The Breaking News Team Editor thrives on being the first and best on the scene and case. This individual requires focused and quick responses, powerful storytelling skills, impeccable reporting, a multiplatform approach, and impervious ethics. This person will manage a small team for LNP | LancasterOnline which is the dominant news source in Lancaster County. Additionally, LNP is the second-largest publication in Pennsylvania and our readership depends on us to cover breaking news in real-time with pertinent context.
We need an editor with fine-tuned and quick news judgment, proven leadership and team-building skills, innovative approaches to show-and-tell journalism for all audiences, and a relentless and untiring thirst for answers. Under the direction of the Managing Editor of Content, the Breaking News Editor will manage multimedia journalists to provide fair, relevant, and necessary coverage of all breaking news, going beyond crime and safety.
They and their team will use our established guidelines to vet coverage, break news, and follow with unique, interesting, user-friendly content. The Breaking News Editor is informed by both digital analytics and strong news judgment in making coverage decisions for an audience that primarily resides in Lancaster County. This leader is responsible for overseeing and ensuring the work of the fast-paced breaking team members and must meet the highest journalistic standards and collaborate with other editors.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
- Reading, writing, comprehension, and fluency in the English language
- Perform all supervisory and leadership responsibilities associated with the newsroom including motivating, coaching, training, appraising, rewarding, disciplining, addressing complaints, and resolving issues of employees. As part of a team, this member is responsible for interviewing and hiring new talent for the Breaking News Team.
- Working closely with the digital team and Social Media Manager on breaking news strategy and coverage
- Working closely with the Managing Editor for Content and their team members using expertise and good judgment in selecting the most appropriate content for print and digital products to engage the audiences
- Use metrics/analytics to inform decisions on content assignments and placement across platforms.
- Assign and edit copy as well as write headlines and captions as needed.
- Create, edit, and post videos for the site and social media.
- Attend daily morning and afternoon content meetings.
- Attend regular brainstorming meetings about newsroom projects.
- Foster a newsroom work environment that champions excellent journalism, creativity, collaboration, teamwork, and a sense of fulfillment
- Create and/or contribute to content as needed
- This person will supervise and facilitate the work of a reporting team dedicated to generating fair, balanced, accurate, compelling, and dedicated content that positively impacts the communities we serve. Individuals on the team produce Daily Beat content for digital and multimedia packages planned for digital or print presentation routinely each week.
In addition to the essential functions listed above, the employee is expected to exercise honesty, integrity, and respect with all clients and co-workers, and maintain a professional appearance and demeanor. They must demonstrate a positive attitude; communicate effectively with co-workers and clients; work with accuracy, efficiency, and attention to detail; respect the work environment and keep it as neat and clean as possible; and exercise initiative to learn new skills and tasks and to help co-workers whenever possible. Candidates should have at least 3-5 years of experience administration and supervision in a newsroom environment.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, related field or equivalent experience
- Proven ability to lead a team
- Excellent writing, editing, and interpersonal communication skills. Knowledge of newsroom-specific editing, photography and wire handling is preferred
- Experience using wire services and publishing systems for all platforms
- Fluency in Web and social media technology as well as advanced knowledge of digital metrics and SEO
- Ability to work and collaborate in a mixed-media team environment, multitask in a deadline-driven newsroom, and adapt constructively and creatively to change
- A firm grasp of current events particularly as they relate to LNP's Lancaster County area audience
- A keen interest in and knowledge of LNP competitors and partners
- Thorough familiarity with journalism and libel law.