Editor-in-Chief, The Austin Newsroom
Editor-in-Chief, The Austin Newsroom
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Job Description
A new Austin community newsroom launching in 2025 and supported by The Texas Tribune is hiring an ideal candidate is an experienced ambitious journalist with a deep passion for Austin contextual local news and community engagement. The EIC must be committed to building and sustaining a new local news organization and growing audiences and trust in multiple formats. They must have a strong track record of building and managing teams that produce impactful journalism. The EIC needs to operate strategically and build partnerships with other news outlets and organizations. The person in this role will represent the newsroom in meetings with community members and public appearances.
The role
The editorinchief will start build and manage an Austinbased newsroom focused on excellent journalism with a communityoriented vision. The ideal candidate embraces a startup environment and solves problems in real time. The EIC will ensure the newsroom identifies areas to uniquely serve Austin with timely and contextual coverage.
This proven news leader assigns ambitious stories and works with the news editor to oversee the daily editorial functions of the newsroom including beat reporting source building research line editing story production and operational partnerships. The EIC has an evolving editorial and product vision to meet the needs of a rapidly growing community and nurtures a newsroom culture that thrives on engaging with Austin residents. The EIC also executes audience and editorial strategies.
The EIC establishes workflows for newsroom staff to deliver mustread communityfocused news. They meet regularly with various members of the Austin community and attend and moderate various events and conversations to build relationships.
The EIC works with our general manager and others to make a case for local support of the newsrooms mission. The EIC plays an active role in public forums to champion the newsrooms mission including by communicating program strategy to current and prospective funders.
This position reports to the Tribunes Senior Managing Editor for Local News.
The EICs salary will depend on experience; the minimum is $100000.
Responsibilities and priorities
- Develop execute and evolve an editorial vision and strategy to build a thriving communityoriented newsroom serving specific needs for Austin and building audience and trust.
- Hire and manage a team of journalists who are dedicated to Austin and serving our mission.
- Collaborate with the general manager and other colleagues to spearhead membership and subscription drives shape editorial projects for underwriting and organize events that generate revenue.
- Regularly meet with Austin residents and stakeholders to ensure a twoway conversation in driving decisionmaking.
- Help lead product discussions and decisionmaking to ensure we deliver news and information effectively and we are transparent about our progress.
- Analyze metrics around products to ensure the newsroom is building audience and trust and adjusting strategy as needed.
- Create and maintain daily newsroom operations that can produce reliable communityoriented journalism.
- Conduct listening sessions and surveys to understand information gaps and community news preferences.
- Uphold a daily publishing schedule to keep Austin residents regularly informed on various platforms. Work with the news editor on daily production tasks as needed.
- Hold the newsroom to the highest levels of transparency accountability and consistency.
- Ensure that the newsroom has a collaborative and inclusive environment.
- Serve as an ambassador for the newsroom including speaking at public events and with potential donors.
- Manage a newsroom budget to ensure expenses are meeting forecasts.
Youre a good fit if
- You are an entrepreneurial and experienced local newsroom leader with a passion for communitycentered journalism that prioritizes news and information in service of the Austin area.
- You are adept at managing ambiguity crafting editorial processes defining technology workflows utilizing iterative methods and fostering audience growth and trust through new partnerships and media collaborations.
- You are passionate about forging local partnerships that can boost revenue streams reduce costs or create better avenues for information delivery.
- You are able to maintain your focus and the focus of your colleagues on serving the newsrooms editorial mission.
- You are passionate about mentoring and coaching journalists to research report and tell engaging and impactful stories.
- You want your journalists to be responsive to the needs of the communities they serve and are passionate about creating guides and other work that empower communities.
- You embrace project management strategies that prioritize collaboration across teams and organizations.
- You prioritize building an equitable and inclusive organizational culture.
- You have a passion for data in your journalistic work and in assessing the realworld impact of your newsrooms projects to make decisions in service of your community and audience.
We know there are great candidates who wont check all of these boxes and we also know you might bring important skills that we havent considered. If thats you dont hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.
Location
This position is based in Austin Texas.
Benefits
This job is fulltime and has the following benefits:
- Medical vision and dental insurance
- A $50amonth cellphone stipend
- 20 days of paid time off each year
- 12 paid holidays
- Up to 16 weeks of paid family leave plus four weeks of additional job protection
- 401(k) matching
- Support for professional training and attending industry conferences
- Austinbased with hybrid remote working flexibility
How to Apply
Submit your application by June 8 with a rsum and cover letter summarizing how you would approach this job especially your strategies for building an audience and news products for this community newsroom. You may send questions to Senior Managing Editor for Local News Ayan Mittra .
The Texas Tribune is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for all and we encourage applicants of all identities backgrounds ages and abilities to apply. We cant wait to hear from you.
About The Texas Tribune
Heres what you should know about the Tribune. From day one weve had disruption innovation and risktaking in our DNA. Were ambitious as all get out but still have the punchaboveyourweight mentality of a scrappy startup. Fifteen years ago The Texas Tribune reinvented the business model for public service journalism. We are always looking to expand our boundaries.
Were nonprofit because the challenging economic reality for the media obligates us to find a different way reliable and sustainable to fund serious journalism. Were nonpartisan because we want to serve all members in our community. Were not here to simply echo what people already believe. Our commitment to nonpartisan journalism doesnt mean were passive or neutral in the face of misinformation or spin. We pursue the truth with rigor and we call out falsehoods when we see them because facts matter and accountability is essential.
The Texas Tribune wants to ensure that its newsroom and its news coverage reflect Texas communities by including a wide range of perspectives from people of different backgrounds ideologies and experiences.
Learn more about The Texas Tribune here.
Required Experience:
Chief
Employment Type
Full-Time
