Regional Opinion Editor, Asbury Park

Gannett | USA TODAY NETWORK • NJ

208d • $83,000 - $129,688

About The Position

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire, inform, and connect audiences as a scalable, growth focused media and digital marketing solutions company. We endeavor to deliver essential content, marketing solutions, and experiences for curated audiences, advertisers, consumers, and stakeholders by leveraging our diverse teams and suite of products to enrich the local communities and businesses we serve. Our current portfolio of trusted media brands includes the USA TODAY NETWORK, comprised of the national publication, USA TODAY, and local media organizations in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom. Our digital marketing solutions brand, LocaliQ, uses innovation and software to enable small and medium-sized businesses to grow, and USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures, our events division, creates impactful consumer engagements, promotions, and races. Gannett open roles are featured on various external job boards. When applying to a position at Gannett, you should be completing an application on Gannett Careers via Dayforce. Job postings directing you to complete an application on other external sites may not be valid. To connect with us, visit www.gannett.com. Based at the Asbury Park Press: Regional Opinion Editor, USA TODAY Network Northeast. The USA TODAY Network Northeast is looking for talented, creative and thoughtful regional opinion editor to join a rapidly expanding team at the heart of our news organization’s transformation in Asbury Park and at the Jersey Shore. The ideal candidates will have a proven track record of deeply reported opinion journalism that changes lives, ends the careers of the corrupt and advances the ball on local issues of significance to our readers, viewers and listeners. This editor will have a passion for the mission of independent journalism that is essential in the communities we serve and will understand the value of creating a space for civil dialogue that leads to solutions. This is an extraordinary role at a critical moment. The recently launched transformation of the USA TODAY Network’s newsrooms is delivering a return to growth in the size of the audience we serve, a key contributor to engineering a sustainable business model for journalism across the country. Reinvigorating opinion — that is deeply reported and moves at the speed of news — is a central piece of the plan, providing our readers with the information they need to make informed decisions about their communities. We want to elevate your voice to lead, impact and make change in Asbury Park and at the Jersey Shore. You will be able to use your voice to raise awareness of important issues, to challenge the status quo and to inspire change. You will also be part of a team of talented journalists who are passionate about their work and committed to public service. This is a salaried management position, and the person in this role must be focused on outcomes and impact: As an opinion editor, you should be comfortable with using data to help you understand what the audience needs and wants, and whether your approach is working to expand the reach of your journalism. In this role, you will have the opportunity to make a real difference in your community.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in journalism, with a focus on opinion writing and editing.
• Proven experience in editorial leadership and managing a team of writers.
• Strong writing, editing and fact-checking skills.
• Deep knowledge of current events, politics and social issues.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Northeast Opinion and Engagement to develop and execute a comprehensive content strategy that aligns with the company's mission and audience engagement goals.
• Lead local editorial boards and conduct regular editorial board meetings.
• Write columns and work with contributing writers and columnists.
• Manage content producers who produce contributed pieces. Schedule illustrations and graphics to coincide with columns or editorials as appropriate.
• Manage clerks, columnists and staff as required. Assist columnists in improving their writing to reach and engage a wider audience consistent with Company goals.
• Manage a rotation of opinion interns either by semester or annually.
• Curate, edit and oversee the publication of opinion pieces that are thought-provoking, well-researched and aligned with each of the publication's editorial voices.
• Collaborate with the Director of Audience Engagement to ensure opinion content is tailored to engage and resonate with the digital audience effectively; Lead local audience engagement efforts through public outreach, developing strategic partnerships in the community.
• Develop and manage an editorial calendar to plan content creation, ensuring timely and relevant coverage of key topics and events.
• Foster collaboration with other departments, including Audience Engagement, Marketing, and Digital Production, to maximize the reach and impact of opinion content.
• Help plan and participate in community events that focus on our journalism and important issues that impact our communities.
• Ensure that all content published meets the highest editorial and ethical standards and adheres to copyright, plagiarism, and fact-checking policies.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees