Street Sense Media seeks an editor-in-chief

Street Sense Media is looking for a hard-working, compassionate, and mission-driven individual to serve as a full-time Editor-in-Chief. This position oversees the print and digital production and operations of our editorial department.

We have a small but strong award-winning newsroom that relies on a fluid team of four student intern reporters, volunteer freelancers, and and full-time deputy editor. The ideal candidate should be able to work with a diverse team that includes other editors, writers, photographers, designers, and non-editorial staff members.

Street Sense Media (SSM) is an evolving, mid-size, nonprofit media company and social service organization committed to ending chronic homelessness by providing economic opportunities and powerful forms of self-expression to men and women living in extreme poverty. We work in a collaborative, dynamic, and collegial environment for and with the people the organization serves. We are one of more than 100 street papers worldwide.

What you’ll be doing: ·

Newspaper Production

• Take final responsibility for delivering files for a high quality 16-page publication to the press by 7 p.m. every other Tuesday.
• Generate story ideas and write occasionally.
• Edit and assign news stories.
• Solicit, evaluate, and edit poetry and prose submissions for the Art Section.
• Coordinate with the Opinion Section editors (team of volunteers).
• Develop page layouts and prepare graphics for print with the Adobe Creative Suite.·

Management

• Supervise the staff reporter.
• Recruit, train, and supervise a rotating cohort of 5-7 interns. (Reporters, an audience engagement role, and a graphic designer).
• Recruit and coordinate editorial volunteers.
• Coach contributors to develop work for the News, Art, and Opinion sections.
• This position reports to the CEO.

Community Engagement and Listening

• Develop and nurture relationships with sources across the city.
• Represent Street Sense Media at community events relevant to the issues we cover.
• Remain current with research and best practices for addressing poverty.
• Remain current with journalism best practices and innovative ways to build trust and serve audience members’ information needs.
• Manage special projects, such as the annual news blitz, to engage new readers.

Development

• Manage digital promotion of editorial content through social media, email, multimedia.
• Identify funding opportunities to support and sustain our journalism and publishing. When appropriate, help apply for those opportunities.
• Build and manage partnerships with external newsrooms and internal media channels.
• All other duties as assigned.

We’re looking for someone who…

• Has the demonstrated ability to produce high-quality, ethical journalism.
• Shares a strong commitment to accountability and enterprise reporting.
• Has excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Has managed a team.
• Is proficient with Adobe InDesign.
• Can work in a fast moving, collaborative environment.
• Is organized and able to manage multiple projects at once.
• Can connect policy decisions to readers’ lives.
• Meets deadlines and ensures accuracy.
• Thinks strategically and creatively.

Preferred but not required qualifications include…

• Experience working/volunteering with people experiencing homelessness; Lived experience of
• homelessness is even more highly valued.
• Background in critically reviewing art: personal essays, poetry, fiction, etc.
• Experience managing other journalists.
• Experience coordinating volunteers.
• Community listening / audience engagement experience.
• Proficiency with WordPress content management software.
• Proficiency with audio/video storytelling and editing.

Education: 4-Year Degree Required

Experience Level: Mid-level/Managerial

Salary: USD $57,000 – USD $62,000 / year

Start Date: November 1, 2023

Application Deadline: October 20, 2023

Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume, three work samples, and three professional references to jobs@streetsensemedia.org with the subject line “Editor-in-Chief.”

For further details click here.