The Digital Producer of the Memphis Business Journal is responsible for day-to-day management of all online content and owns the execution of the content strategy across all platforms and products, including web, email and mobile, crafting timely and compelling products to drive loyal engagement, grow audience and extend the Business Journal brand.
They will curate, report and write posts and produce interactive features, galleries and videos. The end result will be a vibrant digital experience that serves the audience, generates user feedback and inspires robust community interaction.
The Digital Producer is charged with fortifying and building a direct link between content creators (such as reporters, editors, photographers and researchers) and their audience.
The Digital Producer must thrive in a breaking-news culture. The job requires solid news judgment, strong headline writing skills and familiarity with SEO and site metrics. They must balance the highest standards for content with ambitious traffic and engagement objectives. All members of our newsroom must marry strong traditional journalism skills — source building, sharp interviewing techniques, strong analytical and investigative reporting skills and clear writing— with online and social media know-how.
REQUIRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLS:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
- 2-3 years of experience in online news operation, including solid understanding of news writing, journalistic ethics, story structure, strong headline writing and copy-editing skills
- Fluent in social media and experienced with SEO, HTML, Excel, InDesign/InCopy
- Familiarity with AP Style
- Video production experience a plus
- Demonstrated use of databases to build interactive elements and features
- Data entry for content management systems
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Versatile, comfortable with constant change, competitive, collaborative and curious
- Knowledge of business, and/or the local business community a plus
- Ability to work independently under deadline pressure and prioritize tasks appropriately
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Duties and Responsibilities, work schedules and/or location may change based on evolving business needs to produce newsy, engaging daily online content.
- Work with editors, reporters and other stakeholders to generate and execute content ideas. Work collaboratively with peers in design, research, audience, events, tech and other areas.
- Support the newsroom’s use of analytics and help interpret metrics for constant improvement.
- Work collaboratively with editors, reporters and other stakeholders on creative strategies for social media executions and to maximize the impact and accessibility of stories reported.
- Help set, drive and share ownership of traffic goals for staff, including page views, visitors, repeat visits, direct traffic, social media following and growth, email newsletter circulation growth, event attendance, and other such measures, subject to change and revision over time.
- In coordination with other departments, but using the direct levers of the newsroom, grow audience and engagement across all platforms — digital, weekly edition, events and more
- Establish and support social media and SEO best practices in the newsroom.
- Serve as local liaison with tech, content and other corporate reps on all advances and changes to content management systems, weekly production processes, and social media platforms.
- Work with editors, reporters and other stakeholders to plan new content and features. Work collaboratively with peers in design, research, audience, events, technology and other areas.
- Oversee and generate content for main social media accounts for editorial.
- Produce and maintain all market-specific content on the business journal’s website, including local promotions, updated staff lists, rate information and editorial calendars.
- Handle coding and uploading of weekly edition files, selected graphics and photos.
- Regularly participate in and attend Business Journal sponsored events, and assist with community outreach on awards publications and events.
- Take on any other assignment made by managers.
- Work cooperatively and collaboratively with all colleagues and professionally with sources.
To apply, go here.
Chris RoushChris 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.