GBH enriches people's lives through programs and services that educate, inspire, and entertain, fostering citizenship and culture, the joy of learning, and the power of diverse perspectives.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

GBH News is transforming into one cohesive, audience-focused, multiplatform news organization that tells the most interesting and distinctive local stories of the day which are infused and informed by the diverse communities we serve. We are among the fastest-growing local news providers in Greater Boston and draw on the talent of a multiplatform newsroom that includes GBH 89.7, Boston’s Local NPR; television; and digital reporting. Our goal -- through in-depth, high-quality journalism -- is to inform, educate and enlighten our audience and build a collaborative newsroom culture. 

JOB OVERVIEW

Reporting to the Executive Editor, we’re looking for a creative, energetic and multi-platform editor to conceptualize and supervise coverage of Massachusetts politics and policy at the intersection of voters and democracy. 

That's a big piece of journalistic real estate.

Statewide, it includes the governor and other constitutional officers, the legislature, the myriad of agencies and officials that service the commonwealth, as well as those individuals or groups that seek to influence the conduct of government. And then there is the populace, what effect do the laws enacted and regulations issued have on the people of the state, especially those most vulnerable?

Coverage of Boston City Hall is also vital to the mission of GBH News. Michelle Wu, the city's first woman and person of color to be elected mayor, has spent her first year in office establishing the government framework to made good on promises to improve the quality of schools, build more affordable housing, make the city environmentally resilient, and employ a police force that curbs crime without terrorizing neighborhoods. A big part of the editor's job will be to cover the effectiveness of the mayor. And to cover the interaction between the mayor and the City Council.

The editor also needs to keep an eye on Massachusetts' Congressional delegation as the news demands.

Interested? You should be immersed in politics and civics, able to make connections between and among developments in the local, state, and national arenas while simultaneously being alert to cultural developments that shape the context of official action.

In addition to translating the latest political news for a general audience, this editor will also work to explain how policy changes impact the daily lives of people in our region. This journalism leader will also work to elevate civic competence by promoting an understanding of how government and democracy work (or don’t). You’ll partner with our Audience Impact Producer to convene listening sessions and establish a strategy for hearing from voters (current and potential) as a way to understand information needs related to the political process. You’ll accomplish this by using the full range of platforms at your disposal – digital, radio, digital video, television, newsletter, social media etc.

We’re looking for someone who can balance the immediate with the long term: to handle breaking daily news for video, online, radio, and social media while developing longer-term assignments and projects for those same mediums.

In addition, this editor will oversee our weekly Politics newsletter and will appear (as needed) on radio, television, and video productions.

The Politics and Voter Engagement Editor is also a general newsroom asset, helping to direct colleagues working on stories with a government angle in the right direction. This editor should be able to forge a strong collaborative relationship with the producers of GBH News various radio and television shows.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supervise a team of three full time reporters, and a part-time political contributor

• Make considered, collaborative decisions about which stories to assign reporters in order to produce impactful, distinctive coverage across a range of traditional and new media platforms

• Edit news stories for across platforms in a deadline driven news environment

• Guide your team’s participation in GBH News’ source diversity project

• Manage the flow and placement of feature and news stories

• Plan long-term projects and in-depth series on major issues

• Work with external partners and collaborators to bring more diverse audiences into our storytelling and amplify our features work

• Oversee our weekly Politics newsletter 

• Participate in newsroom leadership meetings to help shape overall newsroom coverage and culture 

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SKILL SET

• Strong news judgment and understanding of what makes a good story

• Well-developed sense of journalistic ethics and quality standards

• Comfortable working with short- and long-term deadlines and competing priorities

• Deep understanding of digital, visual and radio platforms and ability to flex edit across verticals

• Coaching to get the best work and storytelling from reporters; be a good manager

• Excellent communication and leadership skills

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required.

• 10+ years of experience as a reporter and/or editor

• At least 3 years of experience editing or reporting features or other long-form stories

• At least 3 years of experience editing or reporting for two or more platforms – radio, web, television, podcast etc.

• A solid track record of developing distinctive, enterprise and exclusive stories

JOB SPECIFICS

Staff position

#LI-AMZ

GBH is an equal opportunity employer. The community and audience we serve are diverse, and we wish to foster that diversity in our workplace. Toward that end, GBH does not discriminate against individuals in hiring, employment, or promotion based on race, religion, color, sex/gender, gender identity and gender expression, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, disability, veteran or military status, political belief, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

Application Process Assistance

GBH will reasonably accommodate applicants with disabilities who need adjustments to participate in the application or interview process. To initiate an accommodation request, contact the Human Resource department by sending an email to human_resources@wgbh.org or by calling 617-300-2000.