editor Kansas City, MO
Job description
The Kansas City Star, winner of nine Pulitzer Prizes, is seeking a creative, high-energy journalist to join our audience team as Audience Development Editor.
This Kansas City-based editor, in partnership with the Senior Editor for Experimentation and Engagement, will dive in on strategies that grow and engage our local audience and build long-term loyalty among our subscribers.
You’ll join an audience team that is fun, creative and always looking for new ways to connect with our diverse audience across platforms. The newsroom you’ll join is deeply committed to listening to, engaging with and meeting the needs of our neighbors across the Kansas City metro area.
The successful candidate is skilled at engaging with readers across our platforms, from social media to live events; has demonstrated success in growing newsletters and other news products; and has a firm command of SEO. The candidate also possesses a love of purposeful experimentation informed by data.
This editor should have a knack for juggling multiple projects, identifying opportunities for improvement and offering encouragement and guidance to colleagues.
The successful candidate will be comfortable communicating and guiding the tactics we are using to execute our audience strategy on a daily basis. This person will collaborate with editors across The Star’s newsroom and with our sister paper The Wichita Eagle.
Kansas City is a vibrant, large city with a high quality of life – replete with iconic professional sports teams and a world-class arts scene – and a low cost of living. It’s a fantastic place to put down roots and this job offers the chance to contribute meaningfully to its future.
Key responsibilities:
- Collaborate with McClatchy teams to create data-driven strategies that produce audience growth and subscriber loyalty on our websites.
- Train newsrooms on SEO, headline writing, and how best to reach digital and new audiences.
- Coordinate and/or host live and virtual events, town halls and listening sessions to build trust with our communities.
- Elevate on-site experiences for new and existing readers.
- Lead an inspiring and community-driven social media strategy on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok that creates long-term advocates for local journalism.
- Execute on creative distribution plans for our high-impact journalism projects.
- Curate and write newsletters, and develop pop-up newsletters.
- Regularly analyze performance data to enhance our audience strategies and advise newsrooms on what’s next in digitally-focused journalism.
Qualifications:
- 3+ years of experience, preferably in a digital media organization
- Solid news judgment
- Experience in a leadership role
- Reporting and editing experience
- A proven track record of growing and engaging with audiences
- A deep understanding of social media best practices and newsletter strategies
- Must work comfortably in a job that will be fast-paced and data-driven
- Occasional travel may be required
- Must have reliable transportation. Must have valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance (at least minimum insurance required for the state where the employee works).
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.
Please include a cover letter that addresses your audience engagement philosophy with your application.
About McClatchy:
Our impact is growing every day. 30 growing markets. Over 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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