Content Editor

The Hartford Courant is looking for a content editor to help us grow audience across all of our digital platforms, including our website, branded social accounts, newsletters and mobile app. The content editor will report to the newsroom’s audience engagement team and will be responsible for developing and producing digital editorial content, managing day-to-day social and website production and reading stories to assess their readiness for publication. We’re looking for someone who is eager to innovate and work on editorial initiatives to help the Courant acquire new readers and better engage our existing audience. This position will include working evenings and /or weekend shifts.

Content editors support courant.com across all content channels, working on everything from breaking news to local entertainment to enterprise projects. Duties can vary within the team, but all content editors are expected to be fluent in: editing and preparing articles, photos, videos and designs for publication on all Hartford Courant digital platforms; performing other production-related functions that require sharp news judgment, including programming web pages based on audience data and The Hartford Courant’s mission; managing content from outside sources such as wire services; aggregating content or writing quick briefs, when necessary; and publishing on other platforms such as social media. Content editors must possess initiative, creativity, good news judgment, attention to detail, and a commitment to

accuracy. Content editors also must be able to multitask and perform well under constant deadlines with limited supervision. A combination of advanced skills that include a strong command of the English language, solid understanding of digital trends in SEO, social media and audience metrics, and editing skills that conform to accepted journalistic techniques; maintains the ethical and style standards of Tribune Publishing and The Hartford Courant.

Tribune Publishing is committed to hiring people with diverse backgrounds, voices and visions. Be yourself. Bring yourself. Because that’s the only way we will deliver on our mission to provide meaningful journalism to the diverse communities we serve. We hold ourselves accountable for fostering inclusion and opportunity across race, gender, age, creed, identity and experience. Join us.

• Being fast and accurate: Always striving to provide our audience with what we know, when we know it. Be transparent about sources of information.

• Supervising and working with journalists/visual journalists and others on content development, ensuring the content is fair, balanced and compelling, and presented in the optimum format for a digital audience.

• Managing courant.com and related digital products: Harness audience data to program, search for and request content, including photo and video that is of interest to the local audience and maximizes engagement.

• Editing articles and graphics for grammar, punctuation, clarity and accuracy; proofreading others’ work; andwriting headlines, captions and blurbs.

• Employing creativity to present all information in easy-to-read, visually appealing, informative and energetic design.

• Making smart, data-driven decisions on story promotion, inclusion and emphasis across all platforms, from sites to apps to email newsletters to social to alerts.

• Conceiving, creating, editing or producing various types of content including videos, maps, timelines, multimedia, documents, graphics, galleries, gifs and social aggregations.

• Monitoring wires and internal sources, including other Tribune Publishing sites, for video or video opportunities on breaking news and developing stories.

• Contributing to, optimizing content for or managing social channels, including brand accounts for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others as required.

• Editing photos: pulling photos from wires and other sources; cropping photos for publication, building galleries.

• Measuring performance of digital content through audience engagement metrics and helping develop tactics and strategies to build audience.

• Employing creativity and independent news judgment to text editing, designing, photo editing, and otherwise preparing work for publication.

• Striving to meet specific individual goals as assigned.

Additional skills: 

• A team-first work ethic and an ability to foster excellent communication throughout.
• Solid grasp of the rules of grammar, spelling, punctuation. Ability to write and edit accurately, with clarity, without bias.
• Familiarity with analytics and ability to translate data into tactics and strategies, including ability to use metrics from Chartbeat, Adobe Analytics, social and other tools.
• Working knowledge of Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms and ability to develop/follow best practices for social.
• Knowledge of SEO best practices and ability to research SEO and appropriately populate fields and headlines.
• An ability to multitask and perform in a deadline-driven environment, and adapt constructively to change.
• Adherence to the Tribune Publishing and The Hartford Courant’s and editorial codes of ethics.
• Maintaining up-to-date skills on various digital platforms and keeping abreast of current events and newsmakers in news, sports and pop culture.
• Strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit.
• Ability to multi-task and perform in a fast-paced deadline driven environment.
• Ability to work independently when required while at the same time operate efficiently in a team dynamic.
• Willingness to work evenings/weekends and irregular hours.

Interacts daily with other editors and occasionally central and market teams. Managing own time and directing his or herself with minimal to moderate supervision most of the day. Brief interactions with editors/supervisor throughout the day to discuss assignments.

Supervisory Duties: None.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications or related field.
• A minimum of one-year experience working with digital media at a news publication or web site.
• Knowledge of and acceptance of Tribune Publishing’s and The Hartford Courant’s mission and strategy.
• Excellent command of oral and written English.
• Must be able and willing to work irregular hours and holidays as necessary.
• Proficient use of technology such as computers and software, iPhones, iPads, and other digital devices.

Tribune Publishing Company is a media company rooted in award-winning journalism. Headquartered in Chicago, Tribune Publishing Company operates local media businesses in eight markets with titles including the Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida’s Sun-Sentinel, Virginia’s Daily Press and The Virginian-Pilot, The Morning Call of Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, and the Hartford Courant.

Tribune Publishing Company also operates Tribune Content Agency (TCA) and the Daily Meal.

Our brands are committed to informing, inspiring and engaging local communities. We create and distribute content across our media portfolio, offering integrated marketing, media, and business services to consumers and advertisers, including digital solutions and advertising opportunities