Company Profile

Company Description:

 
FOUNDING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, BROOKLINE.NEWS
 
Brookline.News, an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to providing local coverage to this diverse, engaged town of 65,000 on Boston’s border, seeks a founding editor-in-chief. We’re a startup, so that title encompasses a broad range of skills: 
 
Managing. The successful candidate will help hire and manage a senior reporter and a roster of freelancers, working with them to develop story ideas, make assignments, edit, take photos with a smart phone, write headlines, captions and other display type, and post to our WordPress content management system. Working with the Board of Directors and the Steering Committee, the founding editor-in-chief will chart the course for news coverage and help guide the editorial direction of the organization. The successful candidate will have five years of experience in a newsroom, with a demonstrable record of managing newsroom employees in a fast-paced, ever-changing setting. Brookline.News has two additional goals, and the founding editor-in-chief will be a full partner in reaching them: to train a next generation of journalists and to create a regional ecosystem for hyperlocal news outlets by developing a support network to share start-up advice and journalistic, business, and fundraising best practices, as well as collaborating when appropriate on stories of wider regional interest. The founding editor-in-chief should approach this job with that collaborative spirit in mind and have some experience guiding interns or emerging journalists. 
 
Writing. The founding editor-in-chief is, in essence, a player-coach, and must be able not only to rigorously edit and fact-check the work of others but to write clearly and quickly on deadline, whether focusing on breaking news, features, or enterprise and investigative work. The expected range of stories will include coverage of town government and politics, schools, housing and economic development, environment and health, diversity and inclusion, arts and entertainment, and everyday Brookline residents and businesses. The ideal candidate for this position is resourceful and unflappable, able to edit and write with an eye for accuracy and fairness—correcting any errors quickly and transparently—and able to think more broadly about how stories might be enhanced with multimedia components. This person should be well-versed in AP style and ascribe to the ethical principles developed by Brookline.News and posted on our website.
 
Audience engagement. In order to establish a strong feedback channel with the Brookline community, the founding editor-in-chief should be adept at using current social media platforms and willing to embrace those that may emerge in the future. The successful candidate should be familiar with the metrics used to measurereadership on all platforms and be aware of audience trends. The founding editor-in-chief will also be part of regular live reader forums as well as other events and must be open to listening deeply to feedback, opinions, and story ideas from the community. As the newsroom leader and public face of Brookline.News, this person must have a robust presence in the community and be able to remain dispassionate, analytical, and objective when faced with criticism from readers. Some night and weekend work may be required, as news demands. Preference will be given to candidates who live in the Greater Boston area and have a connection to Brookline.
 
Salary range. This job comes with a competitive salary as well as an annual cost-of-living raise and a stipend for health benefits. A computer and cell-phone stipend will be supplied. This job will have 10 days of paid time off per year, five days of paid sick leave, and up to 12 weeks of paid family leave. Support for professional training and attending industry conferences will be offered. Brookline.News has media insurance and is represented by a Boston-based attorney with a significant media law practice.
 
Brookline.News is committed to diversity, inclusion, and belonging and encourages members of underrepresented communities to apply.
 
To apply. Please share your resume and a short cover letter that tells us about you and about your vision for this job and email to editorsearch@gmail.com or send via US postal service to Brookline.News, ℅ Ellen Clegg, clerk, 71 Saint Mary’s Street, Unit 2, Brookline, MA 02446.
 
Vaccination Statement. 
We require that all Brookline.News employees be vaccinated from COVID-19 unless an exemption from this policy has been granted as an accommodation. All employees must provide proof of vaccination status.
 
Employees may request a reasonable accommodation or other exemption from this policy by contacting the Board of Directors. Failure to comply with or enforce any part of this policy, or misrepresentation of compliance with this policy, may result in discipline, up to and including termination of employment, subject to reasonable accommodation and other requirements of applicable federal, state, and local law.
 
Statement on racial equity, inclusion, diversity, and belonging. 
Brookline.News is an equal employment opportunity employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, skin color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, military or veteran status, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition or any other protected characteristic. Brookline.News is committed to racial equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.