General Manager/Editor

Adams Communications Co•Cedar Rapids, IA

About The Position

Based in Cedar Rapids, position oversees and manages the news staffs and news content of the The Gazette and their affiliated print and digital news offerings. The position oversees news reporting staff and helps prioritize news coverage across Gazette platforms, with a special focus on strong regional enterprise reporting. The position requires editing daily and enterprise stories, regular meetings with reporters and other editors to coordinate coverage and coach. This position is also responsible for ensuring daily work meets and exceeds editorial standards of The Gazette.

Requirements

Ideal candidate will be a flexible, self-motivated, creative go-getter and problem solver who works well with superiors and those in their charge.
Candidate must display technical aptitude and have strong ability to write and report well and distill complex subjects into understandable, accessible elements which in turn can be trained to news staff under their direction in a way that allows them to also grow their skills.
Must have empathy and toughness and be a good listener.
Must work well with others and be attentive to follow-up with staff, sources and customers.
Candidate possesses basic desire to learn new skills.
Must have valid driver's license and history of safe driving habits.
Candidate must demonstrate ability to work quickly and accurately and must have ideas on how to present news in an ever-changing media landscape.
Approximately 5 - 7 years’ experience in a multimedia newsroom is desired.

Nice To Haves

Preferred - undergraduate degree in journalism, English or related course of study.

Responsibilities

Coaches the news staff in multiple locations to produce compelling news content with strong visual presentation in accordance with audience needs and product deadlines and standards.
Develops individual ongoing training plans for news staff that focuses on growing skills, and presenting interesting stories in accordance with industry standards.
Collaborates and works on an as needed basis with executive editor and other key newsroom staff in Cedar Rapids and community papers to help achieve content, presentation and other strategic goals.
Assist with planning and creation of special sections, products and/or services based on community need and feedback.
Increase your, and by extension the newspapers, visibility in the community by attending community events and gatherings as the representative of the The Gazette and affiliated publications.
Ensures that all publications contain timely and locally relevant news content
Using a variety of data, including conversations in the communities, to ensure that the news content we produce drives readership and relevance in our publications.
Tracks trends on topical area and develops and cultivates sources (i.e. people, records, databases, etc.) across a wide variety of interests.
Maintains a list of story ideas relevant to readers with emphasis on original enterprise stories that set an agenda for the city and county the publication serves. Takes ownership of topical area(s).
Uses solid news judgement when communicating assignments and training to news staff.
Identifies opportunities for using a variety of ways of storytelling (video, audio, pictures, text, etc.) and regularly finds opportunities to put the ideas into practice.
Demonstrates proficiency in using existing and new tools to gather, display and report content and also present news in context. Attends training to learn and apply these tools.
Adheres to all professional and company policies and ethical standards.

Benefits

Competitive medical, dental and vision insurance; company-paid disability and term life insurance;
Generous PTO policy with PTO accrual beginning on the first day of employment
Company-paid holidays
401(k) plan with discretionary matching.
The company pays for these six major holidays
Thanksgiving
Christmas Day
New Year’s Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day