Employment

The Forward is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, citizenship status, color, race, national origin, disability, disability status, gender, pregnancy status or lactation accommodations, gender identity, sexual orientation, domestic violence victim status, marital, partnership or familial status, religion, creed, prior arrest or conviction record according to applicable law, veteran or military status, or genetic characteristics.

The Forward has a commitment to diversity both in the workplace and in its reporting and is looking for employees and perspectives from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.
News Enterprise Reporter
Reporting Fellow on Jews and Race
Internship Opportunity: Opinion
Editorial Fellow
Internship Opportunity: Digital Reporting and Writing
Freelance pitches
About the Forward

News Enterprise Reporter

Are you an experienced journalist with investigative instincts and skills? Someone passionate about issues of identity, polarization, hate speech and digital misinformation? Eager to hold powerful institutions and leaders to account and explore the complexities of today’s American Jewish world?

Then you might be the Forward’s next News-Enterprise Reporter.

The Forward, the nation’s oldest and largest Jewish news organization, is seeking someone who can shape and land memorable, high-impact projects but also spin quick scoops and distinctive takes off the day’s happenings.

The successful applicant will be an intrepid, innovative, omnivorous newshound who is comfortable both with data and documents and with human source-building and narrative storytelling. Someone committed to the traditional mission of independent journalism but ready to develop new habits for expressing it for the audiences and platforms of today and tomorrow.

We are a small team with limited resources, so we need entrepreneurial thinking and a collaborative spirit, in order to leverage tools and partnerships to best tell stories. Our staff is passionate about driving and hosting the American Jewish conversation, and open-minded about experimenting to find the best ways of doing so. The right candidates will have demonstrated track records of framing important questions and doggedly pursuing them.

Established as a Yiddish, Socialist daily broadsheet in 1897, the Forward taught generations of Jewish immigrants what it means to be American. Now fully digital, we aim to tell the stories that matter the most in today’s diverse American Jewish communities, ensuring that every individual both sees herself reflected in our pages — and is challenged by them.

The Forward remains the nation’s largest Jewish journalism outlet, with more than 1.5 million readers a month, a third of them under 35 years old. It is an independent, reader-supported nonprofit committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in our coverage, staffing, and culture — applicants need not be Jewish.

This is a full-time role represented by the News Guild, with a salary range of $50,000 to $75,000 depending on experience, and generous benefits. The Forward’s newsroom is in Lower Manhattan but applicants willing to work remotely from anywhere in the United States are welcome.

To apply, please send a resume, a one-page pitch for the job, and five clips to jobs@forward.com with a subject line: Reporter. For general information about the Forward and this opportunity, contact Robin Washington, Editor-at-Large .

The Forward, founded in 1897 as a daily Yiddish broadsheet, is the nation’s leading Jewish journalism outlet, now publishing in English and Yiddish at forward.com. It is an independent, reader-supported nonprofit, run by the Forward Association, and committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in coverage, staffing and culture.

The Forward is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals regardless of their race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information or any other status protected by law.

Reporting Fellow on Jews and Race

Are you passionate about issues of race, ethnicity, religion, and identity? Concerned about the local news crisis in America? Eager to explore the conversations over diversity and justice within institutions and the creative ways communities are responding to the ongoing racial reckoning across the United States?

Then you might be the Forward’s first Reporting Fellow on Jews and Race. This is an ideal opportunity for an early-career journalist to experiment with a new beat using a variety of digital storytelling forms to address Jewish journalism deserts.

The fellow need not be Jewish but should possess an understanding of Jewish identity and culture, as well as of other groups with whom Jews intersect. The position is based in Chicago, a perfect jumping-off point for stories that examine Black-Jewish relations, Latino-Jewish relations, Jews of Color, economic inequality, criminal justice, systemic racism, and other issues left unexplored by other media.

Established as a Yiddish, Socialist daily broadsheet in 1897, the Forward taught generations of Jewish immigrants what it means to be American. Now fully digital, we aim to explore the diversity of today’s American Jewish communities and to ensure that every individual sees herself reflected in our pages — and is challenged by them.

The Forward is the nation’s leading Jewish journalism outlet, with more than 1.5 million readers a month, a third of them under 35.

As a small nonprofit with limited resources, we seek journalists with entrepreneurial instincts, and the creativity and wherewithal to use third-party tools to vary storytelling formats. Data-visualization and multimedia skills are a plus; collegiality and a track record of collaboration a must.

The Forward is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in our coverage, staffing, and culture. This is a full-time, one-year temporary position represented by the News Guild with a salary of $37,704 and generous benefits; it reports to the Los Angeles-based national editor, Rob Eshman.

Send your resume, a one-page pitch for the job, and five clips or samples to jobs@forward.com . Subject line: Reporting Fellow on Jews and Race. For general information about the Forward and this opportunity, contact Robin Washington@forward.com .

The Forward is an independent, reader-supported nonprofit committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in our coverage, staffing and culture. This is a full-time, one-year temporary position represented by the News Guild with a salary of $37,704 and generous benefits; it reports to the Los Angeles-based national editor, Rob Eshman.

Editorial Fellow

The Forward is seeking a responsible and resourceful journalist to work side-by-side with its Editor-in-Chief on strategy, operations and new initiatives. This year-long fellowship is a great entry-level opportunity for an omnivorous learner and dextrous doer. It is a full-time position, represented by the News Guild, with a salary of $37,304 and generous benefits.

This is not a reporting and writing job, though there may be occasional opportunities in those realms. It is, instead, a front-row seat to the challenges of digital nonprofit journalism, a chance to participate in real time in the revamping of a venerable legacy institution into an innovative, modern, essential outlet for news and conversation.

The ideal candidate will be passionate about digital media and also about the Jewish world. Nimbleness and ability to juggle multiple assignments is a must, as is skepticism, humility and humor. The fellow should be someone who thinks and moves quickly, researches widely, writes cleanly, communicates professionally, works collaboratively and has a strong sense of mission. Social-media savvy is a must; fluency with audience/analytics tools a plus; eagerness to learn new skills and try new things both crucial.

Responsibilities include:
-Supporting the editor’s weekly column/newsletter with research and production
-Helping the editor / team prepare for, program, plan and promote events
-Preparing material for internal and external presentations
-Doing competitive landscape research for new initiatives
-Curating content from other sources for roundups/publication
-Digging into audience data to understand trends and find opportunities
-Communicating with readers and others on behalf of editor and team
-Assisting in recruiting employees and freelance contributors across our diverse communities
-Developing partnership programs to engage members of Jewish organizations

To apply, please send resume, five clips, a cover letter explaining why you want the gig and contact information for two references to jobs@forward.com . Subject line: Editorial Assistant.

Internship Opportunity: Opinion

The Forward is seeking an intern passionate about opinion journalism — and the Jewish world — for a paid position. The intern will work up to 29 hours a week for $15 an hour. The initial term is 10 weeks, but the internship may be extended for up to a year. We accept rolling applications for this position, but are currently seeking a candidate to start in early to mid-July.

This is a fast-paced job in which interns will fact-check, edit, and load copy into our publishing system on a broad range of subjects across diverse Jewish communities. We need people who know how to navigate the Internet and social media; have great story instincts and editorial judgment; are digitally native and audience focused; and move quickly and edit clearly, with a solid grasp of AP style and grammar rules.

The intern will:
• Fact-check, copy edit and occasionally solicit Opinion and Scribe stories
• Review submissions to the Opinion and Scribe sections
• Prepare stories in the CMS for online publication
• Quickly source appropriate photos or other art
• Craft headlines, social copy, and other reader-facing story elements
• Scour the Jewish internet for news, conversation, opportunities and ideas
• Support colleagues writing and editing stories
• If interested, occasionally write or create multimedia journalism for the Forward
• Work with the Opinion Editor to develop cross-platform and multimedia content including Clubhouse, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook Live and YouTube

The ideal candidate will be an organized and quick learner who can juggle several story edits in a day; is eager to learn best practices of opinion journalism; plays well with others; and brings either a deep knowledge and sophisticated understanding of the Jewish world or intense curiosity and passion to develop that knowledge and understanding.

The goals are to file consistently clean copy; to be creative and flexible about format, medium and approach; to channel the Forward’s brand while developing individual voice, and to use audience tools to maximize the impact of each piece.

Successful interns frequently graduate into year-long fellowships and staff positions; we seek people who are pro-active, committed equally to our mission and to their own development.

To apply, please send a resume, cover letter, 2-3 clips, and contact information for at least two references to jobs@forward.com with a cc to adkins@forward.com Subject line: Opinion Internship.

Internship Opportunity: Digital Reporting and Writing

The Forward is seeking one or more beginning journalists passionate about digital and audience — and the Jewish world — for paid internships reporting and writing news items. The interns will work up to 29 hours a week for $15 an hour. The initial term is 10 weeks but the internship may be extended for up to a year. We accept rolling applications for this position, but are currently seeking a candidate to start immediately.

This is a fast-paced, reader-facing job in which interns will report, write and publish frequently on a broad range of subjects. We need people with experience at campus or other publications who know how to navigate the Internet and social media; have great story instincts and editorial judgment; move quickly and write clearly, with solid grasp of style and grammar rules; can juggle (projects, not projectiles); and work well in groups.

The intern will:
- Report, aggregate and write several items per day, including breaking news on politics, culture and more
- Scour the Jewish internet for news, conversation, opportunities and ideas
- Support colleagues reporting and writing stories
- Quickly source appropriate photos or other art
- Use social-media and other platforms to develop a robust readership for items
- Use audience tools and analyze traffic patterns to help optimize story selection and framing to meet reader needs

The ideal candidates will be equally interested in news from Israel and Hollywood; about the 2020 election or anti-Semitism. They will have a keen eye for what makes a story resonate for Jewish readers and know how to apply a sophisticated — or sometimes sassy — Jewish lens to the world. The interns should have sufficient Jewish background to be able to give stories proper context, but curiosity and commitment can go a long way to fill any gaps. They must work well under pressure and in collaboration with colleagues, and be eager to grow and be responsive to editors’ feedback. The goals are to file consistently clean copy; to be creative and flexible about format, medium and approach; to channel the Forward’s brand while developing individual voice; and to use audience tools like SEO to maximize impact of each piece.

Successful interns frequently graduate into yearlong fellowships and staff positions; we seek people who are pro-active, committed equally to our mission and to their own development.

To apply, please send a resume, five clips, a one-pager explaining why you want the gig, plus contact information for at least two references to jobs@forward.com . Subject line: Digital reporting and writing internship.

Freelance Pitches

About The Forward:
The Forward is American Jewry’s essential, independent news organization, delivering incisive coverage of the issues, ideas and institutions that matter to American Jews with rigorous, unbiased reporting and balanced, thoughtful commentary on news, politics, arts and culture that are acclaimed in the news industry. The Forward produces enlightening and entertaining multimedia content in English and Yiddish through a variety of newspapers, websites, blogs, videos, podcasts, e-books and apps.

Founded in 1897, the Forward has the entrepreneurial spirit of a startup. It occupies a unique position of independence as a nonprofit news organization, beholden to no institution, denomination or political faction.

Seeking Freelance Pitches:
We will consider trend stories, series, multimedia and video projects. Feel free to pitch profiles if the subject has agreed to give you excellent access. Do look in the news section of our website to see what we’re interested in, but don’t be limited by that. We’re eager to see proposals from communities of color as well as from Sephardi, Mizrahi, Russian and Bukharin communities.

We are looking for news and news features; not analysis, background, interpretation or explainers. We will consider historical pieces only if the story is brand-new and really compelling.

Compensation:

Compensation will be highly competitive for the right pitch. The Forward is an equal opportunity employer. All individuals are entitled to equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry, genetic information, medical condition, veteran status, or any other class protected under federal, state, or local laws.

To apply:

To apply, please send detailed proposals including a list of sources to be interviewed, length range, proposed fee and deadline to the senior news editor, Rob Eshman, at eshman@forward.com and Benyamin Cohen at Cohen@forward.com .

The Forward Association, Inc., is an equal opportunity employer.

About the Forward

The Forward delivers incisive coverage of the issues, ideas and institutions that matter to American Jews. Its rigorous reporting and balanced commentary on politics, arts and culture have won numerous awards year after year, including repeated recognition by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily, the Forward soon became the most widely read Jewish newspaper anywhere, with a larger circulation in the 1920s than the New York Times. It chronicled the events that affected a population of immigrants eager to take their place in American life, and published regional editions around the country before any other newspaper.

The English Forward was launched as a weekly in 1990. Its perspective on world and national news, and its unparalleled coverage of Jewish arts and culture, have made it the most influential nationwide Jewish media outlet today. Millions of readers visit forward.com each month for award-winning news, thoughtful commentary, and captivating videos. And close to 100,000 Facebook friends and subscribers receive e-newsletters that highlight the latest stories in news and culture, food and feminism, as well as the best in Jewish opinion.

The Forward has always been a not-for-profit association and is supported by the contributions of its readers.