Editor-in-Chief, Arkansas Today

Overview

Position: Editor-in-Chief

Reports to: Executive Editor and Chief Content Officer

About Deep South Today

Deep South Today is a nonprofit network of local newsrooms that includes Mississippi Today, Verite News, The Current and, later in 2026, Arkansas Today.

Founded in 2016, Mississippi Today is now the largest newsroom in the state, and in 2023 it won the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting. Verite News launched in 2022 in New Orleans, where it covers inequities facing communities of color. The Current is a nonprofit news organization founded in 2018 serving Lafayette and southern Louisiana.

With its regional scale and scope, Deep South Today is rebuilding and re-energizing local journalism in communities where it had previously eroded and ensuring its long-term growth and sustainability. Next up is Arkansas, where the launch of Arkansas Today represents an exciting new chapter in that mission.

About Arkansas Today

Arkansas Today, a statewide news outlet dedicated to accountability and investigative journalism the state deserves, will launch in the fall of 2026. It will have an on-the-ground reporting presence in both Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas and a commitment to statewide coverage reaching every corner of the Natural State.

Additionally, the newsroom will create partnerships with several existing Arkansas news outlets intended to grow upon trusted local relationships.

The need for Arkansas Today is rooted in years of listening. Deep South Today has spent several years traveling the state, meeting with residents, community leaders, journalists and local organizations to understand what Arkansans want and need from a news outlet. That feedback is informing every decision about the launch, including the communities Arkansas Today will prioritize, the beats its journalists will cover and the partnerships it will pursue.

Role summary

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for establishing the editorial vision, strategy and overall success of Arkansas Today. The ideal candidate will be a forward-thinking leader with deep experience in journalism, familiarity with a variety of storytelling formats, devotion to the highest ethical standards of journalistic integrity and a creative approach to finding stories that might otherwise be missed.

The ideal candidate will bring strong knowledge of Arkansas — its communities, politics, policy landscape and the stories that matter most to its residents — along with the drive to build a newsroom from the ground up as part of a growing regional network. This candidate must exhibit a clear vision and desire to build lasting relationships with existing news outlets in the state and establish a collaborative spirit among other Arkansas journalists.

Duties and responsibilities

• Create and execute the newsroom’s editorial and product vision. The EIC must define a clear and compelling vision for the look, feel and voice of our journalism, and must be at the table for the creation of the branding, website, newsletters, multimedia content and social media.
• Create, implement and assess a staff and management structure that provides for editorial success.
• Set and responsibly manage the newsroom’s annual budget, and support the development team as they fundraise and work toward long-term sustainability.
• Share cross-departmental responsibility for growing our digital, social media and event audiences in conjunction with Deep South Today colleagues.
• Seek out editorial partnerships and collaborations with local, statewide, regional and national news organizations.
• Hire and develop editors, reporters and video and audio producers.
• Supervise the editorial team, providing key support as the newsroom launches and grows in its early days.
• Write editorials and/or columns, positioning the Editor-in-Chief as a thought leader in the community.
• Represent the newsroom and organization at social functions and other public events.
• Make final decisions about which stories, articles and photographs to publish.
• Review written content for spelling and grammatical errors.
• Fact-check information in articles and stories.
• Assess legal risk of reporting material before it publishes and coordinate with outside counsel when necessary.
• Lead the awards submissions process annually.

Skills and qualification requirements

• Degree in journalism, communications, or similar.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience as a senior editor.
• Experience working in an online, digital-first news environment.
• Experience managing a budget.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Good decision-making skills.
• Strong leadership skills.

What you’ll get

• Salary: Up to $150,000
• Highly competitive benefits package, including medical insurance and options for vision and dental insurance.
• 29 days paid time off.
• Up to 12 weeks of parental family leave, with return-to-work flexibility.
• Simple IRA with 3 percent company matching. Group-term life insurance provided to employees ($15,000 policy).
• Support for professional training and attending industry conferences.

Our commitment

We’re committed to building an inclusive newsroom that represents the people and communities we serve. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply for this position, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people and people who are differently abled.

How to apply

To apply for this job, click this link. If you have any questions about this job posting, please contact Deep South Today’s Adam Ganucheau at aganucheau@deepsouthtoday.org.