Opinion Columnist Assistant

The New York Times Opinion section is seeking an editorial assistant to support Times columnists Tressie McMillan Cottom and Ezra Klein. The job, which is based in New York, is a great opportunity for someone who is organized, digitally savvy and has broad-ranging news interests, with a special curiosity about national affairs, politics, race and culture.

The editorial assistant must have a sharp eye for detail; a strong sense of fresh arguments and good writing; superb research skills; a devotion to the highest standards of accuracy, precision and verification; the ability to dive into unfamiliar material on deadline; discretion in handling sensitive editorial material; familiarity with various social media platforms; and a strong interest in opinion journalism. Collegiality and diplomacy are essential.

This candidate will perform functions that include, but are not limited to, the following:

Keep abreast of the news in the areas of coverage and suggest ideas for columns

Conduct research for the columnists

Verify the accuracy of the information contained in draft columns and occasional guest essays, and write summaries as necessary

Post on various social media platforms and collaborate with the Opinion Audience team on deepening relationships with readers

Some clerical duties, as needed
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Basic Qualifications:

At least 1 year of experience in journalism, conducting research and fact-checking and/or text editing for published media strongly preferred

Flexibility to occasionally work weekends (2-3 hours) and evenings as column schedules or news cycle determine

Preferred qualifications:

Knowledge of Opinion’s columnist roster and frequent contributors to the section

Familiarity with Times Style and the newspaper’s standards and ethics guidelines

An appreciation for Opinion journalism and understanding of the broader media landscape

This position is represented by the NewsGuild of NY.

The annual base pay salary for this role is between $77,808.68 and $78,000.00.