Editor

MediaNews Group•Walnut Creek, CA

2d•$80,000 - $90,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Mercury News and East Bay Times are looking for a sharp, ambitious editor to help lead coverage of one of the Bay Area’s most important and complicated regions. The East Bay is a place of power, pressure and change: major cities and small communities, deep wealth and deep inequality, housing fights, public safety debates, political shifts, schools under strain and neighborhoods being reshaped in real time. We want an editor who can see the story before everyone else does, move quickly when news breaks and help reporters turn daily developments into coverage that matters. This is not a passive editing job. It is a leadership role for someone who wants to make things happen. You will work closely with reporters, editors, visual journalists and audience teams to drive urgent daily coverage, smart follow-ups, accountability work and ambitious enterprise. We need someone with excellent news judgment, strong deadline instincts and a coaching style that helps reporters produce their best work. The right editor will know when to move fast, when to slow a story down, when to push for one more question and when to elevate a good idea into something memorable. We’re looking for someone who can guide coverage with clarity, confidence and curiosity, while keeping accuracy, fairness and reader trust at the center of everything we publish. Candidates must be based in the East Bay and able to work at least three days a week from a combination of the Concord and Oakland offices.

Requirements

At least three years of editing experience, preferably in a daily newsroom
Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace, and WordPress.
Excellent news judgment and the ability to make quick, sound decisions under deadline pressure
A strong record of coaching reporters, improving stories and developing ambitious coverage
Strong organizational, planning and communication skills
A competitive mindset and a collaborative leadership style
Comfort with audience metrics and digital publishing strategy
A commitment to accuracy, fairness, accountability, and serving diverse Bay Area communities
Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and have reliable transportation
Must be available for shift work. May be required to work various hours for coverage outside of normal business hours

Nice To Haves

Experience with analytics tools and digital publishing systems is a plus
A bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field is preferred, though equivalent experience will be considered
In our diverse region, fluency in a second language is a plus

Responsibilities

Manage and coach journalists with a range of experience, helping them produce urgent daily coverage, strong enterprise, accountability stories, explainers, and centerpiece work for digital and print audiences
Provide strong, thoughtful editing on deadline, with a focus on accuracy, fairness, clarity and impact
Help set coverage priorities for the East Bay, including breaking news, public safety, local government, housing, education, courts, transportation, politics and community life
Work with reporters to develop enterprise ideas, sharpen story framing and identify follow-up coverage that moves beyond incremental updates
Collaborate with editors across the newsroom, as well as visual, digital and audience teams, to make sure our strongest work reaches readers in the most effective way
Use audience data and newsroom priorities to guide coverage decisions without losing sight of public-service journalism and reader trust
Help plan coverage across platforms, including digital, newsletters, social, print and front-page presentations