Senior Photojournalist & Mentor

Lede New Orleans is a community media hub transforming how journalism serves the people of our city. We train emerging Black and Brown storytellers, amplify stories that respond to local needs, and foster trusted spaces for civic discussion.

Lede New Orleans a small nonprofit startup, not a big, buttoned-up newsroom. That means we’re often documenting processes as we go, testing new ideas and figuring things out together. We’re looking for someone who is deeply community-oriented and thrives in environments where flexibility, creativity and collaboration are key.

Lede New Orleans is looking for a Senior Photojournalist & Mentor to support our Community Reporting Fellowship team. The Community Reporting Fellowship is a 24-week paid training program for emerging Black and Brown storytellers, ages 18–25. Fellows explore how journalism can be used as a tool for civic power while developing multimedia storytelling skills.

The Senior Photojournalist & Mentor will guide photo-track fellows in developing their photography skills, lead team-based visual storytelling work, and contribute an original photojournalism project to the fellowship’s final published series, which will focus on the theme of affordable housing in New Orleans. The Senior Photojournalist & Mentor also will collaborate with the Senior Editor and other editorial leads to develop photojournalism projects, identify subjects, and facilitate the making high-quality, compelling photojournalism for print and digital platforms.

This is a hands-on, collaborative contract opportunity for someone who is passionate about local journalism and excited to coach early-career photographers in the craft of community-centered visual storytelling. We are looking for someone who has experience making photos that document local people and issues, centering compassion in the photo making process.

The ideal candidate:

• Loves visual storytelling and has a sharp eye for capturing compelling, community-rooted images that bring complex stories to life.

• Thrives in a collaborative environment, working closely with a small editorial team and mentoring emerging photographers through hands-on coaching and guidance.

• Is deeply familiar with photojournalism tools, including Adobe Lightroom and Canon camera systems, and knows how to teach others to use them effectively.

• Brings a commitment to equity and believes in journalism as a tool for community voice, civic power, and transformation.

This is a contract opportunity tied to the Community Reporting Fellowship program cycle. We anticipate the contract to be about 9 months, beginning in September 2025 and concluding in April 2026. The contract duration includes additional time built in before and after the fellowship for planning, training, and editorial wrap-up.

• You love helping emerging photojournalists build confidence—from explaining gear setup in the field to walking them through how to compose a compelling shot.

• You believe photojournalism can be a tool for civic power, and you’re committed to telling (and teaching others to tell) stories that reflect and respond to the needs of New Orleans communities.

• You’re a generous mentor who brings patience, clarity, and encouragement to your coaching, and you find joy in seeing others grow.

• You see journalism as something we can—and should—reimagine, and you're excited to help build something rooted in equity, trust, and collaboration.

• Lead photojournalism for the Fellowship, including photographing your own original story related to the annual theme (affordable housing), and supporting fellows on group visual projects.

• Coach and mentor emerging photojournalists, providing weekly feedback sessions, hands-on field coaching, and portfolio evaluations as fellows progress from skill-building to reporting.

• Design and teach 2–4 workshops on foundational skills like camera settings, composition, caption writing, and ethics in visual storytelling.

• Develop assignments and track progress, creating photo exercises tied to the fellowship theme and helping fellows move their work from concept to publishable photo stories.

• Collaborate with the editorial team to shape story ideas, align visual work across mediums, and bring depth and context to community-centered journalism.

• Contribute to program learning, participating in professional development, sharing curriculum feedback, and completing end-of-program evaluations.

👉 Read the full contract opportunity description here.

• A strong background in photojournalism, with experience shooting for print or digital publications and a portfolio that includes photo essays, portraits, and event coverage.

• Comfort working with camera gear in the field—especially Canon systems—and proficiency in Adobe Lightroom for editing and organizing your work.

• A commitment to community-centered storytelling, with a solid understanding of journalism ethics and a passion for equity in media.

• Collaborative instincts and the ability to mentor and support emerging photographers, whether leading a workshop or offering real-time coaching on assignment.

• The ability to juggle multiple assignments and deadlines while maintaining strong editorial and visual quality.

👉 Read the full contract opportunity description here.

Don’t meet every requirement listed? That’s OK. We value lived experience, community insight, and a growth mindset just as much as formal credentials.

• This is a contract opportunity at 10 hours a week, from September 2025 to April 2026, with a few weeks of prep and editorial wrap-up built in.

• Pay is a flat $10,000, paid in installments over the work period.

• This is a contract role and does not include employee benefits.

• Time off for program breaks during Thanksgiving, winter holidays and Mardi Gras.

• The role requires in-person work in New Orleans. Remote work is not available.

• Work From Home Flexibility: For those based in New Orleans, flexible work from home flexibility options. We have an office where we hold regular in-person meetings and fellowship training sessions. 

• Culture of Learning: Access to a culture of intentional professional development and organizational learning. Lede New Orleans staff hold regular reflection meetings to connect, reflect and surface learnings and feedback on policies and practices.

We’re projecting the following timeline for this hiring process. We will notify candidates of any shifts as we move through the process.

• Application closes on August 12, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. CST

• Within 2 weeks of closing applications, you will know if you’ve moved onto the interview stage

• Within 2 weeks of your interview, you’ll know if you moved onto the case exercise stage

• Within 1 week of your case exercise completion, you’ll know if you moved onto the final interview

• We expect to make a final offer in September

Lede New Orleans is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.