An ambitious reporter and writer with a talent for service journalism and a knack for reader-focused product reviews and how-to coverage. Must be able to create highly engaging content for Consumer Report’s members and its wider audience of readers.
The right candidate is inherently curious about products and appliances and will leverage the wealth of expertise and resources available at Consumer Reports in creative ways that address consumer needs. With general supervision, the Writer/Editor-Home conceives of and executes best-in-class content across all of CR’s platforms—digital, print, interactive, social, and video.
Qualifications Include
- Bachelor’s degree with at least five years of experience in multi-platform editorial for home, business or consumer project journalism required.
- 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 construction or design –related information into informative content across multiple platforms.
- Ability to manage and lead in a cross-organizational capacity required.
- A thorough knowledge of home and the interior design industry are preferred.
- Competent in all aspects of reviewing and creating accurate and compelling stories across all platforms.
- 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.
- Competent in editing and writing display copy, generating ideas for infographics across all media.
- 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.
Competencies:
- Editing and Writing: Demonstrates professional-level editing and writing ability across multiple media formats. Able to edit the work of colleagues (writers and non-writers) in various stages of development.
- Consumer Focus: Proactively seeks ways to discover and incorporate consumer needs into all content development.
- Collaboration: Values the contribution of all internal resource groups (e.g. Product Intelligence, Survey, Lab Techs, etc.).
- Time Management: Demonstrates ability to accomplish tasks by established deadlines; demonstrates discipline in using time management tools and techniques; uses time efficiently to balance competing demands and priorities.
- Content Strategy: Partners with other areas to ensure content is current, of the highest quality, and delivered in multiple media formats in support of the organization’s strategic goals.
- Physical Demands: Must be able travel as needed, perform on camera, and work in an office environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Under general supervision generates cross-platform home content campaigns that will be published across print, digital, and video platforms; works closely with counterparts in Advocacy, Survey, Communications, Design, and other key stakeholders to maximize resources and consumer impact.
- Proactively follows and reports on home, ensuring content is relevant, timely, cutting-edge and addresses consumer needs in a proactive way. Attending trade shows and other industry events as needed.
- Acts as both in-house home spokesperson and CR home representative for media outreach, tradeshows and industry events.
- Acts as on-camera home subject-matter expert for all CR video platforms; may be asked to execute rough drafts of video scripts.
- Collects data, summarizes and interprets market information to make relevant content recommendations.
- Assists digital editorial team to maintain specialty products such as Buying Guides, Product Pages and other regularly-updated content on Consumer Reports Online.
- Writes headlines, subheads, captions, cover lines etc., as necessary. Prepares sourcing for fact-checking.
- Collaborates with home team to create multi-media content.
- Actively participates as a member of the home product 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.
- Performs other duties of the department as needed, but not those of a higher level.
- Coordinates information among Home, Product Testing, Advocacy, Survey, Social, Design, and other organizational teams that support assigned content areas.
- Assists with 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.
To apply, go here.
