Newsletter Writer

The Baltimore Banner is looking for an enterprising, creative Newsletter Writer to anchor our flagship daily newsletter The Scan. The ideal candidate will have a knack for spotting the most compelling facts and details, then translating those into useful newsletter briefs that will drive clicks to our website. Voice will be an important tool for the newsletter writer — yes, we report facts, but we’re looking for an emcee to bring people to the party and keep them coming back. Help us build daily habits with readers by being yourself and showing readers what’s special about our journalism.

At its core, this role drives engagement with a valuable segment of readers. Applicants should be comfortable listening to readers, talking to readers and using data to write emails and news alerts that will help us meet our audience goals.

This position reports to the newsletter editor and is part of the audience team. In addition to anchoring the daily newsletter, this person will help refine our existing newsletter portfolio and develop new newsletters. This role includes opportunities to work with the social team and/or to pursue short- and medium-term reporting projects.

Responsibilities:

Helm our must-read daily newsletter, five days a week
Break news that delivers value to our audience
Curate news from across the state
Collaborate with members across all editorial departments
Assist the newsletter editor and director of audience with ongoing newsletter strategy
Be nimble and experiment with formats and styles, measuring success and implementing new strategies
The working days for this position are likely Sunday-Thursday and may include early mornings and/or non-traditional hours

Requirements:

At least three years of experience in a news organization
A self-starter who can both work independently and pivot to co-create with colleagues
Excellent news judgment
Prior experience reporting and writing — preferably for a newsletter
Experience writing or curating engaging content
Ability to use analytics tools and data to influence editorial strategy
Ability to innovate and bring new ideas to our newsletter strategy
Teamwork and willingness to collaborate with others
Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to give and receive constructive feedback
Willingness to work some nights and weekends as news dictates
A commitment to upholding journalist values and ethics