Job Summary:

The audience editor is the lead digital journalist ensuring the WHRO newsroom is reaching all of Hampton Roads, targeting our content to reach the people who need and rely on it.

This person will create and implement an engagement strategy that uses online tools and more experimental avenues, like virtual events, emerging social media platforms and more. They will lead WHRO Journalism as it launches a daily newsletter and creates a robust social media presence, managing the digital producer and collaborating with our team of reporters, producers and partners, to serve targeted audiences on the platforms they prefer. 

The Audience Editor will work closely with WHRO’s digital strategies and marketing teams to ensure continuity of work and policies and to communicate newsroom priorities.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Will manage the digital producer and lead the newsroom when the News Director is unavailable.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Create, oversee and carry out audience engagement strategy based on newsroom’s larger strategic plan and with a focus on reaching new audiences 
• Assist in the design and creation of a scalable daily newsletter for WHRO Journalism
• Select stories and oversee the writing, editing and distribution of a daily (weekday) digital newsletter collaborating with local and statewide news partners and considering cross-departmental content for possible inclusion.

• Manage A/B testing campaigns to improve open-rates & click-thru rates
• Manage the online presentation of news stories on the WHRO website, including writing accurate, SEO-friendly headlines
• Coordinate social media posting with WHRO marketing department
• Develop, maintain and enforce social media standards for WHRO Journalism in conjunction with other departments, including marketing.
• Lead newsroom efforts on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter as well as appropriate new platforms, like TikTok
• Track, analyze and adjust engagement strategy based on metrics and analytics
• Work with station’s digital strategies department to become the newsroom expert on the station’s content management system
• Assist in expanding WHRO Journalism’s reach by pitching new, creative outreach plans
• Occasionally edit short online news stories and other content created by digital producers and reporters
• Create engagement, social media and outreach campaigns with marketing and other departments as needed.
• In the future, assist in recruitment, hiring, training and management of digital producers
• Provide day-to-day newsroom leadership when the news director is absent
• Other duties as assigned

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Sound news judgement
• Expertise in social media management and ethics
• Ability to create and implement complex plans in cooperation with several departments
• Superior leadership skills
• Knowledge of or ability to quickly learn content management systems
• Ability to manage podcast feeds
• Basic understanding of HTML and photo editing
• Strong SEO knowledge and skills

Education:

• A Bachelor’s degree or comparable professional experience in journalism or a related field

Experience:

• Demonstrated experience with analytics and the ability to analyze reports
• Website management experience
• 3 or more years of experience in audience engagement or social media management

Additional Eligibility Qualifications:

• Working knowledge of digital or graphic design
• Experience creating interactive visualization based on data
• Audio editing or scripting experience

Physical Activities

• Remaining in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods.
• Communicating with others to exchange information.
• Repeating motions that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers.
• Assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned.

Environmental Conditions

• No adverse environmental conditions expected.

Physical Demands

• Sedentary work that primarily involves sitting/standing.

Equity Statement
It is WHRO’s policy to provide equal employment, educational and social opportunities for all persons, without regard to race (or traits historically associated with race including hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), national origin, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation or genetic information. Minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

EOE/M/F/Disability/VETS/Drug Free