Newsroom Contributing Editor

Start date: June 15, 2024

Public Square Amplified (PSA) is an award-winning grassroots local nonprofit newsroom founded by a team of Black women with over 80 years of combined experience in the nonprofit, academic, journalism, and community organizing sectors headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. 

PSA positions journalism as a civic tool and creates a pipeline for a new cadre of local journalists of color representing their geographic and ethnic community. Our reporting centers on democracy, social and economic justice, racial equality, and the immigrant experience. 

Newsroom Contributing Editor: reports to the Executive Director and manages the overall functions of the newsroom.

Responsibilities

  • Reporting to Executive Director/Publisher work with other senior members to bridge editorial operations with organizational strategy

  • Manage newsroom of volunteers, students, community members and freelancers 

  • Build on-the-ground relationships with community members, civic leaders, newsrooms, power brokers, funders, and other stakeholders.

  • In collaboration with the executive director:

    • Set the editorial vision for the newsroom grounded in movement journalism

    • Develop journalism training module for the organization

    • Manage the publication calendar—from assignments to publication 

    • Center the value proposition and practices of movement/emancipatory journalism

    • Act as a public face of the newsroom and interface with the 

    • Manage newsroom budget

    • Track and assign content/pitches

    • Design, implement and oversee editorial policies and processes

  • Write news content as needed/keeping up-to-date with local happenings in coverage areas / assigning news stories

    • Produce at least one editorial and news story each month

  • Manage social media processes 

  • Manage the story budget

    • Assist community reporters/freelancers/volunteers develop story ideas. 

    • Work with reporters through all phases of story development from identification through polishing copy, gathering art, layout and publication. 

  • Curate/edit opinion submissions from the community. 

  • Manage posting of stories to the website and plan a story budget for weekly e-newsletters. 

  • Manage editorial + social team on content strategies + creativity to build site traffic

  • Manage editorial calendar management 

  • Proofing pieces submitted by writers + team

    • Copy editing + fact checking— for SEO, readability, style, voice – in tandem with edit team

  • Attend internal and external meetings related to the newsroom.

  • Virtual work environment with expectations to attend in-person meetings and events, as well as to cover stories.

Skills and Experience

  • Deep knowledge of New Jersey politics and communities

  • Adept in liberatory journalism and civics

  • Editorial calendar management 

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

  • Exceptional writing, reporting and editing craft 

  • Solid news background and at least five years’ experience as an editor 

  • Effective leadership and personnel management skills

  • Strong problem solving skills 

  • Ability to work with citizen reporters and students, as well as

  • Knowledge of Squarespace, Mailchimp, Canva, Airtable a plus

  • Uncompromising news judgment and commitment to editorial standards

  • Demonstrated proficiency in digital storytelling (video, text, audio) 

  • Committed to reporting that is inclusive and reflective of all communities, particularly those historically decentered in mainstream media

  • Outstanding editing, coaching, organizational and communication skills 

  • Ability to multitask and work on deadlines

  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO) writing

  • Social media (not required but helps bridge the gap between social media + editorial!)

Reporting: Contractor will report to the Executive Director/Publisher

Timeline: TBD

Compensation: TBD

Time: 15-18 hours/ weekly (Weekend hours for classes, meetings, or events may occur)

Please use this link to apply: https://forms.gle/eHfHU3UcXrvVzsHd8