Executive Editor

SBJ Media is seeking an Executive Editor to lead the newsroom and help shape the next chapter of Springfield Business Journal.

Since 1980, SBJ has covered the companies, people, investments, industries and decisions shaping southwest Missouri's economy. Today, our journalism reaches readers through Springfield Business Journal, , daily email products, special publications, events, video and other digital platforms.

The media industry has changed dramatically and will continue to change. Technology changes. Platforms change. Reader habits change.

What doesn't change is the need for deep, intelligent, credible and valuable local business journalism that readers cannot get anywhere else.

SBJ's position is to be the region's Business Authority
. We are looking for an Executive Editor who can protect what has made SBJ trusted while leading the newsroom toward what comes next.

The Executive Editor is SBJ's senior editorial leader and a member of the company's leadership team, with responsibility for editorial strategy, newsroom leadership, journalistic standards, audience relevance and digital growth.

This starts with excellent journalism.

We want SBJ's newsroom focused on original, authoritative and unduplicated reporting. That means making strong choices about which stories deserve our resources, going deeper where SBJ can provide distinctive value and helping readers understand not only what happened, but why it matters.

The Executive Editor will:

• Set editorial priorities and guide daily, weekly and long-range coverage.
• Maintain high standards for accuracy, fairness, sourcing, transparency and journalistic ethics.
• Develop deeper reporting, analysis, enterprise journalism and business intelligence.
• Maintain a strong command of regional business news, emerging issues and broader economic and industry trends.
• Help journalists make complex business, financial, economic and public-policy issues clear and useful to readers.
• Provide strong editing, story development, sourcing guidance and constructive feedback.
• Continually evaluate what SBJ should cover, what it should cover differently and what may no longer deserve our resources.

We want a leader who recognizes that running a newsroom is about more than managing assignments. It is about helping talented people reach their highest potential.

The Executive Editor will coach and develop journalists, establish clear expectations, hold people accountable and create an environment where people can do exceptional work.

We also expect this leader to draw ideas from the entire team. Innovation should not depend on the person with the biggest title having every good idea.

The Executive Editor should recognize individual strengths, develop talent and create a newsroom where people are encouraged to question assumptions, identify opportunities and contribute to the evolution of SBJ.

Trust is one of SBJ's most important assets.

The Executive Editor will protect and deepen that trust through accuracy, fairness, sound judgment, transparency and strong journalistic ethics.

Great business journalism also depends on strong sourcing. We expect the Executive Editor to help journalists develop trusted relationships throughout the region and greater expertise in the businesses, industries and organizations they cover.

Those relationships are built on trust, and that trust includes SBJ's commitment to independent, fair and thoughtful journalism. We want our sources and readers to know that we will listen carefully, seek to understand and report with integrity, even when the issues are complex or challenging.

Strong editorial judgment and audience awareness are not competing ideas  believe they strengthen one another.

SBJ has invested in understanding who our readers are, how they use our products, what they value and where they believe we can improve. We want an Executive Editor who will use that intelligence and continually seek feedback from readers, subscribers, sources and community partners.

Reader intelligence strengthens our journalism by helping us understand where needs, questions and opportunities exist.

The next editor should continually ask what information regional business leaders need, where information gaps exist and what SBJ can provide that readers cannot get anywhere else.

SBJ has an established brand and an engaged business audience. We also believe there is significant opportunity to…