Managing Editor, Connect Service Journalism Team

Gannett is looking for an innovative, high-metabolism Managing Editor to lead Connect, a new initiative aimed at growing audience across the USA TODAY Network by providing fast-paced, engaging journalism that helps readers navigate their lives, keep on top of local issues and trends, stay safe during public emergencies and connect with the community and world around them.

The right editor is audience-focused, creative and knows how to help teams of editors and reporters react quickly in times of big breaking news and stay focused in slower times on generating high-interest content, answering reader questions, providing need-to-know, service-oriented news on local topics, controversies, events and things to do that make readers eager to return every day.

The editor will be a key contributor to setting the strategy for the initiative as it goes from a pilot stage in a few regions to scaling across the country. The right candidate must have a deep understanding of what’s important to local readers and a proven ability to effectively coach Connect teams through audience-informed analytics on new approaches to coverage and topics.

The editor must feed off collaboration, be an endless source of ideas and recognize good ones when they’re presented, no matter who presents them. The editor will work closely with local newsroom editors, our audience growth and content strategy teams and our national trending team.

What do Connect teams do?

Connect teams take a service journalism, news-you-can-use approach. These teams are intensely connected to community and a key part of reader engagement. The teams publish journalism that helps local newsrooms extend their reach, measured both by in-market readership and subscription growth. They focus on:

• What’s trending and part of the conversation in the local market. This includes key questions local readers are asking on search and creating service-journalism content related to local topics in the news.
• Localizing national trending stories in a service-journalism way to help readers understand the importance of a national issue to a local community.
• Amplifying breaking news coverage with content that relates to the questions readers are asking about how the development will directly affect their lives.
• Replicating evergreen, seasonal ideas when local buzz or breaking is lighter. This includes content relevant to reader curiosity and other engagement series.

The successful candidate must:

• Have a deep understanding of service-oriented journalism and a desire to try new storytelling approaches that help our readers, listeners and viewers connect with our journalism and their communities.
• Possess strong editing, writing and reporting skills, as well as excellent news judgment
• Display highest journalism standards and ethics.
• Have a commitment to and track record of improving the diversity of your team so that we can better serve our audiences and communities.
• Lead and manage a team of editors and reporters on innovative content and audience strategies based on real-time metrics data and strategic analysis.
• Be a constant generator of story ideas, and help your team produce content early and often during peak audience periods.
• Have a knack for headlines and expertise in SEO strategies.
• Enjoy collaborating with local newsroom leaders, our audience growth and content strategy teams and our national trending team.
• Have a track record of experimentation that yields measurable impact on audience.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's or master’s degree in communications, journalism, marketing or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• At least 3 years working in a content-related or audience development role in a digitally focused media organization.
• Experience in a leadership and/or management role.
• Must work comfortably in a job that will be fast-paced, data-driven, shaped constantly by feedback and experimentation.
• Exceptional planning and organizational skills.
• Understanding of metrics, social media and SEO strategy.
• Self-motivation and self-direction.
• Strong grasp of journalism skills (reporting and editing) and advanced knowledge of writing, spelling, grammar, AP and local style.
• Innovative, creative thinking that supports the company's goals.
• Command of media law and principles of ethical conduct.
• Devotion to peer-to-peer training, as both a teacher and student.
• Commitment to detail, accuracy and fairness.
• Ability to multi-task and excel under deadline pressure, using time efficiently.
• Skill at collaborating in a cross-functional environment and adapting in a rapidly changing industry.
• Ability to work extended hours, evenings, weekends, and holidays, sometimes unexpectedly when news requires it.
• Employment is contingent on passing a pre-employment, post-offer background check.

Application Instructions:

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 updated current resume – one to two pages.
2. A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
3. Examples of at least 3 significant stories you have edited with a short (1-2 paragraph) narrative about how you helped the writer develop the piece, obstacles encountered during the reporting and writing of the piece, and how you overcame them. In addition, provide 1-2 samples of your own writing.

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 $59,400 and $140,300. 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.