Deputy Managing Editor, News Desk

Job Description

The Opportunity

The Chicago Sun-Times is looking for an innovative leader to help guide daily news coverage in one of America's most exciting and diverse metropolitan areas. We're seeking a Deputy Managing Editor, News, to help guide an ambitious and talented news team of general assignment reporters and assistant editors to produce important, interesting and useful stories that help Chicago area residents participate in, and make the most of, our community.

The successful candidate will be energized by a broad mix of breaking and trending news coverage, staying abreast of such stories on emerging platforms. This editor must be able to inspire a team to create daily stories that serve, grow and engage our audiences digitally, in print, in audio, on social media and beyond. This person will be a creative storyteller comfortable working in multiple formats; a superlative and intentional communicator; and an enthusiastic collaborator who is adept at working closely with enterprise/topic desks, audience, visuals, our WBEZ audio team and print production teams. The ideal candidate will be an experienced and thoughtful people manager, with an understanding of how a healthy team culture supports stronger storytelling that connects with diverse audiences. Working closely with the Managing Editor, News, the Deputy Managing Editor will direct and help shape impactful coverage across digital, print and wire editions that will keep our audiences coming back.

Job Requirements

Responsibilities

• Co-manage the News Desk operations Sunday-Thursday, including a Monday night shift
• Collaborate on News Desk operations and oversight with the Managing Editor, News and the early shift Deputy Managing Editor, News
• Run afternoon news budget meetings in the Managing Editor’s absence
• Coordinate with daily news editors to ensure copy is edited in a timely fashion with strong attention to accuracy, tight writing, breaking news deadlines and best practices
• Collaborate with enterprise desk editors to add deeper reporting or background on the day’s news and to coordinate and prioritize daily coverage from beat reporters
• In collaboration with other News Desk leaders, oversee the daily story budget and identify top story lines for emphasis on all platforms and ensure appropriate resources — including reporters, photographers, videographers and graphics team members — are assigned in a timely fashion to the biggest stories of the day, prioritizing based on our goals and staffing
• Help guide our planned and evergreen coverage with News Desk leaders and enterprise editors to stay on top of stories across our various coverage areas
• Work closely with our audio, audience and visual teams to make sure news stories are conceived of and presented in ways that ensure our stories reach, engage and serve as many readers as possible
• Create stories and other assets that serve Sun-Times wire clients, ensuring their needs are met across platforms 
• Directly supervise assistant city editors and general assignment reporters, coaching them so they can do their best work, reach their goals and develop in their careers
• Participate in creating a supportive culture, mentoring and training the team of reporters – including interns – with assistance from other news editors editors
• Oversee News Desk scheduling of reporters and editors
• Help improve the Sun-Times’ editorial excellence, workplace culture and impact
• Promote diversity, inclusion and equity

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, or a related major – or equivalent training
• Minimum 10 years of experience in journalism with at least five years of experience managing reporters or editors
• Excellent news judgment and a platform-agnostic storyteller with a track record identifying trends in new and innovative platforms to determine the most important, impactful and interesting stories in the Chicago area – and what to skip
• Stellar breaking news and deadline writing skills
• Strong line-editing and top-editing skills with the ability to turn stories into gold 
• Excellent headline writing and packaging skills
• A clear understanding of journalism standards and ethics 
• The desire and ability to work in a collaborative, union environment

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