Job details

Fellow, Photographer

New York, NY

The mission of The New York Times is to seek the truth and help people understand the world. That means independent journalism is at the heart of all we do as a company. It’s why we have a world-renowned newsroom that sends journalists to report on the ground from nearly 160 countries. It’s why we focus deeply on how our readers will experience our journalism, from print to audio to a world-class digital and app destination. And it’s why our business strategy centers on making journalism so good that it’s worth paying for.

Join the 2025 New York Times Fellowship class as a photographer.

The Times is a worldwide leader in photojournalism, earning multiple Pulitzer Prizes and World Press Photo awards in recent years and establishing standards for excellence that have been influential across the industry. Our photographers bear witness to events around the world, and our Photo department is one of the treasures of our newsroom. Photography is a central part of our identity.

As a fellow, you will work with Times photo editors, shooting daily assignments for many sections. The goal is to give you exposure to news and feature photography, and the opportunity to learn about news judgment, editing choices, building visual narratives, lighting techniques and aesthetic direction. Working with photo editors, you will also initiate enterprise projects.

You should be open to learning from others, and inclusive, generous and empathetic toward our colleagues, our audience, and the communities we cover.

You will work out of either our New York headquarters, where you will cover a mix of assignments, or our Washington bureau, where you will mainly cover Capitol Hill and the White House.

These are hybrid positions that require attendance in the office per departmental guidance. You should have the ability to work some nights, weekends and holidays.

Responsibilities:

Create innovative visuals connected to the biggest news and themes of the day
Ability or ambition to generate and pitch your own story ideas
Create photography and video, providing accurate captions, and original reporting on the ground
Work closely with the photographers’ chief
Participate in training and social programs designed for the fellowship
Collaborate with colleagues across the newsroom
Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world

Basic Qualifications:

A portfolio of work demonstrating excellence in visual storytelling
Some experience reporting and photographing in news situations and on deadline
Some experience with videography or an interest in learning video
Knowledge of photographic equipment, Photoshop, Photo Mechanic, Premiere and/or other photo- and video-editing software
No more than five years of full-time, professional photojournalism experience, excluding internships

Preferred Qualifications:

Strong editorial news judgment and firm grasp of journalistic ethics
Enthusiasm for learning new technologies and working with new equipment in pursuit of innovation in visual journalism
Interest in finding diverse voices in your reporting to help our readers and subscribers better understand the world
Record of multiple photojournalism internships or equivalent experience

To apply, upload a résumé and cover letter. You should also include a link to a portfolio of your work. The application will prompt you when to upload materials and ask you for the link to your portfolio. Applications that fail to include any of these materials or follow these instructions will not be considered.

You must be authorized to work in the United States. We will not sponsor work visas for the fellowship, but we may consider you if you have an existing work visa or a valid student visa that can be extended with Optional Practical Training.

You may apply to only one fellowship position per year. For instance, if you apply as a photographer, you should not apply for any other positions in the fellowship. Duplicate applications will be discarded.

The application deadline is 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Dec. 2.

The Times Fellowship generates a high level of interest, so we cannot acknowledge the status of applications upon receipt or during the vetting process, which can take eight weeks or more. We cannot accept applications that are mailed or emailed to us. We will contact you for interviews as needed.

The fellowship program will begin on or about June 2, 2025, and end on May 22, 2026, subject to satisfactory performance. There is no guarantee of a full-time position upon completion of the program.

For more information about the Times Fellowship, visit here.

REQ-017389

The annual base pay range for this role is between:

$82,415.04—$82,415.04 USD

The New York Times is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce, one that reflects the varied global community we serve. Our journalism and the products we build in the service of that journalism greatly benefit from a range of perspectives, which can only come from diversity of all types, across our ranks, at all levels of the organization. Achieving true diversity and inclusion is the right thing to do. It is also the smart thing for our business. So we strongly encourage women, veterans, people with disabilities, people of color and gender nonconforming candidates to apply.

The New York Times Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual's sex, age, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage, religion, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation or affectional preference, gender identity and expression, disability, genetic trait or predisposition, carrier status, citizenship, veteran or military status and other personal characteristics protected by law. All applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to legally protected characteristics. The New York Times Company will provide reasonable accommodations as required by applicable federal, state, and/or local laws. Individuals seeking an accommodation for the application or interview process should email reasonable.accommodations@nytimes.com. Emails sent for unrelated issues, such as following up on an application, will not receive a response.

The Company will further consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable "Fair Chance" laws.

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