Assistant Managing Editor/Race & Equity Issues

The Kansas City Star is looking for an assistant managing editor for race and equity issues. This editor, a member of The Kansas City Star leadership team, champions coverage aimed intentionally at dismantling inequity and injustice in all facets of our coverage area, while also driving rich storytelling that illuminates the courageous, transformative and ground-shifting achievements of those in the forefront of change in Kansas City. The Star's race and equity coverage centers traditionally underserved readers by elevating voices, concerns and passions of people and organizations routinely marginalized. Multiplatform watchdog, accountability and solutions-oriented reporting on topics such as affordable housing, blighted neighborhoods, health disparities, economic inequity, educational gaps, societal trauma and criminal justice will be the focus of the Assistant Managing Editor for Race & Equity Issues. As a part of this role, this editor also convenes and cultivates effective conversations and events that engage current and new audiences around these journalism topics. This editor is constantly building connections throughout the Kansas City region and is an ambassador for our best work. This editor will play a key role with our Voices In the Room advisory board, formed after The Star's "Truth in Black and white" project published in late 2020. This editor will work to grow our digital audience among readers of color by building trust over time through constant conversation and powerful journalism that directly connects with issues that resonate with these readers. Ensuring we frame stories with this audience in mind is critical, as is keeping a close eye on metrics to see what coverage resonates and which stories don’t, and using that information to make smart decisions.