Palo Alto Weekly Editor

Description

About the Role

Embarcadero Media Foundation seeks an experienced, ambitious, innovative and community-minded editor to lead our flagship weekly newspaper and website. The position requires strong editorial judgment, a passion for local accountability reporting and a talent for compelling storytelling. The award-winning Palo Alto Weekly and Palo Alto Online shape the agenda for the city on the edge of Stanford University and in the heart of Silicon Valley.

The editor will oversee daily digital journalism and weekly print production, manage and mentor staff writers and develop innovative ways to deepen reader engagement and strengthen our brand. The ideal candidate understands the need to go beyond covering meetings and breaking news. We also seek to explain complex issues and celebrate people in a truly unique place.

The editor is part of a team that works collaboratively to cover the Midpeninsula. The editor will work closely with editors of our Mountain View, Menlo Park and Redwood City publications. Altogether, our parent nonprofit, the Embarcadero Media Foundation, has seven news sites and three newspapers and a nearly 50-year legacy in the Bay Area.

Key Responsibilities

Lead editorial coverage and champion journalistic excellence. The editor sets a clear and ambitious editorial agenda that prioritizes distinctive, high-impact local journalism. It is critical to break news as well as plan for enterprise and investigative reporting. The Palo Alto Weekly should be in conversation with the readership and reflect the concerns of the community. The editor will be open to new ideas, partnerships, technology and ways of reaching our community. They will work with other members of the team to leverage our regional reporting powers. We maintain a hybrid work environment, but the editor should expect to be in the office regularly to best supervise staffers.

Manage and develop journalists. Inspiring staff writers is key. The editor must prioritize the workflow, provide constructive editing and take responsibility for what we publish. In addition, the editor should build relationships with freelancers, bloggers and sources. The editor will help select interns and guide them through appropriate assignments. They will also provide regular feedback, including 1:1 meetings, weekly story meetings and annual reviews. In addition, the editor handles administrative tasks related to supervision, including monitoring hours, approving time off, expenses, payment of freelancers, etc.

Oversee print and digital products. Our newsroom is a digital-first environment. To succeed, the editor must steward a vibrant, news website that updates around the clock while guiding production of the weekly newspaper. Thoughtful decisions are required for story placement, headlines, art, metadata and social media distribution. One key responsibility is production of our Express newsletter each weekday. The next Weekly editor will help advance a robust opinion section that includes editorials, guest opinions and letters to the editor.

Grow audience and brand loyalty. The editor will combine analytics, reader feedback and editorial judgment to better attract and retain loyal readers. They will make editorial decisions based on the goals outlined in the organization’s editorial strategy and seek to serve both our longtime readers and new residents who are key to our sustainability.

Engage the community and strengthen our brand. The editor can expect to help plan and host occasional public events. These might include community forums on important topics and candidate discussions. The editor might also be called upon to participate in events that build trusted relationships with our audience and drive fundraising for our journalism. It is important that the editor build working relationships with civic leaders, educators, nonprofit organizations, local businesses and readers while maintaining the highest journalistic standards.

Salary and benefits. The position pays between $75,000 and $85,000, dependent upon qualifications and experience, and includes benefits including health and retirement savings.

Requirements

• A college degree in journalism or a related field, or equivalent relevant work experience.
• At least five years of journalism experience and demonstrated success in reporting, editing and newsroom leadership. Experience managing in a unionized newsroom is a plus.
• Exceptional news judgment, writing and editing skills.
• Experience managing journalists, setting priorities and delivering on deadline.
• Strong digital journalism skills and familiarity with audience analytics, newsletters, social media and content management systems. Familiarity with Google and Wordpress tools is a plus.
• Excellent communication skills and an ability to remain calm under pressure..
• A collaborative, entrepreneurial mindset and a genuine commitment to local journalism.
• Familiarity with the Peninsula is a plus.