Digital Editor on The Alaska Desk, Alaska Public Media’s new collaborative Salary: $62,000 Location: Alaska based Reports to: Alaska Public Media’s digital managing editor Overview: Alaska Public Media is hiring a digital editor for its new, CPB-funded statewide reporting initiative called The Alaska Desk. This initiative is aimed at enhancing the public radio network’s statewide coverage by addressing news deserts and increasing collaboration across more than a dozen stations. The Alaska Desk will be staffed by four reporters and three editors with a statewide focus. Our ideal candidate for the digital editor position is a big-picture thinker who’s adaptable, creative and well-versed in Alaska issues. The digital editor will help drive our statewide coverage and edit news stories reported by journalists across the public radio network. This editor will ensure reporters’ journalism has a strong presence on digital platforms with excellent headlines, great visuals and clear writing. The editor will also develop ambitious digital content-sharing strategies to ensure the stories reach diverse audiences. Audience engagement is another key piece of this position. This editor will find ways to invite communities across Alaska to contribute, respond to and engage with our journalism. They will also be adept at listening to audiences to help stations statewide find and execute underreported stories that are important to Alaskans.
The digital editor will be an employee of Alaska Public Media, Anchorage’s award-winning NPR and PBS station. Applicants will be expected to provide: ● A resume. ● A cover letter that addresses the candidate’s work experience as it relates to all required and preferred qualifications.
Job Requirements
Essential duties and responsibilities: ● Works closely with editors on The Alaska Desk to craft and execute daily coverage plans. ● Helps lead collaborative breaking news coverage and share that coverage across digital platforms. ● Works with The Alaska Desk as well as teams across stations to build audience engagement. ● Drives and leads reporting and distribution of audience-focused journalism projects. ● Develops digital content and engagement strategies that can be implemented on The Alaska Desk and shared with our partner stations. ● Provides training to our partner stations on best practices for digital journalism, social media and engagement. ● Edits journalism across mediums. ● Other duties as assigned. Required qualifications: ● At least five years journalism experience, with at least two of those years in digital journalism. ● Deep knowledge of Alaska issues. ● Experience editing and providing feedback to reporters. ● Exceptional at writing headlines, story excerpts and social media share lines. ● Impeccable news judgment and AP writing skills. ● Ability to work in a team-based organization. Preferred qualifications: ● Bachelor's degree. ● Demonstrated interest in identifying and deploying audience engagement ideas, and then tracking their effectiveness. ● Proficiency in SEO and headline/copywriting for search and social media. ● A good listener — this includes across online platforms. Should understand what issues are important to Alaskans and then create actionable reporting plans in response. Employee expectations: ● Detail oriented with ability to manage multiple tasks. ● Flexible, adaptable and proven ability to work in a deadline-driven environment. ● Must be able to occasionally work various hours including nights, weekends and holidays. ● Must have access to reliable transportation, including during inclement weather. Compensation: This position is contingent upon grant funding. The digital editor job is funded by a two-year grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Grant partners will work to sustain the positions at the end of the grant term, but that funding is not guaranteed. Competitive benefits package including health, vision and dental insurance, a 401(k) match, generous parental leave, vacation time off and 12 paid holidays. Location: This position could be located at any public media station in Alaska, pending approval, with the option to work from home part of the time. How to apply: Interested candidates should apply by uploading their cover letter and resume at alaskapublic.org/careers by July 12 at 5 p.m. AST. Have questions about this position? Contact Alaska Public Media’s digital managing editor at thanlon@alaskapublic.org.