Editor-in-Chief
Cityside Journalism Initiative, the nonprofit publisher of Berkeleyside, The Oaklandside, and East Bay Nosh, is seeking an experienced, creative, passionate, and entrepreneurial journalist and newsroom leader to be the Editor-In-Chief of Richmondside, an independent local newsroom for Richmond, California, launching in the summer of 2024.
The EIC will have the rare and exciting opportunity of taking the lead on establishing a local newsroom from the ground up—setting reporting priorities and newsroom policies; executing a strategy for public-service journalism in Richmond; managing, mentoring, and helping to grow a small editorial team; and being the public face of the newsroom.
Richmondside’s EIC will work closely with other members of Cityside’s leadership team, including the editors of our other newsrooms, to advance the organization’s mission of delivering impactful, equitable, and trustworthy journalism that strengthens local communities.
What you’ll do
Take the lead on orchestrating Richmondside’s daily news coverage—identifying important stories, asking critical questions, and taking a thoughtful and creative approach to producing high-quality, timely, and meaningful local journalism
Provide editorial direction and support to a small team of staff and freelance reporters—working with them from the beginning stages of a story’s development to the final line edits — ensuring they meet their deadlines and story production goals
Assign and edit stories across a variety of formats, from breaking and daily news stories to long-form features and investigations
Contribute reporting of your own. We’re looking for an EIC who will roll up their sleeves and report stories, big or small, to fill reporting gaps, especially in year one as we grow the newsroom
Be the final pair of eyes on all articles published on Richmondside. It’ll be your responsibility to ensure stories follow Cityside style and editorial guidelines and are accurate, free of grammatical errors, fair, and clear. We’re looking for an EIC who loves language and enjoys the craft of writing.
Be an expert on all things Richmond. Stay on top of the latest political, cultural, environmental, housing, education, and community trends by monitoring local information streams, cultivating sources, and building relationships with key stakeholders in the city
Grow, manage—and, at times, mentor—a roster of talented, plugged-in local freelance contributors (both writers, photographers, and multi-media content producers)
Create and manage Richmondside’s story budget, planning for and mapping out future coverage
Work closely with Cityside’s audience and platform directors on developing Richmondside’s newsletter strategy, and take the lead on writing and managing newsletters
Work closely with Cityside’s food editor to coordinate on the publication of Nosh stories on Richmondside
Stage and publish Richmondside stories (articles and photos) on WordPress and manage the daily presentation of stories on Richmondside’s homepage
Work with Cityside’s partners at the News Revenue Hub to devise strategies for growing Richmondside’s audience and membership base (readers who are small-dollar donors)
Ensure that Richmondside coverage reflects the diversity of the communities it serves, working closely with Cityside’s Community Journalism Director on developing strategies for community engagement that ensure our journalism is meeting those communities’ information needs
Be a champion of the newsroom’s work in the community. The EIC should be a local news evangelist who can speak passionately about the importance of independent local journalism and Richmondside’s mission.
Work closely with others on Cityside’s leadership team to ensure that Richmondside is growing in alignment with the organization’s vision and mission
Work collaboratively with Cityside’s development director and others within the organization whose job it is to secure the revenue that supports our nonprofit journalism
Provide regular updates on Richmondside’s wins and challenges to Cityside’s leadership team and occasionally craft presentations on the same for the organization’s board of directors
Required qualifications
8+ years in a daily newsroom with at least 4 years of full-time experience managing journalists
At least 4 years of experience editing breaking, daily, and enterprise stories
Masterful local news judgment, razor-sharp editorial instincts, and a proven commitment to ethical, accurate, inclusive local reporting
First-rate story editing and copyediting skills
Ability to uphold high editorial standards, and edit and coach journalists through any part of the pitching, reporting, writing, editing, or production process
Experience shepherding large journalism projects—such as series, investigations, and multi-newsroom collaborations—from the concept phase to publication
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including an ability to communicate Richmond’s mission clearly and effectively both internally and externally
Track record of thinking and working creatively and collaboratively with other journalists, both internally and in partnership with other newsrooms
Ability to maintain empathy and journalistic rigor in a fast-paced environment and when working on a deadline
Experience with newsroom content management systems
Ability to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives
Commitment to self-improvement; continuously working to be a better editor and manager
Desire to support the professional development of staff through teaching and mentoring based on individual and team needs
A radical imagination for what local journalism can look like, who it serves, and who can contribute
An ability to develop well-organized newsroom processes, and a desire to constantly fine-tune them
A flexible, collaborative spirit and a cool head under pressure
We’re especially interested in candidates who…
Are bilingual Spanish speakers
Live in or near Richmond, or are willing to relocate to the city
Have extensive experience in a digital-first newsroom
Have investigative editing experience
Have experience reporting or editing in Richmond
Have worked with Newspack or another WordPress CMS
Have experience producing and editing across a range of formats and platforms in addition to digital text and/or print, such as audio journalism, social-first storytelling, and video
Have experience and are comfortable with presentations and public speaking, whether at a live event or guesting on air for another news outlet.
What we offer
The salary range for this Editor-In-Chief position is $110,000-120,000 per year, depending on experience.
Cityside currently offers the following benefits:
$1,000 a year in professional development stipends
Cityside pays for 75% of your health insurance premium and provides options for both Blue Cross and Kaiser Permanente medical plans. The coverage also includes dental and vision plans from Guardian.
401(k) retirement plan with a 4% company match
20 paid vacation days
12 paid sick days
13 paid holidays
5 additional paid days for an end-of-the-year break between Christmas Day and New Year
$100,000 life insurance coverage
6 months of paid family leave