Investigative Researcher & Scriptwriter
We are an established independent media company producing long-form documentary content for a large international audience. We are looking for an experienced investigative researcher and writer who can identify compelling criminal cases, obtain primary-source material and develop thoroughly researched stories into engaging scripts.
The Role:
You will be responsible for finding suitable cases and managing the research process from the initial pitch through to a completed script. A major part of the role will involve obtaining police, court and other government records through Freedom of Information and public-records legislation.
Key Responsibilities:
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- Identify under-reported criminal cases with strong documentary and storytelling potential.
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- Assess whether a case has sufficient reliable information, primary documentation and usable visual material.
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- Identify the correct agencies and records custodians for each case.
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- Draft, submit and track US federal FOIA requests, state and local public-records requests, UK FOI requests and equivalent international applications.
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- Request materials such as police reports, incident records, 911 calls, dispatch logs, body-worn camera footage, interview recordings, photographs, exhibits and coroner or medical-examiner records where publicly available.
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- Communicate with agencies to clarify requests, narrow searches, manage fees and follow up on delayed responses.
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- Review exemptions and redactions and, where appropriate, prepare administrative appeals or internal-review requests.
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- Research court records, judgments, sentencing documents, official statements, archived reporting and other credible sources.
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- Build clear timelines, reconcile contradictory accounts and independently verify names, dates and factual claims.
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- Produce organised research packs containing source links, citations, documents and relevant media.
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- Write accurate, engaging long-form scripts designed for spoken narration.
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- Incorporate editorial feedback and deliver work reliably to agreed deadlines.
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- Flag potential legal, ethical, copyright or factual concerns before publication.
What We’re Looking For:
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- Professional experience in investigative journalism, documentary research, public-records research, legal research or a closely related field.
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- Practical experience submitting and managing FOIA or other freedom-of-information/public-records requests.
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- Strong knowledge of US federal and state public-records systems. Familiarity with UK, Australian or other international systems would be advantageous.
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- Confidence researching court dockets and interpreting police, court and government documents.
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- Excellent fact-checking, source-management and organisational skills.
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- The persistence to follow records requests over several weeks or months.
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- Strong writing ability, particularly conversational long-form writing intended to be read aloud.
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- Good editorial judgment when handling victims, allegations, graphic material and incomplete information.
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- The ability to work independently while communicating clearly about progress, delays and potential problems.
Please send your CV, a short explanation of your experience obtaining public records and two relevant research or writing samples.
Please also suggest one under-covered criminal case you believe would make a strong documentary story. Briefly explain which records you would request, which agencies you would approach and why the case is worth pursuing.