Press Officer

Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) is the global organization’s presence in the United States. We engage people in the U.S. to fight injustice all around the world, while we also work to protect people’s human rights here in the U.S. Amnesty International USA has more than one million members and activists in all 50 states, who are part of a larger global movement of 10 million people in 150 countries. We are a democratically governed, grassroots membership organization, which means that our members vote on key policy issues and elect our Board of Directors. Some of our members are experts on specific human rights issues, parts of the world, or advocacy areas, and they serve as volunteer leaders. Others are volunteer leaders of local or student groups in towns, universities, states, or regions of the country. Amnesty International USA’s elected Board members, staff, and members work together to lead the organization.

The Press Officer is a member of AIUSA’s Strategy and Impact Department reporting to the Senior Director of Media Relations. The Press Officer will be responsible for responding to media requests, proactively contacting and pitching to media outlets, preparing materials for AIUSA spokespeople, writing talking points, developing narratives, messaging, and framing.

The Press Officer will also support the Senior Director of Media Relations and work with another press officer in developing and implementing AIUSA’S media strategy. The ideal candidate is a strong writer and storyteller, with excellent attention-to-detail, and a background in media relations.  This role handles confidential and sensitive matters.

This role is a union position and covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Communication Workers of America (CWA), Local 1180.

Essential Responsibilities

• Works under direction of the Senior Director of Media Relations on communications plans and media outreach activities that generate regular, strategic, high-quality media coverage of our efforts through sophisticated, creative, proactive, and reactive media work, ensuring that the public, and our members, are fully informed of our activities and given the opportunity to engage
• Drafts news releases, statements, advisories, op-ed pieces, message guidance, lines of response, fact sheets and other materials that supports media relations efforts
• Produces weekly updates of media lists, daily proofing and distributing of news releases, posting materials to AIUSA's website, and tracking media related KPIs
• Aides Senior Director of Media Relations in message production, media planning, media pitching, producing media events, and expertly promotes, develops, and implements policies, procedures and programs to meet AIUSA’s responsibilities for dissemination of information to media – both online and offline
• Conducts spokesperson training for media interviews on specific stories and for general skills building of AIUSA staff
• Maintains daily contact with print, broadcast, and digital media in coordination with the Senior Director of Media Relations, coordinates press conferences and prepares briefing materials in advance of such interviews and appearances
• Pitches media interviews, editorial boards, television, digital, and/or radio to further educate the public on our human rights work
• Closely monitors human rights news and events, including social media channels, in order to identify and develop media opportunities and conduct reporter research
• Maintains working knowledge of AIUSA’s campaigns, programs, advocacy, and other initiatives and proactively recommends stories to pitch to press and emerging media
• Supports monitoring and evaluation of media activities and shifts strategies based on data
• Works collaboratively with AIUSA staff, members, issue experts, and media colleagues in regional offices, the International Secretariat, Amnesty sections, as well as spokespeople around the world
• Implements media strategies that expand AIUSA’s reach, including to authentically engage Black, Latinx, and other BIPOC communities
• Other duties as assigned by Senior Director of Media Relations

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Excellent writing and editing skills, with an ability to write under an urgent deadline
• Extensive knowledge of the operations of the news media
• Experience working with reporters on different kinds of beats, including human rights, social justice, foreign policy, domestic policy, and Capitol Hill
• Experience executing strategic communications strategies across multiple channels with proven history of generating earned media
• Extensive experience pitching reporters and has strong relationships with national and regional media, including television bookers and producers
• Ability to develop and maintain productive relationships with journalists/media
• Excellent written communications skills, with ability to write, edit, and proofread a broad range of communication materials for a variety of audiences
• Ability to create compelling stories and accessible materials to engage multiple audiences
• Ability to monitor and analyze media trends and landscapes, including the role of social media in developing media relations and garnering media coverage
• Excellent attention to detail, with an unwavering commitment to accuracy
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong ability to manage multiple initiatives and priorities at a time

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, English or related field, or equivalent professional experience
• 5 years of experience in a fast-paced communications role, with direct experience dealing with the news media, including print and broadcast
• Experience working with sensitive or confidential information 
• Ability to communicate in Spanish is not required but preferred
• Non-profit, electoral, policy, and/or community organizing experience preferred
• Knowledge of and interest in international human rights, and experience working on international human rights issues preferred
• Some domestic travel required
• Available to be on call to deal with urgent media enquiries during evenings or weekends, as needed

We recognize the valuable skills that can be gained through internships, fellowships, volunteer work, and non-traditional work experience. This experience helps build competencies and knowledge that may translate to our job openings. We seek a diversity of experience and skills for our workplace and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our openings.

HOW TO APPLY AND OUR EEO STATEMENT

All applications must be completed online, and we do not accept paper submissions. Please visit the AIUSA Careers Page to review all current job postings.  You must complete the entire online application, and electronically sign, for an application to be considered “complete.” We send emails via Paycom so please check your spam folders for any updates. Please email talentacquisition@aiusa.org for technical difficulties ONLY. 

Amnesty International USA is an equal opportunity employer. AIUSA encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.

OUR COMMITMENT AS AN ANTI-RACIST ORGANIZATION AND TO INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY (IDEA)

Dismantling white supremacy is central to the fight for human rights in the United States and around the world. As we mobilize staff and activists and work with partners to help transform the multiple systems where oppression operates in the world around us as part of our human rights mandate, anti-racism must be integral to our work. What does that mean for Amnesty International in the United States? It means using our people power to fight injustice and centering the voices and experiences of those most impacted by racist structures, beliefs, and laws. Fundamentally, it means doing our human rights work differently than it has been done before, because we know that who we work with, how we work, the work we do, and ultimately who we are, are all interconnected.

As an international, intercultural, intergenerational and intersectional movement of activists committed to protecting and advancing human rights for all, Amnesty is deeply committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA). To learn more about how we integrate IDEA into our programs and workplace, visit: https://www.amnestyusa.org/idea/

Remote and Hybrid Workplace Policy

Because the health and safety of our employees and candidates are a top priority, we are currently conducting our hiring process virtually.

Staff, office visitors, and event attendees to be up to date with COVID vaccines before entering AIUSA offices or attending AIUSA events or in-person meetings. If anyone wishing to enter the office or attend our events is not vaccinated, they will need to have tested negative for COVID within 24 hours of entry. We expect that all staff and visitors entering the office or attending AIUSA events will, by accessing our facilities, be attesting that they are vaccinated or that they have tested negative within 24 hours of entry.

Please review the job description, which will state whether a role is hybrid and remote. Some roles may require travel domestically and/or internationally.