted

To Apply:

Please apply with a résumé, your social media handles, and a cover letter that tells us more about you, your work, and why you’d be good for the job. Also, please send us one example of a story where a media outlet got coverage of this topic right, and one of when they didn’t.

Life at BuzzFeed, Inc.

We celebrate inclusion and are committed to equal opportunity employment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, and will not be discriminated against based on age, race, gender, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected category.

You can expect:

• A supportive, inclusive atmosphere on a team that values your contributions
• Opportunities for personal and professional growth through work experience, offerings from our in-house Learning @ BuzzFeed team, our Employee Resource Groups, and more
• An attractive and equitable compensation package, including salary and stock options.
• A generous benefits program featuring paid time off, unlimited sick time, comprehensive medical benefits, a family leave policy, access to mental health platforms, retirement plans, gym and wellness discounts, and much more.

We want all employees to feel safe and comfortable when they engage in any in-person meetings, when visiting the office, or when working from an offsite production or meeting location. As part of this commitment to health and safety, BuzzFeed requires COVID-19 vaccines for current U.S. employees, including all newly hired employees. Requests for accommodation per applicable law for health and/or religious reasons will be considered. Union employees are subject to what is outlined in their applicable collective bargaining agreement.

Note: BuzzFeed, Inc. offers remote/flexible work (unless specified to be required to be in-person) and open to hiring remote candidates who are residents in the following states: CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MS, MT, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, TX, VA, WA, and WV. For non sales roles, we can also hire in AK, AR, AZ, ID, KS, MO, ND, SC, and VT.