The Wall Street Journal is expanding its social media/off-platform team and is looking for experienced journalists with a passion for social storytelling.
The Social Media Editor will ensure that breaking news, features and scoops are delivered effectively across our various social channels, every hour of the day, while endeavoring to amplify these stories in novel ways.
He or she will help define the WSJ’s social voice and sensibility, while coordinating coverage—from political news and disasters to market-moving reports and exclusives—across these channels. Candidates should be comfortable publishing to an audience of millions that includes both longtime readers and those encountering the Journal for the first time.
The Social Media Editor will work directly with senior coverage editors to craft social/off-platform plans for our journalism and shepherd stories from concept to final execution. He or she will work closely with mobile and homepage editors to create strong, clear and accurate language in social posts. The position requires a broad knowledge of social-media platforms. Night and weekend work may be required.
Experience:
- At least three years of journalism and social-media experience in a newsroom, with a quick metabolism for the daily news cycle
- Sound editorial judgment and an understanding and appreciation of WSJ’s publishing standards
- Proven experience as a news editor or reporter, with a keen eye for detail and accuracy
- Understanding of and familiarity with social-media publishing and analytics tools, including SocialFlow, Parse.ly, CrowdTangle and other relevant software or platforms
- Experience producing and editing graphics, photos and video
- Strong communication and organizational skills
Responsibilities:
Execute WSJ’s core social-media strategy:
- Handle all duties associated with the day-to-day publishing of WSJ content off-platform, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Experiment with new platforms and collaborate with our emerging-media team on vertical-display packages.
- Write and edit social-media posts with the utmost deference to our journalism, ensuring accuracy and clarity above all else
- Advocate for social storytelling across platforms, teaching editors and reporters how to optimize their content
- Take command of our primary WSJ channels in moments of breaking news to ensure speed, clarity and accuracy in social posts. Confidently make publishing decisions amid a surfeit of news, including knowing when to exercise restraint.
- Plan and implement resurfacing of social-media posts using an analytics-based approach
- Help develop best visual practices on social media, including use of native video, slideshows and GIFs. Explore opportunities for live-streaming via various platforms, while conceiving original content that can be serialized on those platforms.
- Coordinate with other social-media editors, including colleagues in Europe and Asia, to ensure smooth transitions in social publishing around the clock
- Help codify social-media policies; clarify and update guidelines as necessary
- Maintain the WSJ voice in social text, applying audience insights across platforms
- Work with commercial colleagues to identify opportunities to enhance promotion of our journalism
Support social-media strategy in coverage areas:
- Help news desks craft social language and procure social-friendly visuals
- Attend coverage planning meetings and identify stories with new audience development potential
- Liaise between assigned coverage areas and the Audience and Analytics team to develop and implement social promotion plans
- Stay informed about what the coverage area is publishing on a short- and long-term basis; spot important stories and provide social guidance.
- Identify high-potential stories for Audience and Analytics team to set expectations on article performance before publication
To apply, go here.
