Beacon Media Inc seeks a visionary Editor in Chief to lead our newsrooms based in Kansas City, Missouri and Wichita, Kansas. The Editor in Chief will report to the CEO and act as a member of the executive leadership team (ELT) and will be responsible for developing The Beacon’s editorial identity and mission. This is an opportunity to be at the forefront of a movement to make local news a foundational part of civic life in the Kansas City and Wichita metros by enabling the kind of journalism that holds power to account while being accountable to the communities we serve. As the Editor in Chief, you will join a team of committed professionals with the goal of creating a sustainable, non-profit news organization that engages the public, collaborates with other media, and produces the highest level of accountability and solutions-driven journalism in Kansas and Missouri.
The Editor in Chief will guide The Beacon’s editorial staff to its next level of excellence, producing on-the-ground enterprise and investigative reporting on issues that matter to our readers. The Editor in Chief leads the charge in making The Beacon’s journalism worthy of support from its audience, ensuring the newsroom is setting and meeting ambitious goals for producing local journalism, in terms of both quality and quantity, and distributing it in a way that reaches as many people in the region as possible, with an emphasis on those who need it most. The Editor in Chief will also manage newsroom editors in multiple locations to ensure that local operations stay aligned with the editorial identity of the organization.
Key Responsibilities:
- Cultivate an open newsroom culture of collaboration, quality, innovation, data-driven decision-making, accountability, and intelligent use of resources; retain and attract talent, and ensure community engagement is reflected in everyday coverage
- Manage and mentor editors in each location to produce strong, community-oriented accountability journalism with impact; act as editor when needed to ensure editorial needs are fully met in all locations
- Collaborate with the ELT, particularly Audience leadership, to ensure the product is in line with the mission and values of the organization
- Identify and define key performance indicators (KPIs); in conjunction with the ELT and other stakeholders, define strategic priorities; set annual organizational and employee goals; inspire and support employees to achieve or exceed targets in support of the mission
- Develop and implement an editorial strategy that drives traffic, engages readers, and supports revenue growth, including identifying new content verticals and formats, and partnering with other departments to optimize content distribution
- Create an annual newsroom department budget for approval, and ensure sound financial management within that budget with accurate regular reports, KPIs and financial summaries
- Work closely with audience and revenue leaders on strategies to grow the publication’s readership and editorial ambitions
- Identify and manage all editorial risks that could significantly impact The Beacon
- Ensure the newsroom has management systems and structures in place to operate effectively, accountability and safely, and that all professional standards are met
- Seek out and develop new income streams and products to ensure sustainability
- Work closely with journalism partners — including ProPublica, Report For America, the Solutions Journalism Network, and others — to ensure continued support for our editorial ambitions
- Serve as a visible advocate for The Beacon in the community, including speaking at public events
Preferred Qualifications
- Degree in Journalism, Communications, or equivalent combination of education and/or experience
- Two or more years of experience as a local newsroom leader who has supervised teams, developed, and overseen strategic editorial decisions, strong budgeting and P&L skills, and a track record of high-impact journalism
- Strong leadership skills, with a track record of building and managing high-performing teams.
- Proven success within a highly flexible, visible, entrepreneurial culture; comfort working under tight timelines in a fast-paced environment; leading in a hybrid work environment for employees in geographically dispersed locations
- Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and experience creating and implementing initiatives to promote these values.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues at all levels of the organization
- Deep understanding of the local news climate, including emerging trends and technologies.
- Visionary editorial leadership and the ability to convert that vision into action
- Comfortable with change; flexible and agile in a constantly transforming startup environment
- Significant experience supervising teams and overseeing strategic editorial decisions, and a track record of high-impact journalism
- Passion for local accountability journalism and independent media
Compensation: $110k – with competitive benefits package.
To apply, please submit cover letter and current resume via email to: hr@thebeacon.media
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