New Jersey Hills Media Group is hiring: News Editor in Whippany
New Jersey Hills Media Group, Whippany, NJ, United States, 07981
Job Description
About The Role: This is a full-time, hybrid Local News Editor position based in our Whippany, N.J. office. The Local News Editor is chiefly responsible for researching, reporting, writing, assigning, and editing daily coverage of news, features, and enterprise stories in a collection of New Jersey Hills Media Group coverage area towns. Responsibilities also include daily digital packaging and distribution of engaging experiences of that content through our website, email newsletters, and social media accounts, and laying out and proofreading one or more weekly printed newspapers on strict deadlines in collaboration with our production department. Other key requirements include managing freelance contributor and staff reporter assignments, writing editorials and opinion columns, soliciting letters to the editor and opinion columns from members of the community, publishing paid obituaries, and converting press releases into news articles — always adhering to Associated Press style. The Local News Editor will be required to spend some business days in the office, and to spend some hours on business days, evenings, and weekends on location and working from home — covering local meetings, events and breaking news, conducting enterprise reporting research and interviews, and writing and editing.
About The Ideal Candidate: Given that we are a nonprofit organization offering modest compensation, the ideal candidate for this role is likely an early-career journalist seeking hands-on experience in all aspects of the business, or a late-career professional with a passion for local news and experience in covering local towns and local government in New Jersey. That said, we are open to considering all types of candidates to creatively identify the best person available for the job. We are most interested in hearing from generally curious experienced local news reporters and editors, proficient in editing and packaging content for digital and print distribution, and based in our coverage area. We are looking for candidates who are excited about local news and providing local town residents with essential knowledge and compelling stories that help them to be informed about and engaged in their communities.
Critical Skills Required:
Proficient using collaborative digital news content management systems to write, edit, package and publish news and features content both online and in print
Experience using Adobe InDesign to lay out, edit and proof printed newspaper pages
Adept at researching, interviewing, note taking, shooting photos, and writing and editing articles, photo captions and headlines on deadline
Comfortable taking on a wide variety of responsibilities, and pitching in to support newsroom colleagues as situations require, in a collaborative open-newsroom environment
Proficient using social media to connect and grow a targeted audience
Familiar with and eager to use digital engagement metrics tools to inform coverage decision
How to Apply: Please email your resume and any other pertinent information to our Executive Editor, Joe Territo, jterrito@newjerseyhills.com.