Professor of Practice and Data Journalist/Editor

The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University seeks a mission-driven, analytically skilled data journalist/editor to join the launch team of The Beam — a groundbreaking statewide accountability reporting initiative based in Arizona.

The Beam brings together the resources of a major public university and local investigative nonprofits to develop innovative ways of producing and delivering investigative journalism on issues of critical importance to Arizona communities. The successful candidate will serve as a Professor of Practice for the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, which produces award-winning, national-scale student investigations in partnership with professional newsrooms, and also as Data Journalist/Editor for the Beam.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative, mission-oriented journalist who thrives at the intersection of investigative reporting, data analysis, and mentorship. In addition to leading and collaborating on high-impact stories, this role includes teaching one course per semester in data journalism, investigative techniques, or accountability reporting.

Serving in a dual capacity as both journalist-in-residence and faculty member, the Data Editor will play a key role in shaping journalism that matters—locally and nationally—while helping build the next generation of accountability reporters.

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible, 12-month (not academic year) faculty appointment on ASU's Downtown Phoenix Campus; this position is grant-funded and not a tenure-track appointment.

Essential Functions:

· Lead data strategy and analysis for investigations produced by The Beam and the Howard Center

· Conduct sophisticated data analysis to uncover trends and support investigative narratives.

· Collaborate with reporters, editors, and students to develop data-driven stories.

· Manage data workflows, ensure methodological rigor, and maintain transparency in all investigative projects.

· Teach lower-, upper-, or graduate-level journalism classes and other duties as assigned.

· Provide mentorship and training in data journalism skills to students and early-career reporters.

About The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University
The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the Cronkite School is a groundbreaking journalism program that advances deeply researched watchdog journalism. The Howard Center, supported by the Scripps Howard Foundation, focuses on training the next generation of reporters through hands-on investigative journalism projects. Students work side by side with faculty in the Howard Center, uncovering, researching and publishing stories of significant importance – many of which have won national and regional awards.
Top-performing graduate and undergraduate students produce national and regional investigations in partnership with professional news outlets across the country. Howard Center alumni have gone on to careers on investigative teams at the most respected newsrooms in the country, including The Associated Press, the Center for Investigative Reporting, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, International Consortium for Investigative Journalism, Inside Climate News, NPR, OpenSecrets, PBS NewsHour and Univision.
Investigative Journalism at the Cronkite School
The Cronkite School has a deep tradition of award-winning investigative journalism. In addition to the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, the school hosts the Carnegie-Knight News21 Reporting Initiative and the nation's first master's degree in investigative journalism. Investigative journalism produced by Cronkite School newsrooms have earned top honors from Investigative Reporters and Editors, Robert F. Kennedy Awards, the Online News Association and the Society of Professional Journalists among others. The Cronkite School is also the only school to ever win an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award or the Robert F. Kennedy Grand Prize.

 About the Cronkite School

The Cronkite School is widely recognized as the nation's premier mass communication school. Rooted in the time-honored values that characterize its namesake—accuracy, responsibility, integrity—the school fosters excellence and ethics among students as they master the professional skills required to succeed in the digital media world of today and tomorrow.

 
Based on ASU's Downtown Phoenix campus in the heart of the nation's fifth-largest city, the School is known for its hands-on, "teaching hospital" approach to learning led by a faculty composed of Pulitzer Prize-winning professional journalists, strategic communications leaders and world-class media scholars. More than 2,500 undergraduate, master's and doctoral students regularly lead the country in national competitions as they prepare for careers in journalism, PR, marketing, strategic media and related communication fields.
 About Arizona State University
Arizona State University, ranked the No. 1 "Most Innovative School" in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 10 years in succession, has forged the model for a New American University. Repeatedly ranked No. 1, ASU has topped more than 20 lists in the last three years: No. 1 in the U.S. for global impact (Times Higher Education) and No. 1 in the U.S. for sustainable practices (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education). ASU is a comprehensive public research institution, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves. ASU operates on the principles that learning is a personal and original journey for each student; that they thrive on experience and that the process of discovery cannot be bound by traditional academic disciplines. Through innovation and a commitment to accessibility, ASU has drawn pioneering researchers to its faculty even as it expands opportunities for qualified students, attracting some of the highest-quality students from all 50 states and more than 130 nations.

Minimum Qualifications:

· Bachelor's degree in Journalism, data science or a related field.

· At least 10 years of experience in data journalism or a similar field, with proven ability in data analysis and visualization.

Desired Qualifications:

· Advanced technical skills: Mastery of statistical tools such as R, Python, SQL, etc. Experience with AI or machine learning tools is a plus.

· Visualization expertise: Skilled in Tableau, Power BI, or similar tools. Proven ability to communicate complex findings to general audiences.

· Editorial judgment: Strong ability to identify high-impact, data-driven stories and translate analytical work into compelling journalism.

· Mentorship and teaching experience: Background in mentoring, coaching, or teaching, particularly in academic or professional newsroom settings.

· Collaborative mindset: Demonstrated experience working in multidisciplinary teams across editorial and technical domains.

· Innovation in practice: A track record of creative approaches to data sourcing, analysis, audience engagement and presentation in journalism.

· Ethical rigor: Deep understanding of ethical considerations in data journalism, including privacy, sourcing, and accurate representation.

· Graduate degree in a relevant field is preferred, though not required.

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