English Desk Editor Washington DC or Los Angeles

Workplace: Washington, DC, or Los Angeles

Contract type: October 5, 2026

Final date to receive applications
:
September 17, 2026.

AFP is seeking a dynamic, proven editor for its English-language Americas news desk, based in Washington or Los Angeles. The desk is a fast-paced breaking news and editing hub producing multimedia stories for a worldwide audience around the clock. As a member of one of AFP’s busiest and highest-profile news operations, the successful candidate will have opportunities to apply for jobs in the future around the agency’s global network.

The 14-member news desk is central to AFP’s North and South America coverage. The successful candidate will work demanding eight-hour shifts that often involve evenings and weekends. Primary responsibilities include editing and illustrating stories filed by reporters in English, as well as translating stories from the French and Spanish services into English. In addition, desk staffers frequently report breaking news and are encouraged to pitch original angles.

The desk also is also part of a rotation assuring follow-the-sun coverage during Asia’s night time and feeding AFP’s social media accounts.

The workload is heavy and fast-paced but rewarding, with the desk at the heart of often the world’s biggest news.

The editor will report directly to the head of the English desk in Washington and to the Regional editor-in-chief, but, if based in Los Angeles, will also consult with the Los Angeles bureau chief on logistical and operational matters.

Candidates will ideally have several years of news reporting and editing experience. We are looking for exemplary writing skills, news judgement, and the ability to work under pressure. Working knowledge of French and Spanish is a major advantage. The most valued attributes will be sharpness, ability to adapt, speed, rigor, writing ability, and desire to contribute to the newsroom’s complex team effort.

The editor should have a keen eye for the visual and multimedia aspect of coverage and closely coordinate with the photo, video and graphics departments. It is important to stress that all AFP journalists contribute to AFP's news gathering process in all formats, working for the common goal of high-quality multimedia journalism. Text journalists may write the wire, but their journalism is vital for video dopesheets, picture captions and graphics.

Similarly, our visual journalists play a significant role in the gathering of information for the text wires.