Posted On: February 4, 2022
Journalism Job
Media Organization: Central Valley Journalism Collaborative
Company Description
About the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative
Founded by the James B. McClatchy Foundation in 2021, the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative (CVJC) reimagines a new model for protecting the local free press by addressing a new economic and community engagement approach by diversifying journalistic funding and philanthropic engagement. This approach centers local stakeholders and is symbiotic with local journalism’s roots in public service. The future of the free press is essential to the future of the Central Valley, a diverse home to over 7.5 million people across nearly 20,000 square miles speaking 105 languages. CVJC proposes a preventative infrastructure to ensure the protection of local communities by developing solutions for obstacles pertaining to ownership, operating capacity, and resources.
Learn more about CVJC by visiting the website and review the Feasibility Report on Developing a Central Valley Journalism Collaborative to understand the risk of losing local journalism in the Central Valley.
Job Description
Editor-In-Chief (EIC) Job Description
The Central Valley Journalism Collaborative is hiring a full-time Editor-In-Chief (EIC) to oversee the launch of the Merced Journalism Collaborative (maybe referred to as“COLAB”), a new initiative to build sustainable local reporting in the Merced community. This position reports to the CVJC’s Executive Director.
The EIC will oversee a new team of up to 7 reporters across multiple collaborating news organizations in the Central Valley. To address the information needs of Merced (CA)and surrounding communities, the CVJC will strategically invest in existing regional newsrooms to bring new reporting jobs to Merced, supported by a new nonprofit news organization providing editorial and community engagement leadership in Merced. Merced is a growing and incredibly diverse region in California’s Central Valley and represents a unique opportunity to deliver community service journalism for the entire region.
The EIC is a proven newsroom leader with a demonstrated record of partnership,management and staff development. The selected editor will guide, edit and elevate the work of our local partners, working collaboratively with editors in their newsrooms. Ultimately, at CVJC, the job is to preserve local news in burgeoning news deserts,create compelling regular coverage and seek community-based investigations that inspire rich local democratic life.
What you would be doing:
Hire and supervise a launch team of up to seven reporters, working across collaborating newsrooms- and a community engagement reporter (1) to be based at the Merced Journalism Collaborative.
Work closely with the partner newsrooms to develop, assign, and execute stories that can take a variety of forms, from newspaper-style takeouts to magazine, radio and TV pieces, as well as digital platforms
Oversee reporters to include research, data, news applications, engagement, audience development and design towards amplifying shared work.
We’re looking for someone who:
Is deeply invested in a collaborative approach to regional accountability reporting and has experience leading diverse newsroom teams
Is aligned and motivated by what rigorous journalism contributes to local communities, from reader engagement, new narratives, and investigative, data-driven reporting.
Has a strong track record of mentoring and supporting emerging talent
Is unafraid to report on what is needed, working through, with and on behalf of communities
Is entrepreneurial, a strong communicator and facilitator with experience in Board And stakeholder management.
A track record of fundraising, financial management and organizational leadership.
Representation
CVJC cares deeply about creating and upholding spaces for everyone to feel safe, valued and heard. This is particularly important in the Central Valley where media representation has not always recognized indigenous, QTBIPOC and working class people who represent the region and contribute so much to its communities. Towards a diverse workplace and a workforce that is representative of the Central Valley, we encourage women, QTBIPOC, people with disabilities and those who identify as members of ethnic minorities and identities to apply. CVJC is an equal opportunity employer.
To Apply
Apply for this Position
Please submit your application either on our website or email to careers@cvlocaljournalism.org. The deadline for submission is February 19, 2022 by noon PST.
Attach to the e-mail in PDF format:
Share your best work as an editor by including URL’s. How did you rework and shape these examples and what wasn’t working that you addressed? Take as much space as you need to narrate and convey how you work and think.
Please include descriptions or references to work forming and leading collaborations across or within newsrooms, how you structured them and how they supported effective reporting.
Are there leading examples of local or regional reporting collaborations that you anticipate replicating or drawing from? What is most compelling about them?
Resume including three references we may contact
Please enter “Editor-in-Chief position” in the subject line of your email.
The Salary range for the EIC is $100,000-$115,000. The job is full time with generous medical, dental, vision coverage, and vacation/sick time. The CVJC office is virtual but will be located in Merced (CA) and the EIC will be required to work from this location, pending Covid safety protocols.