Digital Editor - MediaNewsGroup

Summary:

The San Diego Union-Tribune is seeking a Digital Editor to join our team.  The Digital Editor is responsible for optimizing and curating news for publication across digital platforms and off-platform products. The focus is to convert casual readers into frequent readers and provide relevant content for users, resulting in increased traffic and digital subscriptions. Digital producers analyze analytics for actionable ideas and advise editors on content decisions.

This position requires strong journalistic instincts, news judgment, coaching skills, and diplomacy. The successful candidate should be a versatile journalist capable of multitasking in a fast-paced environment, particularly during breaking events. 

Please note: The schedule for this role will include working every Saturday as the Editor overseeing two reporters, typically from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm PST

What you will do:

• Manage the sandiegouniontribune.com website: moving articles into place, updating our breaking news bar and various homepage zones and making visual adjustments

• Work in collaboration with various editors to respond to real-time publishing needs, such as recommendations on article placement, headline updates and breaking news adjustments

• Work with photos, including cropping, reviewing and editing captions, and adding or replacing photos, with the help of editors, to improve story presentation

• Optimization of article headlines, both before and after a story is published, paying attention to SEO keywords, social media value and interest

• Making sure articles have necessary items for stories, including correct sections, tags, locations, excerpts, etc.

• Ensure stories are clean, readable and engaging to readers on desktop/mobile/app platforms, including working with photos, galleries and other digital elements including social media, maps, graphics, audio, embeddable documents, etc.

• Verifying links are added in stories (embedded, inline or widgets) and confirming stories are displayed on appropriate sites and pages

• Determine the stories that appear in homepage photo spots and the right rail, using a mix of news judgment, analytics and collaboration with editors

• Determine the stories and wording that appear in the trending bar spots and the management for the turnover of those spots

• Working closely with editors, be the point person in charge of push/email alerts, and being aggressive for any that are appropriate for breaking news

• Using newsletter/push analytics to determine future story selection, best practices and more

• Looking at traffic patterns, including internal and external to determine what readers need 

• Looking at past coverage to discover best practices and communicate those in advance of coverage planning , including best presentation plans and publish times

• Attend brainstorming and content development meetings

• May sometimes write SEO-focused posts as needed

• Flagging for re-training staff who repeatedly lack digital enhancements to their stories

What you will bring:

• College degree or its equivalent required

• Prior news media experience preferred but not required; must have experience editing or curating news content

• Excellent language skills plus understanding of news gathering and reporting in the digital age; requires strong knowledge of the use of grammar, spelling, headlines and photographs, along with understanding of AP and local style, news judgment and awareness of the community

• Must be able to deal effectively and professionally with colleagues and supervisors across departments and properties

• Ability to resolve potential conflicts gracefully, negotiating changes in content with assigning editors gracefully and to the satisfaction of all; works in a collegial manner with with co-workers, supervisors and especially the public

• Must be punctual, arriving at work on time, communicating with supervisors regarding scheduling and time management

• Must be flexible, as news often calls for working odd hours, such as evenings or weekends

• Job requires a self-starter, expected to take initiative, who will receive regular direction and advice from the supervising editor and other editors as appropriate

• Steady, becoming constant and usually very intense in breaking news situations

• Handles many and varied situations within a tight time frame

• Strong judgment, the ability to spot problems in stories and deal with them

• Recognize how words, photos and design affect the organization’s overall goals and communicate this to appropriate editors and designers

The hourly wage is $28.85 - $31.25. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, time in role, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, MediaNews Group offers a comprehensive benefits package, and 401K plan (all benefits are based on eligibility).

Who we are:
 

The San Diego Union-Tribune, a subsidiary of MediaNews Group, is San Diego’s largest media company and its oldest business, dating back to the founding of the Union in 1868.

Today, Union-Tribune publications reach more than 96 percent of San Diego County households each week. The company portfolio includes its Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper, The San Diego Union-Tribune; the region’s leading website, SanDiegoUnionTribune.com; weekly entertainment guide Night + Day; lifestyle magazine Pacific San Diego; The San Diego Union-Tribune en Español; and nine community newspapers: the La Jolla Light; Del Mar Times; Encinitas Advocate; Solana Beach Sun; Carmel Valley Times; Poway News Chieftain; Rancho Santa Fe Review; Ramona Sentinel and Rancho Bernardo News Journal.

Part of the mission of The San Diego Union-Tribune is to build a stronger, more inclusive San Diego, through our coverage and our community events. A diverse, inclusive, transparent workplace is instrumental in that effort. To better reflect and serve the community, the Union-Tribune is sharing the demographic data of its staff and management team and will track it over time to measure improvement.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

“Built In Best Places to Work 2023 & 2024 Winner”

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