The Executive Editor oversees all content initiatives with a primary focus of growing new digital audience while continuing to serve loyal print subscribers. A supreme understanding of and experience with digital platforms, social media strategy, search engine optimization, and newsletter targeting are essential. The best candidates will also have a collaborative spirit and knowledge of total operation, including audience/circulation, sales and production.
Performance will be measured by subscriber growth, engagement and retention as well as the impact our content has in the community – audience reach and public service. Importantly, this top newsroom position requires a rock-solid, fundamental understanding of what is required to deliver journalism of the highest order.
The role reports to the president of APG Chesapeake and is based in Easton, Maryland. Travel to other sites in the region is required.
Executive Editor responsibilities:
- Collaborate with other members of the newsroom management team to design workflows that lead with digital, delivery and follow with smooth and efficient print packaging. This will require leading cultural change in the newsroom.
- Evaluate the current newsroom footprint and align it fit the distribution and readership footprint of APG Chesapeake. The Executive Editor must be able to make tough decisions in allocating limited resources in a manner that best positions the various newsrooms they manage to meet the needs of the communities they serve.
- Understand and lead training that focuses on target audiences. “Serving the whole community,” is not an audience strategy. Where are growth opportunities, who are the underserved, and what are unique approaches to journalism that serve both?
- Understand how to use measurement tools and analytics to judge performance. Make data-driven decisions and set internal goals that are thoroughly explained to staff. Hold regular training sessions so that newsroom staff always know where the team stands against goals.
- It’s not all about the numbers. Charge the team with having an impact in the community – finding ways to represent the underserved in the community, for example, even when that means challenging community leaders to do better. Assess the potential impact of all investigative work and be prudent in its selection in order to preserve high-level journalism that is resource intensive but vital to the communities we serve.
- Through research, networking and an intrinsic hunger for being on the front end of change, be a company champion for emerging platforms, best practices and new audience behaviors. Be able to connect these with our approach to journalism.
- Be self-motivated to collaborate with peers in other departments as well as editors at other APG sites.
Essential skills and experience:
- Minimum of 3 years of experience leading a news team.
- Strong English language skills, both written and verbal.
- Experience of web analytics (Google Analytics preferable).
- Results driven – we are looking for accountable success.
- Interpersonal skills – the ability to get on with and earn the respect of a wide variety of people at all levels of seniority.
- Community engagement experience – in person and on social networks, being a professional ambassador for the news organization in the community.
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- Preferred: Additional professional development training in areas such as social media, analytics or project management.
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