Assistant sports editor

IndyStar and the USA TODAY Network is seeking an Assistant Sports Editor to help lead strategy, audience growth and sports coverage for one of the most successful sports departments in the country.

The newsroom is the winner of three Pulitzer Prizes, including in 2021 for national reporting. We recently received a $2 million investment from our parent company, Gannett, to turbocharge local journalism in Central Indiana. You’ll work with and learn from some of journalism’s best while living in a vibrant and diverse city in the heart of the Midwest.

The Assistant Sports Editor will report to Sports Editor Nat Newell. The ideal candidate will be an exceptional team leader; adept at generating and guiding reporters on ideas, reporting and writing; possess sound news judgment and ethics, have experience on special projects and strategic planning as well as daily operations. Previous editor experience is preferred but not required. We’re looking for someone with a keen understanding of analytics and audience who can help us innovate and grow. This leader will oversee our Pacers and motor sports beats; motor sports experience is not required.

Our mission is clear: IndyStar informs, empowers and inspires the people of Central Indiana with our journalism. We deliver journalism that is essential to the communities we serve with urgency. We are a people-centered newsroom that’s obsessed with thoughtful experimentation and developing our next generation of industry leaders.

If you’re up to the challenge of moving us forward, read on for job requirements and information on how to share your qualifications and best work.

Responsibilities

• Working with sports editors and individual journalists to activate IndyStar content strategies.
• Grow subscriptions and audience, improve the quality and impact of premium, subscriber-only experiences as well as metered content.
• Working with the other sports editors to create great story optimization and approaches with content aimed at key audiences.
• Helping editors and reporters take advantage of content analyses that can inform the quality, direction, reach and impact of our journalism.
• Helping to assess strategies for growing social media impact, newsletters and other avenues for subscriber and audience growth.
  
  

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience
• At least two years of professional journalism experience.
• An entrepreneurial approach to growing audience and a dedicated following.
• Experience editing and/or creating content in a deadline-driven sports newsroom
• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Solid news judgment that’s guided by experience with audience metrics
• Strong sense of journalism ethics and grounding in basics of media law.
• Commitment to reporting with fairness, compassion and sensitivity.
• Command of AP style and dedication to accuracy
• Sophisticated understanding of different audience platforms, user behaviors, content and strategy.
• Passion for collaborating with teams to find opportunities to engage and grow audiences.
• Great communication and organizational skills.
• Understanding of SEO and experience using social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and YouTube to build out storytelling and reach readers.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with team members working in remote settings throughout the country and abroad.
• Employment is contingent on passing a post-offer pre-employment background check.
  
  

About

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role and our newsroom. 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:

• Your resume - one to two pages.
• A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
• Links to 3-5 online samples of your work. Show us what you’ve produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role.
  
  

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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Expected pay range: $70,000-$80,000