Categories: Journo Jobs

Consumer Reports seeks senior auto writer

CR’s next Senior Writer/Editor Auto, is a seasoned automotive journalist who loves cars, understands the auto industry and knows how to communicate that from a consumer’s point of view.  We’re looking for someone who can generate enterprise, original content, across digital, print, social and video platforms, that is on-strategy, on-time and well-packaged and highly engaging. You will also assist with idea generation while managing your workflow across CR’s multimedia products.

This position is located at Consumer Report’s 327-acre Auto Test Facility in Colchester, CT, 22 miles southeast of Hartford.

Take a test drive….

Qualifications Include

  • Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of seven to 10 years of experience in multi-platform editorial for automotive, business or consumer project journalism required.
  • A thorough knowledge of automobiles, the automotive industry and automotive engineering.
  • Experience in high-speed automotive testing required.
  • Ability to manage and lead in a cross-organizational capacity required.
  • High level of competency in all aspects of reviewing and creating accurate and compelling stories across all platforms.
  • Highly skilled in collecting and interpreting all data, internal and external, to create the most accurate and in context story possible.
  • Ability to smoothly transition writing styles from hard news to expository review to opinionated blog.
  • Excellent organizational skills and ability to meet rigid deadlines.
  • Competency with page design software such as K4 and CQ as well as Microsoft Office and Google Docs highly beneficial.
  • On-camera broadcast experience, mass media training, and a daily journalism background are preferred.
  • Strategic creative skills essential.
  • Must be able to work in self-directed capacity and to conceive and execute compelling multimedia content.
  • Can translate complex technical automotive information into informative content across multiple platforms.
  • High level of competency in editing and writing display copy, generating ideas for infographics across all media.
  • Must maintain a driver’s license in good standing.

Key Responsibilities

  • Under general supervision conceives and executes high quality, well reported cross-platform in depth regular automotive content campaigns that will be published across print, digital, and video platforms; works closely with counterparts in Labs, Advocacy, Survey, Communications, Design, and other key stakeholders to maximize resources and consumer impact.
  • Conducts large scale enterprise investigative reporting.
  • Aggressively follows and reports on autos, ensuring content is relevant, timely, cutting-edge and addresses consumer needs in a proactive way.  Attends trade shows and other industry events as needed.
  • Acts as both in-house auto expert and CR auto representative for media outreach and public events.
  • Acts as on-camera auto subject-matter expert for all CR video platforms; may be asked to execute rough drafts of video scripts.
  • Edits the work of other writers in assigned product categories for publication on multiple platforms; advises other writers on best practices for digital content production.
  • Partners with digital editorial team to maintain specialty products such as Buying Guides, Product Pages, and other regularly-updated content on Consumer Reports Online.
  • Owns coordination of information from ATC, Advocacy, Survey, Social, Communications, Design, and other organizational teams that support assigned content areas.
  • Participates in the planning and scheduling process, creates sidebars, infographics that animates stories and reports.
  • Moves content through the production process, incorporating changes by related parties, copy-fitting, and conferring with art and production personnel.
  • Writes headlines, subheads, captions, cover lines etc., as necessary. Prepares sourcing for fact-checking.
  • Tests automobiles at ATC and in everyday life.  Collaborates with engineering team to create multi-media content.
  • Actively participates as a member of an auto product testing and content team, conferring with other team members as necessary to ensure objectives for quality and timeliness are met.
  • May write content, as needed, across all platforms.
  • Maintains high level knowledge of one or more product or service categories within the content group.
  • Mentors and coaches junior ATC Content Team Members.
  • Performs other duties of the department as needed.

To apply, go here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.

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