Online Editor, Local News, Newsday.com
The Online Editor for Local News is an intensely hands-on player who
oversees the development of the news sections, including new products
and is responsible for the general updating of Newsday.com, maximizing
the potential of the content created by Newsday and its sister newspaper
and broadcast sites.

The Online Editor for Local News will be assigned to gather media,
report stories and react to breaking news. This person also streamlines
all types of media gathered by reporters in the field and publishes them
online in a timely manner.

The Online Editor for Local News is responsible for overseeing a team of
news managers in setting the direction of daily web site coverage, the
development of original multimedia content and planning of breaking news
and special online packages and sections.

Daily responsibilities include participation in news meetings, breaking
news coverage, special project planning and weekend coordination. This
person will also be responsible for gathering and understanding metrics
for the news sections, establishing and communicating traffic goals and
focusing on the development of hyperlocal multimedia. This may include
publishing articles, photos, polls, audio/visual and interactive content
to a database-driven Web site on deadline.

The Online Editor for Local News will also participate in the training
of the editorial staff for newsroom integration.

In addition to the technical tasks, the Online Editor for Local News
must also write sharp headlines and summaries and perform basic
copyediting. The Online Editor for Local News keeps fresh content
flowing into the site by coordinating with reporters, editors, and
others.

The job is an opportunity to be among the elite group that will lead
Newsday.com, the award-winning site for Newsday, the area’s leading
provider of local news, information, and entertainment vital to Long
Island.

The ideal candidate has previous experience as a reporter, working in
online publishing and a mixture of graphic design, web programming and
traditional communications abilities.

Candidates should be well versed in current events, know Web production
tools inside and out, and be comfortable producing in a fast-paced,
breaking news environment.

Working Monday-Friday, including participation in evening and weekend
on-call coverage, as part of a team in the Melville, Long Island office,
the Online Editor for Local News is an independent, self-reliant worker
who is a natural at multitasking, is a problem-solver by nature and is
capable of producing original work as well as preparing the work of
others for the Web site. The Online Editor for Local News is focused on
the end-user experience, and is expected to review site usage and
analysis regularly.

Primary Role & Responsibilities
* Leads programming of the homepage and channel pages, adding fresh news
and instilling local flavor
* Produces multimedia and value added content, including print, audio,
video and Flash
* Coordinates with newsroom on daily flow of breaking news and builds
special packages for major breaking news events
* Packages material from newspaper and other sources into compelling
online content
* Helps develop and implement a strategy for improving site design and
usability to increase traffic
* Works with newspaper staff to identify programming opportunities and
content packages that are not part of the daily production process
* Takes advantage of opportunities to engage the reader via discussion
boards, blogs, etc.
* Builds, edits and sends out email alerts when required
* Answers public feedback and assists in special requests

Experience and Qualifications
* Bachelor’s degree and/or 3-5 years of web publishing experience
preferred
* Strong HTML skills
* Experience working on a news Web site
* A successful candidate will have reliable transportation
* Experience working with video and audio for the Web, Familiarity with
Flash and PhotoShop
* Solid copyediting and writing skills

CONTACT: Jonathan McCarthy — jonathan.mccarthy[at]newsday.com