Community News Editor - Assistant Professional Practice Professor

New Posted 15 February 2024 | Columbia, Missouri | University of Missouri-Columbia

The University of Missouri School of Journalism and the Columbia Missourian are looking for a dynamic individual with expertise, vision and energy to serve as a community news editor of digital and print editions of the community newspaper. This is a full-time, benefit-eligible, renewable, 12-month faculty appointment. The anticipated start date for the position is July 1, 2024.

This position involves guiding story development, overseeing daily stories, and editing student journalist reporting in a rapidly changing organization. The successful candidate must be able to lead change and collaborate with faculty, staff and students across newsrooms and platforms throughout the Missouri School of Journalism. Our news outlets serve Mid-Missouri and share content from our large statehouse operation with journalism outlets across the state. In addition to the Columbia Missourian, our media holdings include a city magazine (Vox), a commercial NBC affiliated television station (KOMU-TV), and NPR member station (KBIA-FM) and a digital statewide business publication (Missouri Business Alert).

For more than 100 years journalism students have obtained hands-on experience at the Missourian utilizing the Missouri Method. This learning-by-doing experience in community newsrooms continues to be the gold standard for training journalists.

In addition to overseeing coverage and serving as a lab instructor in reporting classes, community news editors teach journalism classes in the Journalism School.

The right candidate will have writing, editing and supervisory skills, teaching or training experience and an enthusiasm for working with aspiring journalists.

The community news editor will:

Serve as an originating editor at the Columbia Missourian, assigning and directing reporters

Oversee news coverage and products produced by assigned students

Manage a staff of several dozen student reporters, plus graduate and undergraduate student workers

Plan and supervise necessary travel

Teach a journalism class each semester

Work with community members and leaders to build relationships and ensure inclusive coverage.

Hold a faculty appointment at the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

Coordinate with photo, graphics, news and community editors in covering the community.

Work with the news director, community editors and students at other Missouri School of Journalism news platforms to create quality converged coverage.

Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

At least 5 years of experience in writing, editing and managing staff in a digital journalism environment.

A bachelor's degree.

Candidates will be evaluated on:

Their ethical judgment and skill to teach young journalists how to make tough calls on their feet.

A proven track record of producing quality news coverage.

Strong interpersonal and collaborative problem-solving skills.

A deep, applied understanding of how to use visual and audio journalism, digital video, and social media to enhance journalistic storytelling.

The ability to juggle a vibrant daily newsroom's many needs with ambitious, long-term projects.

A track record as a collegial collaborator in a newsroom without silos.

This position will require some nights and weekends, and work hours will vary depending on news coverage and production needs, which will be determined in consultation with the Executive Editor.

Application Materials

We value the uniqueness of every individual and strive to ensure each person's success. Contributions from individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives promote intellectual pluralism and enable us to achieve the excellence that we seek in learning, research and engagement. This commitment makes our university a better place to work, learn and innovate.

In your application materials, please discuss your experiences and expertise that support these values and enrich our missions of teaching, research and engagement.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

To apply, please visit https://hr.missouri.edu/job-openings to access the online application system. Required application materials include a cover letter summarizing qualifications, a resume, and contact information for three references. E-mail questions to Mark Horvit, Chair of the Radio-Television Journalism faculty at horvitm@missouri.edu.

Benefits

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri System is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Equal Opportunity is and shall be provided for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without unlawful discrimination on the basis of their race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable state or federal law. This policy applies to all employment decisions including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, training, promotions, pay practices, benefits, disciplinary actions and terminations. For more information, visit https://www.umsystem.edu/ums/hr/eeo or call the Director of Employee and Labor Relations at 573-882-7976.

To request ADA accommodations, please call the Director of Accessibility and ADA at 573-884-7278.


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