Jobs - News Editor

Position: News Editor

Location: Lagos, Nigeria (Remote)

Reference job code: 000020

Rhythm Media Group, LLC is hiring a News Editor to help lead its coverage of the biggest news of the day and week. The News Editor role is one of the most dynamic at BuzzFeed News. It involves assigning coverage, line editing, big picture editing, developing coverage strategy and story ideas, managing and developing a team of reporters, helping launch new initiatives for the Breaking team at large, and serving as a leader for other desks around the newsroom on everything Nollywood: films, television, theater, music, and fashion trends.

The news editor should be comfortable guiding coverage in the moment and advancing the sharp and thoughtful questions and angles that could lead to exclusive, creative, or truly distinct coverage. In addition, the news editor must be knowledgeable and smart about the pitfalls of breaking news reporting in the internet age — such as running too quickly with assumptions — and this editor should be able to avoid them.

This person also should speak the language of the internet and be witty and funny.

Responsibilities:

• The news editor must develop a strong sense of The Nollywood Reporter reader, and how we serve them, balancing the news of the day with the news of the week and month. What story is one-and-done? What needs followup? What needs a drumbeat of reporting? What should be a deeper dive?
• The news editor will report to the Associate Editor and will manage several reporters on the breaking news desk. 
• The news editor will be in the critical position of being the leader of the newsroom, making coverage decisions and deciding how The Nollywood Reporter should spend its resources in conjunction with the Associate Editor.
• This editor needs strong line editing skills and knowing how to edit for grammar, clarity, accuracy, and the most engaging language possible.
• The news editor will need to be an empathetic and candid manager who is supportive of staff and is dedicated to growing their careers. They should be able to communicate with reports about the things that are working and the things that are not working, and to address the latter issues head-on and find solutions.

Requirements

• A degree in Communications, English or Marketing is preferred. Not limited to these, though.
• 5 to 10 years’ experience writing and editing for an established newspaper, website, or publication.
• Intimate knowledge of the Nollywood brand, its major players, and its history.
• Experience in working with a distributed team in multiple locations, as well as working with remote freelancers.
• Ability to multi-task and work on several projects at once.
• Knowledge and expertise in web-based publishing, content management systems and content creation tools, including Adobe Photoshop is a plus but not a requirement.

To apply, send curriculum vitae, a cover letter that includes a statement of purpose, and a professional portfolio to hr@rhythmmediagrp.com. Please indicate reference job code 000020 in your application.