Assistant Editor

New York, NY

The WNYC/Gothamist newsroom is looking for an ambitious and thoughtful Assistant Editor to join our People & Power desk. This is an excellent opportunity for a seasoned reporter who wants to develop managerial skills: The Assistant Editor is a versatile player-coach -- a journalist who can edit and report on stories while doubling as a mentor for multiplatform beat reporters of all experience levels.

The Assistant Editor plays an integral role in one of the newsroom’s busiest teams. The People & Power desk examines how state and local policies affect New Yorkers, as well as the players and institutions charged with carrying out the administration of democracy. Our coverage is aimed at the diverse populace of the New York City region, not the political class.

The Assistant Editor will have strong reporting skills and thought-provoking ideas that help guide the desk’s coverage. This editor will take on editing digital and audio assignments, delegated by the Editor of the People & Power desk, and regularly collaborate with other desks on relevant stories and projects.

The Assistant Editor will craft these stories and projects while upholding the highest standards of journalistic quality and integrity, ensuring our journalism is timely, accurate, thorough, fair and impactful.

This role reports to the Editor of the People & Power team. The Assistant Editor works during the day Monday-Thursday and from 2 to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays.

Responsibilities:

Evangelize and uphold the strategic vision and goals for the People & Power desk
Create engaging journalism that attracts a diverse and loyal audience in digital, on-air, on-demand and social media
Edit some radio and text stories produced by the People & Power desk
Oversee our on-air and digital coverage on Friday evenings, leading a reporter on evening stories
Hold all content to the highest journalistic standards – from breaking news to longform features
Help mentor and coach reporters on the desk from the pitch process to final edit
Assist the Editor with organizing daily and long-term coverage planning
Collaborate with peers and partners across the organization on relevant content and projects
Foster a culture of accountability, creativity and innovation in storytelling

Qualifications:

Minimum of 5 years professional journalism experience, including some editing experience
Deft writing and editing skills, including the ability to rewrite copy with grammatical and style precision under immediate deadline pressure
Ability to look beyond daily coverage and focus on advancing a story
Sophisticated communication skills, including oral, written and public speaking
Deep commitment to accurate, ethical, and independent journalism, with impeccable journalistic integrity and judgment
Demonstrated knowledge of city and state government
Ability to lead, inspire, manage and convey knowledge/feedback to a team of reporters
Self-starter with proven ability to meet deadlines and pay close attention to detail and fact-checking
Ability to manage several projects concurrently
Demonstrated commitment and ability to contribute an equity lens to every aspect of people development and management processes, and ability to increase diversity, equity and inclusion competency in newsrooms

Additional Information

This is a full-time role with a salary range of $85,000-$100,000 per year (plus a full benefits package). Salary offer within this range is determined by skills, experience and organizational pay equity. New York Public Radio offers excellent medical, dental, and vision insurance, vacation, personal and sick time as well as parental leave.

This role is currently operating remotely, with the ability to optionally work from the office sometimes, which is encouraged. However, this position is not a permanent remote position and is part of the New York City staff and will be expected to work from the New York office in a hybrid capacity within the next few months.

Given this role will be in the office, being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is required unless NYPR has approved a specific religious or medical exemption in advance of the first day of work. At this time, NYPR defines being fully vaccinated as having received two Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations or one Johnson and Johnson vaccination.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

New York Public Radio is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We continuously strive to place our employees at the center of our thinking and elevate inclusive practices to develop and support a more engaged and productive workforce. Our journalism and operations in the service of that journalism benefit from a broad range of perspectives, from all backgrounds, at all levels of the organization. Diversity is essential to honest, authentic, accurate storytelling and reportage; creating an institution in which all voices are encouraged, valued, and heard.

Equal Opportunity

New York Public Radio is an equal opportunity employer committed to achieving the goal of equal employment opportunity for all. Applicants and employees are considered and evaluated for positions without regard to mental or physical disability, race, creed, color, religion, gender, national origin, citizenship status, age, genetic information, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, employment status or any protected federal, state, or local status unrelated to the performance of the work involved.