Associate Writer/Editor

Versant•Universal City, CA

3h•$70,000 - $75,000•Hybrid

About The Position

E! News is looking for a passionate Associate Writer/Editor to join our digital editorial team and help drive daily entertainment news coverage across E! Online in the afternoon/evening in Los Angeles. The ideal candidate lives and breathes pop culture, has experience writing about entertainment, strong news judgment and an understanding of the E! audience. They are comfortable working in a fast-paced news environment, can quickly identify compelling angles and understand how social conversation, search trends and audience data can inform coverage. This person should be a collaborative team player who can also work independently, juggle multiple assignments and turn around clean, engaging copy on tight deadlines.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
2+ years experience in a deadline writing sharp copy, ideally in entertainment news, celebrity or pop culture
Excellent writing, editing and headline-writing skills with the ability to adapt to the E! voice
Strong news judgment and understanding of what resonates with the E! audience
Working knowledge of SEO and digital publishing best practices
Ability to manager multiple assignments and priorities in a deadline-driven environment

Nice To Haves

Collaborative team player with the ability to contribute independently
Passionate and knowledgeable about entertainment, celebrity news and pop culture
Creative storyteller who can identify trends and find fresh, compelling angles
Hard-working, dedicated and detail-oriented
Curious and proactive, with an instinct for finding the next story rather than waiting for an assignment
Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment
Effective communication skills and strong collaborator who can work across multiple departments
Comfortable using performance data and audience insights to inform editorial decisions

Responsibilities

Write and publish approximately 5-7 pieces of content daily, ranging from breaking and trending news stories to galleries, interviews and evergreens
Write clean, accurate and engaging copy under tight deadlines while adhering to E!’s editorial standards and voice
Monitor breaking entertainment news, social platforms and emerging trends to quickly identify stories relevant to the E! audience
Craft compelling, SEO-informed headlines, descriptions and other packaging designed to reach audiences across search, social and other distribution platforms
Identify and pitch stories, viral trends and celebrities that help start conversation and drive page views, video views, referral traffic and engagement
Seek out clever angles, second beats and follow-up stories that extend high-performing coverage
Use analytics and audience insights to understand story performance, identify opportunities and inform future coverage
Pitch and conduct interviews with celebrities, identifying strongest angles afterwards and publishing in a timely manner
Work alongside the team in covering tentpole events in real time, including red carpets, award shows and other pop culture events (may include weekend coverage)
Partner with social team to identify opportunities and promote content across the portfolio
Collaborate with the digital news video team to align on coverage, angles and timing
Ensure reporting is accurate and properly sourced, including fact-checking names, dates, quotes and other key details before publication
Able to edit and assign stories to other writers and fill in for assignment editor at times