Newsroom Team Leader

Overview

McClatchy is seeking a strategic, versatile editor/reporter to head one of the best midsize newsrooms in the country, The Island Packet of Hilton Head.

Live among the natural beauty, wildlife, sun and sand — and work with a newsroom that has been recognized as South Carolina’s best of its size six of the past seven years.

The successful candidate will be a talented reporter who can mentor and coach young reporters, juggle administrative duties, and provide strong leadership in the newsroom and the community.

As the hands-on newsroom leader, you will accelerate our digital transition and guide the team to deliver accountability reporting, service journalism and breaking news that is first and best on the issues of most importance to our local communities.

McClatchy Media’s Editorial leaders are expected to seek out and embrace the ethical use of artificial intelligence and other automation to enhance and elevate our work, create supplemental content, and build efficiencies that free our staff to focus on publishing high-quality journalism.

Empowering staff to learn and employ audience-focused approaches to journalism is key to success in this role, as is using and championing AI in ways that build trust in its capabilities.

• Lead the newsroom at The Island Packet, including mentoring and coaching reporters and managing administrative duties.
• Accelerate the digital transition and guide the team to deliver accountability reporting, service journalism and breaking news that is first and best for local communities.
• Champion ethical use of artificial intelligence and automation to enhance journalism, create supplemental content, and improve efficiencies.
• Empower staff to adopt audience-focused approaches and use AI to build trust and engagement.

• College degree or equivalent work experience.
• 5 years of journalism experience.
• Strong writing skills, excellent news judgment and the ability to identify stories that matter to readers.
• Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism.
• Ability to identify target audiences and tailor stories to their needs.
• Understanding of SEO and other optimization opportunities; ability to learn new social and digital skills.
• Experience with news analytics to derive actionable insights on growing audience, subscriptions and loyalty.
• Comfort with a demanding, fast-paced and evolving environment.
• An entrepreneurial spirit, deep curiosity and high energy.
• A collaborative style, working across teams throughout the office and company.
• A track record for innovation, learning and using new skills and technologies, especially AI.

To apply
, include a persuasive cover letter
, your resume and four to six examples of your best work.

As a journalist at McClatchy, you will join a supportive, flexible, collaborative team. McClatchy strives to be an employer of choice, and our benefits package is made with this goal in mind. With a focus on health, well-being, wealth and daily life, our package options include healthcare coverage for employees and their families, financial protection from expected and unexpected expenses, multiple no-cost wellness resources and even coverage for four-legged friends.

Our overall benefits package also includes a 401(k) with employer match, competitive paid time off and corporate holidays, and a variety of mental health benefits. With an excellent support team and with focus on your well-being as a top corporate strategy, McClatchy provides benefits to support you and your family in achieving your health and wellness goals.

The McClatchy Media Company features a portfolio of vibrant and trusted news, lifestyle, entertainment brands and a robust retail distribution network. Our iconic local news brands such as the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star and The Sacramento Bee, have collectively earned a total of 57 Pulitzer prizes and are complemented by popular lifestyle and entertainment brands such as Us Weekly and Woman’s World.

Together, our brands reach more than 100 million unique visitors a month,The McClatchy Retail Network, our distribution and logistics arm, offers delivery to more than 56,000 retail locations weekly.

McClatchy is committed to providing equal employment opportunity (EEO) for all applicants and employees. McClatchy considers all candidates without regard to basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, ancestry, medical condition, family care status, pregnancy or physical disability (except where physical fitness is a valid occupational qualification), or any other basis protected by state and federal laws.

#LI-RB1