Opinion - Coverage Editor

The Philadelphia Inquirer is a public benefit corporation owned by the nonprofit Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Together, we're at the center of a critical mission to create a lasting future for ambitious, engaging, and useful local journalism. We're doing this, in part, by deepening our connection with the communities we serve. Our integrated digital and print platforms are the Philadelphia region's largest media network. We're passionate about building a sustainable model for indispensable local journalism, and we take pride in finding diverse, dynamic, and talented individuals to help push our team forward.

Summary: The Philadelphia Inquirer is seeking a nimble story editor to help cultivate an inclusive roster of freelance writers, essayists, and digital media contributors as Coverage Editor on the Opinion team. The Opinion team publishes op-eds, editorials, letters to the editor and the work of Inquirer columnists. In addition to daily editing and production duties, the Coverage Editor will focus on growing the Opinion team's roster of op-ed contributors to best reflect the diverse communities of the Greater Philadelphia area. The Coverage Editor will also serve as a member of The Inquirer's Editorial Board, which speaks on behalf of the institution about matters of public interest. This role is also a part of the Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia.

What You'll Do:

The ideal candidate will enjoy working collaboratively with other Opinion editors to curate Inquirer Opinion offerings for Inquirer.com, the daily Inquirer editorial pages, and the Sunday Currents section, but should also be able to independently execute op-eds from conception to publication.

This includes:

• Using a combination of news judgment and digital audience analytics to identify potential topics and contributors for op-eds, with a focus on diversity
  of opinions and subject matter.
• Assigning and editing pieces from outside contributors, who will range from professionals to first-time writers.
• Balancing both fast-paced, quick-turnaround pieces tied to breaking news and daily deadlines with longer term projects.
• Editing letters to the editor with an eye for fact-checking, sensitivity, and collegiality.
• Contributing to conversations with The Inquirer Editorial Board to inform the institutional stance on issues of the day, including endorsements of candidates
  for local and national elected offices. This could include, on occasion, writing editorials on behalf of the Board.

Who We're Looking For:

• Qualifications include: Minimum of 5 years editing experience
• We're looking for someone who is ambidextrous enough to work collaboratively with a growing team and who can also be self-motivated and perform tasks
  independently
• Previous experience in community building and audience engagement is preferred but not essential
• Ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to adapt quickly to meet the evolving demands of daily news stories

* We know not everyone reading this will fit exactly what we've described. We encourage everyone to apply who shares our passion for indispensable journalism and our drive to create a sustainable business model to support it. As an equal opportunity employer, The Inquirer is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture, and we especially encourage members of underrepresented communities to submit an application, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and people with special needs*
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Other details

• Pay Type Salary

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