Breaking/Trending News Editor, The Columbus Dispatch & Dispatch.com

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The Columbus Dispatch/Dispatch.com, the leading news and information provider in the state capital of Columbus and part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, seeks a strategic, digitally fluent journalist to lead our breaking and trending news team in a highly competitive market for urgent, informative and exclusive news. This editor will drive digital-first news gathering, champion multimedia storytelling, and ensure our journalism reflects and serves diverse communities.

Responsibilities:

• Help lead a Digital-First Newsroom: Direct breaking news and criminal justice coverage with a focus on speed, accuracy, and digital impact. Assign and edit coverage for all platforms, prioritizing mobile, web, and social distribution.
• Champion Video Storytelling: Collaborate with visual editors, reporters, and producers to create compelling video content for social platforms (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube) and dispatch.com.
• Urgent Sourcing Across Channels: Develop and execute strategies for real-time sourcing and verification using social media, public agencies, and community sources. Monitor social platforms for breaking news, trending topics, and user-generated content; verify and incorporate multimedia from public and official sources.
• Audience Engagement: Identify top trending stories of the day, based on analytics and audience potential, specific to attracting search and social audiences. Use analytics and audience insights to shape coverage, drive subscriptions, and deepen engagement. Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and inclusivity.
• Mentorship and Collaboration: Mentor reporters in digital news gathering, compelling narratives, and diverse sources. Collaborate across the newsroom and USA TODAY Network to enhance story forms and audience reach.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Expertise in digital-first news gathering, video production, and social media sourcing.
• Expertise with public records, data reporting, and data visualization.
• Strong news judgment, editing skills, and command of journalism ethics.
• Proficiency with analytics, audience funnel strategies, and digital content optimization.
• Ability to verify and curate user-generated content and multimedia from social platforms.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in journalism, media production, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Five or more years of newsroom editing experience, with a track record in digital and public safety journalism.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams in a fast-paced, multi-platform environment.

Application Instructions
We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don’t limit your upload to a resume; show us what you’ve done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:
1. Your resume – one to two pages.
2. A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.
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