Director - White House, MS NOW Newsgathering
About The Position
MS NOW is seeking an experienced and innovative journalist to direct coverage of the White House. You’ll join a modern and nimble Newsgathering team in Washington with a start-up mentality and a mandate to meet audiences where they are across all platforms The White House team will focus on original reporting that holds power to account and helps our viewers, readers and listeners understand how decisions in Washington ripple across the nation and around the world. As the team leader, you’ll guide coverage of the most important story lines around the presidency to bring a sophisticated, contextual lens to the beat. You’ll supervise a high-powered team and direct our reporting for all platforms of MS NOW – live programming, MS.NOW, newsletters, digital video, audio, social media and more. You’ll often contribute yourself as well. This role requires sharp editorial instincts to understand the stakes of every policy shift in Washington and how each news development can reshape relationships across the nation’s power centers. A successful candidate must have exceptional managerial skills and a demonstrated ability to look around corners to identify where story lines – and the news environment – are headed.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent years of relevant working experience
- At least 10 years of professional journalism experience
- Substantial experience directing coverage and supervising journalists is strongly preferred
- Experience assigning, editing, or producing content across multiple platforms (e.g., TV, digital, social, audio, newsletters)
- Proven track record of enterprise journalism, breaking news, or political analysis that drives audience engagement
- Excellent editing skills — an ability to edit everything from a 4,000-word investigation to a 250 word fast-turn breaking news blog post under tight deadlines
- Impeccable news judgment and writing skills
- Experience overseeing both powerhouse reporters and growing junior talent
- Excellent communication skills — tact, sensitivity, diplomacy, persuasion
- Demonstrated self-starter, with the confidence to make decisions quickly in a fast-paced news environment.
- Flexibility to work outside standard hours when news breaks
Responsibilities
- Lead news coverage of the presidency across all platforms of MS NOW
- Mentor and manage a team of journalists to break news and advance story lines
- Assign and shape stories with sharp angles and grounded in context
- Collaborate across coverage teams and platforms to ensure cohesive storytelling that delivers original news and insight for our audiences
- Represent the team in editorial meetings for daily coverage and planning for special events
- Develop new ideas to innovate across platforms to reach new audiences
- Support other editorial projects and Newsgathering growth initiatives in a start-up environment
Benefits
- medical
- dental
- vision insurance
- 401(k)
- paid leave
- tuition reimbursement
- a variety of other discounts and perks
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
