Assistant Local News Editor
Description
The Sacramento Bee is seeking a competitive Assistant Local News Editor to join its award-winning newsroom in California’s capital. This editor will be a key player in directing breaking news coverage, serving the whole newsroom and working with reporters to develop high-impact stories.
At The Bee, we place a premium on breaking stories first, as well as investing in hard-nosed, accountability journalism that our audience can’t get anywhere else. Our journalism focuses on our local communities, and in that role we spotlight problems, highlight solutions and truly make a difference — all the reasons you got into journalism. We are part of McClatchy, a digitally-driven company focused on innovation, with newsrooms in 30 communities in the United States.
Our local news team has exposed networks of anti-vaccine and far-right extremists operating across Northern California, reported on a toxic culture of hazing among correctional officers at a state prison and revealed decades-old claims of sexual abuse at a private high school. We dig into our region’s most challenging problems — homelessness, gun violence, wildfires and climate change — with well-sourced, compassionate and data-driven journalism.
In our Assistant Local News Editor, we’re seeking an assertive journalist with excellent news judgment and a sense of urgency. This editor should be able to spot stories and launch the newsroom in covering major breaking news. This editor will coach reporters on covering breaking news and developing enterprise stories on their beats, primarily cops and courts. We’re looking for a go-to editor to handle a variety of content, focusing on local news but also fielding stories produced by other departments, ranging from politics to sports. This editor will work with visual journalists and other teams in our newsroom.
The anticipated base pay range for this position is between $75,000 and $95,000 annually. Individual base pay may vary within that range depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, relevant education, department equity, training, geography, and local wage and hours laws.
In this role, you will need to:
- Lead our PM breaking news efforts with urgency.
- Work with reporters to drive coverage and develop stories off the news, with a focus on accountability journalism.
- Think about the audience first and always, with a commitment to tactics that grow readership.
- Demonstrate a command of audience analytics and knowledge of the tactics that deliver results.
- Focus on speed, competitiveness and SEO savvy through aggregating and storytelling tools.
- Work well in a team environment.
- At least two years of local news experience; editing experience is a plus.
- An unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism.
- Comfort with a job that will be demanding, fast-paced and constantly evolving.
What we’ll bring: As a journalist at McClatchy, you will join a supportive, flexible, collaborative team. McClatchy strives to be an employer of choice, and our benefits package is made with this goal in mind. With a focus on health, well-being, wealth and daily life, our package options include healthcare coverage for employees and their families, financial protection from expected and unexpected expenses, multiple no-cost wellness resources and even coverage for four-legged friends.
Our overall benefits package also includes a 401(k) with employer match, competitive paid time off and corporate holidays, and a variety of mental health benefits. With an excellent support team and with focus on your well-being as a top corporate strategy, McClatchy provides benefits to support you and your family in achieving your health and wellness goals. For more information on McClatchy's benefit plan, please visit McClatchyLivewell.com.
To apply, please include a cover letter and your resume.
About McClatchy: Our impact is growing every day. 30 growing markets. More than 65 million monthly readers. 56 Pulitzer Prizes. A strong portfolio of dynamic partnerships and smart investments. Our award-winning journalism, digital reach, and commitment to innovative growth have never been stronger.
As a member of the McClatchy family, you are part of a flexible, empowering, and exciting culture dedicated to creating a work/life balance and consistent opportunities for growth — a place where you have a voice and the ability to impact our future. It’s an exciting time to be here. Our company is experiencing the most transformative period in its history. We’re growing rapidly in the digital space and delivering award-winning journalism in innovative ways.
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