National Trending Team Editor: West Region
Gannett - Gannett, ID
posted 5 months ago
About the position
Gannett is seeking an experienced editor to lead the West region of our national trending team. This team is dedicated to covering the stories that ignite conversations across the country each day, producing urgent, smart, and innovative journalism that resonates with readers on various platforms. The national trending team plays a crucial role in responding to significant breaking news events for USA TODAY and over 200 local sites, leveraging national resources to support communities during pivotal moments in their most important stories. The editor will either be based in the West region or be willing to work Pacific Time hours, leading a team of three to six reporters. This role involves guiding the team in their coverage of national, regional, and local journalism, ensuring that they not only provide unique insights into trending topics but also report on original general assignment stories that will shape future conversations. The ideal candidate will be adept at using analytics to identify coverage opportunities and will be responsible for fostering a collaborative and innovative environment within the team. This full-time remote position operates from Sunday through Thursday and can be based anywhere in the United States, with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii. The right candidate will have a proven track record in a digital journalism environment, ensuring that reporters produce accurate, concise, and clean copy under tight deadlines. They will possess a deep understanding of national news trends and be able to guide reporters in focusing on areas that will generate engaging journalism. The editor should be naturally curious, always ready with story ideas, and capable of strategically managing the team's time to balance short-form and long-form journalism effectively. Empathy in management and personalized coaching for reporters' growth will be key aspects of this role, along with collaboration with other editors and writers across the network on breaking news and special projects. The editor will also ensure that the coverage reflects a diversity of ideas, perspectives, and voices while upholding Gannett's standards of journalistic rigor, accuracy, and fairness.
Responsibilities
- Coach reporters to produce a steady stream of breaking news, trending stories, and enterprise coverage on a wide variety of topics.
- Work with content strategists and team leaders to ensure coverage of topics and issues important to key audiences.
- Develop enterprise coverage plans around tentpole events and critical moments to connect with readers.
- Monitor real-time metrics to identify audience opportunities.
- Collaborate with other editors to produce innovative coverage.
Requirements
- Bachelor's or master's degree in journalism or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Proven proficiency in applying analytics to content strategy.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills.
- Experience in a deadline-driven environment.
- Exceptional planning and organizational skills.
- Knowledge of SEO best practices.
- Self-motivated and self-directed.
- Strong line-editing skills.
- Strong people-management skills.
- Strong problem-solving skills.
- Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.
