Regional Editor
Regional Editor
Southwest News Media
Southwest News Media, an affiliate of Big Fish Works, an award-winning news organization located in the southwest metro areas of the Twin Cities, is looking for an experienced journalist to help lead a 20-member news team in covering the communities we serve. We publish eight weekly newspapers and related websites in a high-growth and changing area. Our focus is on producing hyper-local content that entices local residents to turn to us as the primary sources for local news and information.
The successful applicant must be a recognized leader who embraces change to best serve the changing needs and wants of our audience and readers. The Regional Editor will guide community editors on best practices and constantly evaluate how we can improve our use of all media platforms to grow our following. Successful candidates must be focused on gathering hyper-local content and then determine its most appropriate use. Regional editor will serve as the Community Editor of Eden Prairie News and Lakeshore Weekly News, oversee content creation of four local newspapers.
This full-time position offers a competitive wage, benefits including 401(k) and profit sharing, health insurance, PTO and paid holidays.
Job and skill requirements:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
- Key success indicators: growing audience, developing news leaders
- Supervises and direct regional news operation, including community editors, reporters and community contributors
- Join forces with other regional editor and digital content coordinator in constantly assessing best practices/strategies, trending content, and update focus points that will produce greatest success in growing audience
- Lead weekly content meetings in unison with other regional editor and digital content coordinator
- Works in collaboration with other staff members and departments in producing top-notch print products and digital content
- Conducts regular check-ins with community editors and reporters to provide relevant feedback on job performance
- Organizes and leads regular training sessions for all editorial staff members to ensure all have the skills and tools needed to complete job expectations
- Be intensely familiar with the communities assigned to oversee, and have trusted connections with local stakeholders
- Edit multimedia projects quickly and with great accuracy; primary decision-maker on determining where content should appear ensuring updates are made as the news cycle progresses
- Collaborate with sales leader in determining/scheduling content related to special “advertorial” publications/projects
- On leadership team with 4 community editors, digital content coordinator
- Build up weekly content budget to share with other community editors and leadership team
- Identify element of multi-media packages for enterprise stories
- Identify traditional community editor responsibilities and oversight thereof
- Assess reporter productivity and quality of content created; establish standards and key weekly KPIs
- Work closely with digital content coordinator on breaking news, social media, developing stories
- Must possess a sense of urgency to be “first” in providing accurate content that impacts our local communities
- Lead idea generation for complex enterprise story projects
- Help community editors in the oversight of special project content
- Participate in the interviewing candidates, onboarding, and training phases of new hires
- Be a trusted resource for editors and reporters throughout the newsroom
- Ability to collaborate with newsroom leaders and other managers throughout Southwest News Media
- Must have an above-average knowledge about: content management system, Google Analytics, existing and emerging social media avenues for content distribution
- Willingness to work nights, weekends and some holidays
- Candidate must have a valid driver's license with a driving record that is insurable by the company
Due to the evolving nature of the media industry, job responsibilities may change, based upon the needs of company as identified by this positions supervisor.
Southwest News Media, located at 12925 Eagle Creek Parkway in Savage, MN, is an affiliate of Big Fish Works, a nationally-recognized, award-winning media organization. Its family of weekly newspapers include: Chanhassen Villager, Chaska Herald, Eden Prairie News, Jordan Independent, Prior Lake American, Savage Pacer, Shakopee Valley News, Hutchinson Leader, Litchfield Independent Review and International Falls Journal, Collaboration, Community, Integrity, Passion and Perseverance are our company's core values.