Local News Editor at Gannett in Austin, Texas

Job Description:

Local News Editor

The Austin American-Statesman / statesman.com , located in the 11th largest city in the country and part of the USA TODAY NETWORK , is seeking a LocalNews Editor who can drive coverage of our public safety, legal affairs, city halland breaking news coverage in Texas' capital city and its sprawling metropolitan area.

The Statesman is looking for an editor who will lead coverage of the Austin Police Department and other jurisdictions. Law enforcement holds an outsized presence in our city. It is critically important that the Statesman continue to report on public safety lapses, including the prevalence of opioid overdoses in Austin and Travis County, staffing shortages in the Police Department and local EMS, a voter-approved expansion of civilian oversight of police, the treatment of the homeless population and use-of-force cases against Austin police officers.

Also, this candidate will be responsible for guiding our legal affairs coverage, helping to untangle the arcane world of jurisprudence. Helping the reporter focus on big-picture cases and spot gems in lower courts. The work also should incorporate a broader view of the legal system through the lens of people of color and other historically disenfranchised populations in the community.

The local news editor will mobilize the newsroom during breaking news situations and assign reporters to news when it breaks, communicate with visuals and digital staff. This editor will work with the utmost sense of urgency and rigor. Theeditor will help train reporters on responding to breaking news situations and be responsible for upholding the Gannett standards for covering crime and public safety.

Responsibilities:

• Coach reporters to produce a steady stream of breaking news, enterprise, explanatory and investigative pieces.
• Accelerate the urgency, digital-first acumen among your staff.
• Work with the content strategist and digital team members to ensure that topics and issues most important to key audiences are covered.
• Monitor real-time metrics to develop a clear picture of audience needs.
• Work collaboratively with other editors to produce relevant content using innovative approaches .

Requirements:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in communications, journalism or related field preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• More than five years of media management experience.
• Proven proficiency in applying analytics to content strategy.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Exposure to deadline-driven environment.
• Exceptional planning and organizational skills.
• Social-media and SEO knowledge.
• Self-motivation and self-direction.
• Strong line-editing skills.
• Strong people-management skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.

Application Instructions

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don't limit your submission 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:

Your resume - one to two pages.

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

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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