Gannett

Based at the Asbury Park Press: Regional Opinion Editor, USA TODAY Network Northeast

The USA TODAY Network Northeast is looking for talented, creative and thoughtful regional opinion editor to join a rapidly expanding team at the heart of our news organization’s transformation in Asbury Park and at the Jersey Shore.

The ideal candidates will have a proven track record of deeply reported opinion journalism that changes lives, ends the careers of the corrupt and advances the ball on local issues of significance to our readers, viewers and listeners. This editor will have a passion for the mission of independent journalism that is essential in the communities we serve and will understand the value of creating a space for civil dialogue that leads to solutions.

This is an extraordinary role at a critical moment. The recently launched transformation of the USA TODAY Network’s newsrooms is delivering a return to growth in the size of the audience we serve, a key contributor to engineering a sustainable business model for journalism across the country. Reinvigorating opinion — that is deeply reported and moves at the speed of news — is a central piece of the plan, providing our readers with the information they need to make informed decisions about their communities.

We want to elevate your voice to lead, impact and make change in Asbury Park and at the Jersey Shore. You will be able to use your voice to raise awareness of important issues, to challenge the status quo and to inspire change. You will also be part of a team of talented journalists who are passionate about their work and committed to public service.

This is a salaried management position, and the person in this role must be focused on outcomes and impact:

As an opinion editor, you should be comfortable with using data to help you understand what the audience needs and wants, and whether your approach is working to expand the reach of your journalism. In this role, you will have the opportunity to make a real difference in your community.

As an editor, you will work to cultivate and welcome new and diverse voices from across the community, working to publish perspective pieces across all of our platforms daily, supervising clerks who produce contributed columns, and hiring and/or managing columnists

Responsibilities:

• Content Strategy: Collaborate with the Senior Director of Northeast Opinion and Engagement to develop and execute a comprehensive content strategy that aligns with the company's mission and audience engagement goals.
• Newsroom Leadership: Lead local editorial boards and conduct regular editorial board meetings.
• Content Creation: Write columns and work with contributing writers and columnists
• Production management: Manage content producers who produce contributed pieces. Schedule illustrations and graphics to coincide with columns or editorials as appropriate.
• Staff management: Manage clerks, columnists and staff as required. Assist columnists in improving their writing to reach and engage a wider audience consistent with Company goals.
• Intern management: Manage a rotation of opinion interns either by semester or annually.
• Content Curation: Curate, edit and oversee the publication of opinion pieces that are thought-provoking, well-researched and aligned with each of the publication's editorial voices.
• Audience Engagement: Collaborate with the Director of Audience Engagement to ensure opinion content is tailored to engage and resonate with the digital audience effectively; Lead local audience engagement efforts through public outreach, developing strategic partnerships in the community.
• Editorial Calendar: Develop and manage an editorial calendar to plan content creation, ensuring timely and relevant coverage of key topics and events.
• Collaboration: Foster collaboration with other departments, including Audience Engagement, Marketing, and Digital Production, to maximize the reach and impact of opinion content.
• Community Engagement: Help plan and participate in community events that focus on our journalism and important issues that impact our communities.
• Quality Assurance: Ensure that all content published meets the highest editorial and ethical standards and adheres to copyright, plagiarism, and fact-checking policies.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in journalism, with a focus on opinion writing and editing.
• Proven experience in editorial leadership and managing a team of writers.
• Strong writing, editing and fact-checking skills.
• Deep knowledge of current events, politics and social issues.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

If you are looking for your next challenging and rewarding career move, we encourage you to apply for this position. We are looking for the ideal candidate to join our team and help us save local journalism.

How To Apply:

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don’t limit your upload to a resume; show us what you’ve done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

1. Your resume – one to two pages.

2. A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.

3. Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what you’ve produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role.

It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.

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The annualized base salary for this role will range between $83,000. and $129,688. Variable compensation is not reflected in these figures and based on the role, may be applicable. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, location, and union representation, if applicable

Pay Type

Salary

Hiring Min Rate

80,000 USD

Hiring Max Rate

100,000 USD