Job Opening: Southwest Contemporary News Editor
Southwest Contemporary seeks a part-time News Editor (20 hours/week) to create and develop web-based digital content that fulfills the overall editorial and creative goals of the publication. This position is a temporary six-month contract with potential to be extended or become a permanent position. This position may be fully remote, but applicants should reside within our editorial coverage area (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah).
The News Editor works with the senior editor to prepare an editorial calendar for all web content on southwestcontemporary.com and coordinates a large group of regional freelance contributors. The News Editor is responsible for the editorial quality, integrity, accuracy, and clarity of articles on SWC’s digital platform.
Responsibilities:
Content Development:
- Develop timely arts and culture reportage that provides information about and critical context for current events and developments relevant to the arts communities and arts markets across the Southwest region. This content will include news reportage (75%), as well as reviews, cultural criticism, and occasional profiles (25%).
- Coverage area includes Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah, and may occasionally extend into Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Southern California.
- Develop content of interest to wide-ranging audience demographic inclusive of creative industry professionals, artists and creators, buyers and patrons, and arts enthusiasts—regionally and nationwide.
- Manage web editorial schedule, which includes a minimum of three commissioned articles per week, plus one article per week to be written by the News Editor.
- Meets weekly with the senior editor to discuss story ideas, topics, potential writers, new pitches, assignments in the pipeline, quality of articles, and whether or how to rewrite or reject material. Regularly solicits input and feedback on articles from senior editor.
- Meets weekly with the SWC team to discuss company goals and projects, share updates on upcoming editorial, discuss audience development, and collaborate with the marketing manager as needed to ensure web stories reach and resonate with readers.
- Performs line editing, rewrites, and copyedits on submitted assignments.
- Cultivates regional freelance writers by providing thorough, instructive edits and constructive feedback; goes out of their way to help writers grow in their craft.
- Manages production schedule: tracks and enforces deadlines of freelance writers, anticipates and mitigates delays.
- Works with contributors, sources, and/or photographers to secure high-resolution photos/illustrations with permissions, captions, and credits to accompany web articles.
- Fact-checks.
Website management:
- Uses WordPress CMS to draft completed content for final delivery to the senior editor for proofreading and approval (WordPress training provided).
- Inputs SEO content for all articles (SEO training provided).
Requirements + Skills
- Prior experience in journalism required.
- Prior editing experience preferred.
- Excellent organizational skills, unyielding attention to detail.
- Receptive to direction and developmental feedback.
- Over-communicates progress and updates to senior editor frequently and efficiently.
- Self-starts and self-directs.
- Ability to curate content tone and voice for target audience.
- Works well within an all-hands-on-deck small team dynamic.
- Professional communication skills, maintains positive community and professional relationships.
- Ability to prioritize and meet frequent, overlapping deadlines.
- Keeps finger on the pulse of regional arts communities as well as art world at large, anticipates trends and critical issues.
- Identifies content that is new, relevant, and valuable to arts communities throughout the Southwest.
- Genuine curiosity about and knowledge of the ever-evolving art world.
- Strong technical writing skills and the ability to unravel complex ideas, generate meaningful questions for authors, and rewrite and reorganize text as necessary.
- Ability to clarify and simplify confusing language while staying true to an author’s meaning and voice.
- Team player with willingness to help out with other tasks above and beyond this job description as needed.
- Elementary skill in Adobe Photoshop preferred.
- Working knowledge of WordPress CMS preferred (no coding required).
Details
- 20 hours/week.
- Temporary six-month contract, with potential to be extended or become a permanent position.
- Must have some availability five days per week (Monday through Friday), specific hours may be flexible.
- Position may be fully remote, but applicants should reside within our editorial coverage area (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah).
- $24/ hour.
Apply
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and three recent arts/culture reportage writing samples to lauren@southwestcontemporary.com.
Applications will be accepted through April 15, 2021.
