MEDIA STRATEGIST

Posted On: September 26, 2014

Media-Related Job

Media Organization: American Civil Liberties Union Foundation

Company Description

For nearly 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation’s guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country. Whether it’s achieving full equality for the LGBT community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, ending mass incarceration, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach. With more than a million members, activists, and supporters, the ACLU is a nationwide organization that fights tirelessly in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., for the principle that every individual’s rights must be protected equally under the law, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or national origin.

The Communications Department of the ACLU’s National office is seeking applicants for the full-time position of Media Strategist. The position is located in the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office in Washington, D.C.

Job Description

MEDIA STRATEGIST [COMM-44]
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation
Communications Department, Washington D.C.

For nearly 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation’s guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country. Whether it’s achieving full equality for the LGBT community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, ending mass incarceration, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach. With more than a million members, activists, and supporters, the ACLU is a nationwide organization that fights tirelessly in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., for the principle that every individual’s rights must be protected equally under the law, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or national origin.

The Communications Department of the ACLU’s National office is seeking applicants for the full-time position of Media Strategist. The position is located in the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office in Washington, D.C.

OVERVIEW

The ACLU has made an unambiguous and unwavering commitment to the importance of communications as a central and essential element in the success of its mission. The organization places great emphasis on the role of communications in framing the debate on its issues, building support, and increasing the impact of its work.

The Media Strategist is a member of a team of communications professionals based in the ACLU National Communications Office in New York and the Washington Legislative Office (WLO) in Washington, D.C. The Media Strategist will work to support the WLO’s activities, which include lobbying on many issues including national security, immigration reform, racial justice, human rights, criminal law reform, voting rights, women’s rights, LGBT, privacy, and freedom of religion issues. The Media Strategist will report to the Associate Director for Strategic Communications in the ACLU’s Washington, D.C. Office.

The ideal candidate has the ability to develop comprehensive media strategies and successfully integrate a variety of tools including digital and social media platforms to amplify messages. She/he will possess a fine-tuned sense of “what sells” in the news business, will be comfortable and skilled at pitching to journalists affiliated with major news outlets, and will also be familiar with the workings of the U.S. Congress. We are seeking a candidate who thrives in a fast-paced environment and has proven success in working with spokespeople and the media to raise the profile of an organization, and to shine the spotlight on issues.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Cultivate and strengthen relationships with reporters, editors, producers, bloggers and other media professionals with the goal of influencing Congress and the public.
• Prepare, review and copyedit news releases, op-eds, blog posts, letters to the editor and other communications and press materials.
• Develop and strategize short and long-term media plans.
• Develop and pitch feature stories; prepare fact sheets and talking points.
• Prepare spokespeople for print, broadcast, and cable interviews with the press.
• Work with the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office staff to raise its profile and publicize its lobbying work on many ACLU issues, including organizing media-focused events such as press conferences, teleconferences and other communications platforms.
• Work with other departments across the organization to promote their platforms.
• Provide media and communications advice and support to affiliate offices.
• Work closely and strategize with colleagues in the Communications Department, including the digital team, other media and communications strategists.
• Coordinate media relations efforts under the supervision of the Associate Director for Strategic Communications.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field is required.
• A minimum of three years’ media experience that includes involvement in advocacy-oriented media campaigns.
• Experience and demonstrated success pitching stories to major news outlets.
• Familiarity with Congress and congressional issues related to civil liberties. Experience working on the Hill is strongly preferred.
• Excellent writing and verbal communications skills.
• Strong writing and editing skills; ability to produce clear, concise talking points, press releases and other materials within tight deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work effectively independently and with others in a team environment.
• Proven experience communicating with the media to promote civil liberties or social justice issues.
• Proven ability to identify and cultivate key media contacts and outlets that lead to the placement of ACLU stories.
• Experience utilizing public opinion research to frame issues and develop messages is preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Proficiency with social media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook.
• Demonstrated interest in civil liberties/civil rights.

COMPENSATION

The ACLU offers a generous and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience and within parameters of the ACLU compensation scale.

To Apply

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a letter of interest (with salary requirements), a resume and a writing sample (no more than three pages in length) to hrjobsCOMM@aclu.org - reference [COMM-44/NYU] in the subject line.

Applications can also be mailed to:
Communications Department
RE: [COMM-44/NYU]
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation
915 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Please indicate where you learned of this career opportunity.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

This job description provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU reserves the right to change the description and/or posting at any time without advance notice.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, and veteran status.

The ACLU undertakes affirmative action strategies in its recruitment and employment efforts to assure that persons with disabilities have full opportunities for employment in all positions.

We encourage applicants with disabilities who may need accommodations in the application process to contact HRJobsINCLReq@aclu.org. Correspondence sent to this email address that is not related to requests for accommodations will not be reviewed. Applicants should follow the instructions above regarding how to apply.

The ACLU comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation. Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation are national organizations with the same overall mission, and share office space and employees. The ACLU has two separate corporate entities in order to do a broad range of work to protect civil liberties. This job posting refers collectively to the two organizations under the name “ACLU.”