Data Journalist

Samba is a media intelligence company. We know what the world is watching, reading, and thinking about — in real time, at scale, across every screen. Our data exists with the consent of over a billion people, organized into the most complete picture of consumer attention ever built. The biggest brands in the world use that picture to make smarter decisions. We think it’s the most interesting data asset on the planet, because it’s the most culturally relevant. 

We are looking for a Data Journalist to dig into Samba’s data, find the stories in it, and put them to work for the marketing team. You will write SQL and Python to query our viewership and web data directly, join it with public datasets, and build the analyses that show what audiences are watching, how attention is shifting, and why it matters to brands and advertisers. You will treat that data the way a newsroom data desk treats public records: interrogate it, verify it, and report what is new and surprising with the rigor that earns coverage from top-tier media and trust from our customers. The insights you uncover will shape our campaigns, messaging, thought leadership, and sales stories, and will drive original research reports, news-pegged analysis, and press pitches.

If you have a reporter’s instinct for a story, the coding skills to find it in raw data, and you like seeing your chart in a headline, this role is for you.

WHAT YOU"LL DO

 

Finding & Reporting Data Stories

• 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.

Original Research & Media Relations

• 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.

 

Cross-Functional Partnership

• 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.

WHO YOU ARE

• 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).

Samba is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.  We strive to empower connection with one another, reflect the communities we serve, and tackle meaningful projects that make a real impact.   Samba may collect personal information directly from you, as a job applicant, Samba may also receive personal information from third parties, for example, in connection with a background, employment or reference check, in accordance with the applicable law. For further details, please see Samba's Applicant Privacy Policy. For residents of the EU , Samba Inc. is the data controller.