Audience Editor, Chron

Audience Editor

Chron Houston TX

Full-time Digital Audience Social Video

Chron is chasing Texas-sized audience growth. We need an editor who knows how to make sharp journalism travel fartheracross social platforms search newsletters and videowhile building deeper more direct relationships with Texans who come to Chron for news culture and everyday curiosity.

Chrons next Audience Editor will drive great content to new heights both on- and off-platform grow our most loyal audience and find ways to reach new ones. The ideal candidate has read Chron understands the brandsharp fresh and unmistakably Texanand brings a strategic-first mindset with the hands-on fluency to execute. This role is the connective tissue between editorial ambition and audience reach.

Audience strategy

• Develop audience growth strategies across social video newsletters and emerging platforms while leading a team of two audience producers

• Create promotion plans for special editorial initiatives that include site social video newsletter and search optimization efforts

• Develop audience plans for major initiatives and fast-moving Texas momentsfrom RodeoHouston and severe weather to elections sports restaurants travel and statewide projects

• Analyze data to track performance identify trends and opportunities and pivot strategy to meet audiences where they are

• Help run morning editorial meetings by sharing pacing and trending search terms and recommending story opportunities based on known audience interests

Social & content

• Create and publish compelling content (text images video etc.) that engages and grows Chrons social following inspires shares drives visits back to the site and supports subscriber and newsletter growth

• Manage Chrons social media platforms including but not limited to Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Nextdoor X Bluesky Threads and LinkedIn

• Monitor and respond to audience inquiries comments and complaints on social media and work with editorial leadership to address them

• Advise reporters and editors on the latest social trends content ideas that come in through social and search and how to write and optimize for each platform

Video

• Own and refine Chrons off-platform video strategy including helping reporters and editors identify when video is the best way to tell their story

• Shoot and edit short-form vertical video; develop and post social video to Chrons site and social channels

• Build the teams overall fluency in video production social strategy and AI optimization

Cross-team collaboration

• Collaborate with editors reporters and other key stakeholders on promotion plans and special campaigns

• Stay up to date on trends and best practices in video search and social media

• 3 years of relevant experience in audience social or video publishing strategy with people-management experience preferred

• A degree in journalism communications marketing or a related field or equivalent professional experience

• Strong understanding of Houston and Texas and good instinct for stories that could travel statewide

• SEO experience including the ability to use search trends Google Discover/Google News signals and audience data to identify coverage opportunities

• Strong social and video fluency especially across Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Reddit and Nextdoor

• Ability to shoot and edit vertical video; experience with CapCut Canva or similar tools

• Strong writing copy editing and communication skills including the ability to write social copy in Chrons voice with accuracy clarity and Texas wit

• Excellent news judgment including comfort with breaking news and knowing when to escalate decisions to newsroom leadership

• AI fluency and curiosityable to use AI to find audience insights simplify tasks and find efficiencies while understanding that AI is no substitute for human judgment and verification

• Experience with social media scheduling tools analytics platforms and performance reporting

• Flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced always-on news environment

This person is empowered to act independently on:

• Writing social copy designing visual builds and posting stories to social platforms

• Developing and posting social video to Chrons site and social channels

• Sharing pacing data with the newsroom and surfacing trending terms that are a good fit for Chron to pursue

• Newsletter content mix and when to issue site alerts

This person defers to editorial leadership for:

• Long-term social search and audience strategy decisions

• Sensitive breaking news alert messaging

Measures of Success:

• Maintaining and growing healthy audience referral channels (search social newsletters Google News etc.)

• Increasing followers and engagement (shares comments saves) across social platforms

• Driving traffic from social search and newsletters back to Chron content on site

• Supporting subscriber and newsletter growth

• Overall increase of unique in-DMA audiences

• Overall increase of repeat visitors from target growth markets within Texas

The most challenging parts of this role:

• Identifying areas of opportunitycontent development recommendations that match audience wants or trending search terms ripe for Chron to own

• Continuously testing new ideas and being open to pivoting in a changing media landscape to keep audience channels strong

• Understanding audience habits deeply enough to craft a strategy that retains loyal readers while developing new ones across Texas

Chronis an essential digital-first local news source serving more than 6 million unique readers a month in Houston and the surrounding region including Galveston and the Gulf Coast. Once the digital home for the Houston Chronicle Chron became its own distinctive site and newsroom in 2012 whenlaunched. Focusing on stories that capture local culture and spark conversation Chron covers trending sports food and entertainment travel local TV personalities real estate space and more.has become the go-to destination for metro and regional readers who are curious about whats new in Houston and whats affecting culture and life in the Bayou City.

About Hearst Newspapers:

With 2500 employees across the nation HNP encompasses a network of 24 daily and 52 weekly publications including the San Francisco Chronicle Houston Chronicle San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union several top digital-only news and lifestyle sites marketing services businesses and entertainment businesses such as King Features Syndicate.

At HNP we are investing in new and innovative ways to tell stories growing newsrooms diversifying tools evolving platforms to support the millions of people who trust us each month to help them make decisions take action and be inspired.

Be a part of something bigger your headline awaits.

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