Data Journalist

Mine Samba TV viewership data, Samba web data, and public datasets to find timely, newsworthy stories about what people are watching, reading, and paying attention to.

Report data stories end to end: form a hypothesis, query and clean the data, analyze it, interview internal experts, and write clear, accurate copy that a reporter or executive can understand in one read.

Build charts, maps, and interactive graphics that make a finding obvious at a glance and are ready for press, social, and the web.

Turn around fast, news-pegged analysis on cultural and media moments (premieres, live sports, elections, award shows, streaming launches) so Samba’s data becomes part of the news cycle.

Lead Samba’s flagship original research, such as recurring reports on viewing and attention trends, from study design and data sourcing through analysis, writing, and publication.

Partner with PR firm to package data exclusives for reporters, write methodology notes and fact sheets, and serve as a credible spokesperson when journalists have questions about the numbers.

Maintain a story pipeline and data calendar tied to tentpole cultural and media moments, giving content, social, and PR a steady flow of story ideas, stats, and angles.

Hold every published number to a newsroom standard: document sources and methods, account for sample limits and bias, and fact-check data used across marketing to protect Samba’s credibility.

Collaborate with measurement science, product, sales, customer success, and data engineering teams to access the right data, understand its limits, and find stories that resonate with press, customers, and prospects.

Help marketing and sales teams understand what the data shows and how to talk about it accurately, building a culture of evidence-based storytelling within the marketing org.

Manage relationships with external research partners, survey vendors, and data visualization tools.

5+ years of experience in data journalism, data reporting, or on a data desk at a news, media, or research organization. Experience in research or communications at a data company is also a strong fit.

Strong SQL skills, Python or R for cleaning and analysis, and fluency with data visualization tools (e.g., Datawrapper, Flourish, Tableau).

A portfolio of published data stories, with clips that show you found the story, ran the analysis, and wrote it.

Strong news judgment: you know what makes a finding new, surprising, or relevant to a reporter on deadline, and how to write a headline that earns attention without overstating the data.

Clear, concise writing and visual communication skills; you know the difference between a chart that informs and a chart that lands.

Comfort working at news speed: you can turn around a timely analysis in hours, juggle multiple stakeholders, and ship on deadline.

Rigor and integrity with data: healthy skepticism of your own numbers, transparency about methodology, and the confidence to say when the data doesn’t support the story.

Nice to Have

Experience designing and fielding original surveys or research studies.

Familiarity with TV and streaming measurement, audience data, or advertising

Existing relationships with media, entertainment, tech, or advertising trade reporters.

Experience building interactive graphics or data-driven web features (e.g., D3, Observable, JavaScript).