Associate Editor

The Shelton-Mason County Journal, an award-winning, family-owned weekly newspaper in picturesque Mason County, Washington, is creating a new full time position of associate editor. The right person will have flexibility in hours and opportunity for advancement.

Want to escape a cookie-cutter corporate environment at a time when newspapers are being hollowed out for profits? Come join our newspaper family. We’re a local community newspaper that does nearly everything in house with the backing of supportive ownership. When customers call, they talk directly to a real human, not an AI-powered switchboard.

Recent staff changes have created a unique opportunity for Journal to tailor the associate editor position to fit our top candidate’s credentials and experience, and then fill in the pieces around the editor to continue our tradition of excellence.

In the past seven years, Journal staff have received General Excellence awards from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association four times. Our staff have picked up countless awards for writing, photography, design, advertising and more, including two sportswriter of the year awards and a photographer of the year award.

This isn’t a job for the faint of heart. We work hard here to put out a quality newspaper that we’re all proud of. You’ll do meaningful work in a community that rewards the newspaper with loyalty. We’d like our associate editor to be primarily a writer, someone who is equally at ease writing editorials, coverage of the county commission and hitting up a Friday night football game. We also want you visibly out in our community where you’ll meet readers and leaders, and build connections that can only be made face-to-face.

Some specifics that could make you our preferred candidate:

5+ years of writing/reporting experience, with at least two years of hard-news coverage (crime, courts, city and county governments.)
Previous editorial or column writing experience
Photography experience
Experience managing people and community involvement
Mastery of the English language and AP Style
Proficiency in InDesign
Reliable transportation

The paper is in the City of Shelton (pop. 10,000) and the seat of Mason County (pop. 66,000.), and is located near the base of the Olympic Peninsula. It features a large portion of the world-reknown saltwater fjord, Hood Canal, and nine state parks and the eastern entrance of Olympic National Park.

Pay for this position will depend on experience and skill set.

Submit your resume, references and examples of your work to Editor Justin Johnson at justin@masoncounty.com and Publisher John Lester at john@masoncounty.com. No phone calls please.