Job Posting: 2020-21 News Editor

News Editor

Reports to: Editor-in-Chief

Terms of Contract: Part-time, from May 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021

Expected Hours: May – 15hrs/week, June and July – 10hrs/week, August – 15hrs/week, Sept.-Apr. – 25-30 hrs/week

*note: these hours may fluctuate from week to week.

Salary: $11,500 (monthly distribution to be negotiated)

Job Summary:

The News Editor shall be responsible for leading the operations of the News department, including supervising the Staff Reporter and ensuring that volunteers have the resources and abilities to produce good news copy. The News Editor shall also be responsible for teaching interested persons about the operations of The Gateway. The News Editor must operate in accordance with the Gateway Student Journalism Society bylaws at all times.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Ensure that matters of interest for the News section are covered in a timely manner, with the priority being campus-related news.
2. Write copy for the News section in conjunction with the Staff Reporter(s), producing no less than 13 stories per week.
3. Produce one video or podcast per month for The Gatewayʼs news section.
4. Coordinate at least one news-specific training workshop each semester, two if possible.
5. Recruit and train volunteers to write news.
6. Write two features for the magazine over the summer months.
7. Be available at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief and Online Editor to edit copy for other online content.
8. In conjunction with the Online Editor, hold content/news meetings every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
9. Hold final say in the operations of the News section, subject to the intervention of the Editor-in-Chief or the editorial board.
10. Ensure appropriate photos and/or graphics are available for the News section, in consultation with the Photo Editor.
11. Ensure that news events of relevance to the student body are covered in a timely and conscientious manner.
12. Ensure, in conjunction with the Editor-in-Chief and Online Editor, that the tasks of any absent editor are completed.
13. In the case of the absence from, or vacancy of the Online Editor, assist the Editor-in-Chief in the regular Online Editor’s duties.
14. In conjunction with the Managing Editor, endeavour to generate and/or solicit from volunteers story ideas that may be worthy of in-depth coverage in the magazine.
15. Arrange and distribute media passes where applicable.
16. Perform other job-related duties as required by the Editor-in-Chief.

Qualifications:

1. Must be registered in the equivalent of at least one (1) course for credit at the University of Alberta during each term of the Fall and Winter sessions of their term in this position.
2. Must be available to work varying hours.
3. Must have basic computer skills.
4. Must have experience with news writing and gathering, as well as interviewing.
5. Must have a basic understanding of Alberta libel laws.
6. Must be able to deal effectively with Gateway and University staff, students, and the general public.

Please submit a cover letter, resume and portfolio of up to five pieces to current Editor-in-Chief Andrew McWhinney at [email protected]. Applications are due on March 30, 2020 at 10:00pm.

Interviews will be scheduled for the following weekend. The interview process consists of a 30-minute editorial test and a 30-minute interview, five minutes of which are dedicated to a job pitch by candidates.