Executive Editor

Richner Communications is seeking an Executive Editor to lead its more than 20 weekly newspapers. We pride ourselves on outstanding journalism and meaningful audience engagement.

Our family-owned business continues to grow, producing hyperlocal news coverage in 24 editions of Herald Community Newspapers, online at LIHerald.com, in daily and weekly email newsletters and across social media platforms that reach a combined audience of more than 200,000 people every week.

The executive editor should have a sense of urgency as well as be a skilled communicator and leader who can motivate a newsroom while also collaborating effectively across departments.

The executive editor will lead the development of the newsroom's content plan, create strategies to actively listen to the community and ultimately be responsible for the quality of the journalism the newsroom produces. The executive editor should implement a training schedule, as well as provide consistent feedback, to ensure all content produced in the newsroom reaches the company's award-winning standard of journalism.

The executive editor should be a journalist who prioritizes community listening and understands how to approach stories for today’s reader, using platforms, formats and tools that tell stories effectively. The executive editor is expected to not only be involved in our local communities but also understand the important local issues and ensure these issues are appropriately covered by the newsroom.

You should have a strong news background and also see the value in other forms of content (sports, lifestyle, things to do, business) that can help grow new audiences. The executive editor should understand how to reach readers in underserved communities by creating original and valuable content as well as employing outreach strategies that help engage with these audiences.

You should fully understand how to use analytics in the newsroom and how to create a culture that uses a balance of data and news judgment to drive the team’s coverage plan.

You will be a member of the company’s core management team and responsible for executing executive management functions, including: department and annual budgeting; managing employee recruitment, performance, development and compensation; and strategic planning.

Success in this role is measured by the amount of impactful journalism that is created, growth in the overall audience and the creation of a culture that strives to understand the critical local issues, uses data to inform stories and operates with a sense of urgency in covering our communities.

Specific duties of the role

• Manage the following direct reports: managing editors; sports editor; photo editor; special sections editor; and senior editors.
• Lead and coordinate regional enterprise reporting.
• Develop your direct reports into effective coaches so they can provide helpful feedback and edits to editors and reporters.
• Approve all front page covers and work with our design resources to provide the most impactful presentations of content possible.
• Manage strategic editorial- and company-wide initiatives.
• Ensure the newsroom consistently meets deadlines.

Key requirements

5-7 years of news experience in a leadership role.

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, or equivalent work experience.
• Experience with managing a department, including strategic planning, budgeting and personnel actions.
• Outstanding and well-rounded reporting skills.
• Openness to experimenting with and implementing new technologies, such as AI.
• Understanding on how to optimize digital content through SEO best practices, social media engagement and newsletters.
• Ability to build relationships in the community that increase engagement and user-generated content.

Pay: $50,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person