Director, Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT

Job Description

Director of the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT The Knight Science Journalism (KSJ) Program was launched in 1983 to advance science journalism in the public interest by nurturing and enhancing the ability of journalists to illuminate science and its intersection with human culture accurately and thoughtfully. The KSJ Program is housed within the Program in Science, Technology, and Society (STS) at MIT, a unit of MIT’s School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS). At the core of the KSJ Program are the KSJ Fellowships, a collection of the most distinguished journalism fellowships in the world, awarded annually to working science journalists from around the globe. The KSJ Fellows spend an academic year embedded at MIT delving into a research project of their choice at the intersections of science, technology, and journalism, taking MIT courses, participating in the regular seminars and events of the KSJ program, and drawing upon the distinct community, mentorship, and resources afforded by MIT. The KSJ has also developed a variety of initiatives aimed at fostering vigorous, accurate, and independent coverage of science, technology, health, and the environment. These include its award-winning digital science magazine Undark, numerous outreach and training programs, and a prize recognizing outstanding local science journalism.

We seek to appoint the fifth Director of the KSJ Program. The Director serves as the organizational and intellectual leader of the KSJ Program and a standard bearer for science journalism worldwide. We seek a distinguished and visionary leader who can extend the remarkable success of the program and lead science journalism forward at a moment when the journalistic field is buffeted by uncertainty and when science and technology lie at the center of many of our most pressing global challenges. We plan for the new Director to be in place by the start of the Fall Term in September 2025. The key responsibilities of the Director are:

 

1.           To oversee the KSJ’s fellowship programs. This includes assembling and 

chairing the committee that selects the KSJ fellowships (including the standard KSJ Fellowships, the Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East, and the Sharon Begley Science Reporting Fellowship); coordinating and leading the regular KSJ seminars for fellows, as well as periodic field trips; supervising fellows’ research projects; and providing professional mentorship to fellows as they negotiate their careers in an tumultuous media environment. The Director will also oversee the KSJ’s HBCU Science Journalism Fellowship, a program initiated in 2024 for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities who have an interest in science, technology, health, and environmental reporting.

2.           To direct and promote the KSJ’s outreach and training activities, and to 

develop new initiatives aimed at advancing the practice and standards of science journalism. The KSJ Program hosts an array of events and resources for professional and aspiring journalists, including recent workshops and guides on science editing and fact-checking. The KSJ Program also oversees the Victor K. McElheny Award in Local and Regional Science Journalism. The new Director will build on the current portfolio of outreach and training programs and develop new initiatives of their own design.

3.           To serve as the publisher of Undark magazine. Founded in 2016 by 

Editor-in-Chief Tom Zeller Jr. and fourth KSJ Director Deborah Blum, Undark is a non-profit, editorially independent digital magazine exploring the intersection of science and society. As publisher of Undark, the KSJ Director supervises the dedicated team of editors who manage the magazine.

4.           To sustain, fortify, and extend connections between the KSJ Program and 

the broader MIT community. The KSJ Program maintains close affiliations with other units at MIT. As a component of MIT’s Program in Science, Technology, and Society (STS), the KSJ Program contributes to STS’s mission to explore the social and human dimensions of science, technology, medicine, and other technical enterprises, and thus to understand the human challenges at the core of MIT’s mission. Depending on qualifications and interest, the next KSJ Director may be eligible for an instructional appointment as Professor of the Practice in the STS Program.

The KSJ Program also maintains close ties to MIT’s Graduate Program in Science Writing (GPSW), a premier master’s program in science journalism and communication. The KSJ Director has often taught within the GPSW curriculum.

The Director builds connections with faculty across MIT, in order to recruit speakers for the KSJ seminars, to help Fellows find valuable courses to attend and laboratories to visit, and to identify potential collaborations. 

KSJ leadership has worked closely with a variety of other programs at and around MIT, such as the MIT Museum, the Catalyst Collaborative, MISTI Global Experiences, and the MIT Policy Lab. The next Director will also seek out opportunities to bring the expertise of the KSJ Program and its Fellows to bear on crucial MIT priorities, such as The Climate Project or the Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing.

5.           To maintain strong relationships between the KSJ Program and the national 

and global science writing community. The KSJ Director will stand as the public face of the KSJ Program as an active participant in events and organizations related to science journalism. The KSJ Director will also serve as a standard bearer for the highest standards of integrity and good practice in science journalism and for the importance of science journalism in the contemporary world.

6.           To manage the KSJ in-office staff. The staff of the KSJ includes the 

associate director, program administrator, learning and events coordinator, and communications coordinator, as well as all temporary administrative and events staff.

7.           To serve as a steward of the KSJ Program’s institutional and financial 

resources. The core activities of the KSJ Program are supported primarily by an independent endowment. The KSJ Director may seek to initiate and develop contact with potential donors, and to coordinate with MIT’s Office of Resource Development.

 

Required qualifications:

•            Qualified candidates should have a bachelor’s degree and at least seven 

years of distinguished experience related to science, technology, medicine, health, and/or environmental journalism, whether in media organizations, independent journalism, universities, scientific organizations, or some combination of these.

Preferred qualifications:

•            Organizational leadership experience is highly desirable.

•            Candidates may have experience in journalism in any medium, including 

print, digital, television, radio, podcast, and data journalism. We welcome candidates who have worked primarily in non-traditional media. Experience working across multiple media is a plus.

•            Experience working in a university setting is desirable, though not 

required.

•            Professional experience within science, technology, medicine, or 

environment, or in related areas like science and technology policy, is also desirable.

•            Candidates with extensive experience in teaching and/or research, 

particularly those holding doctoral degrees, may be eligible for an instructional appointment as Professor of Practice in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society. Such candidates are particularly encouraged to apply. (Though this is not a requirement of the position.) MIT is an equal-opportunity employer. We value diversity and strongly encourage applications from individuals from all identities and backgrounds. 

All qualified applicants will receive equitable consideration for employment based on their experience and qualifications and will not be discriminated against based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, or national or ethnic origin. See MIT's full policy on nondiscrimination. Know your rights.

The hiring range for this position is $185,000 to $235,000, commensurate with experience. Employment is contingent on completion of a satisfactory background check.

Interested applicants should submit the following to MIT Careers Website, Requisition#24693.

 

1.           A curriculum vitae

2.           A brief statement (up to 1,000 words) that addresses: a. What professional 

experiences and qualifications prepare you to succeed as KSJ Director? b. 

What would be your vision for the future of the KSJ Program and your primary objectives as its Director?

We will not be requiring letters of reference for the initial application. We do plan to request references for applicants who are selected to advance to the longlist.

Review of applications will begin January 6, 2025. Any questions with regards to this search may be directed to: Paree Pinkney, Director of Administration and Finance for the Program in Science, Technology, and Society, MIT, at ppinkney@mit.edu

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