Audience Editor

The Opportunity

The Audience Editor is within an operations role on the audience team and is responsible for working across the newsroom to connect and engage our audiences with our journalism, radio shows and audio content across platforms. This person will work with audience specialists, reporters and editors to adapt, create and edit WBEZ and Sun-Times original reporting and content into formats that best align with audience behaviors and platform best practices, including but not limited to web-based article formats, social posts, vertical video content, SEO, audio playlists, web displays, SMS initiatives, push alerts, special newsletters and experimentation with emerging platforms.

Audience work sits at the intersection of journalism, analytics and community engagement, ensuring our journalism reaches the right people at the right time, in the right format. At the core of the role is an understanding of audience behavior, digital best practices and platform strategy. This must all be done while upholding strong editorial standards and ensuring quality. With that in mind, this is not a marketing role. Editorial experience is a must.

Responsibilities

Tasks for this fast-paced, newsroom position could also include but is not limited to: 

• Work with the audience team and newsroom to adapt and edit content into multiple formats (e.g., trending articles, TikToks, Instagram carousels, creative layouts, interactive displays).
• Provide clear edits and feedback to audience team members and digital producers at every stage of the process, from ideation to distribution to follow-up engagement.
• Work with radio talk shows and newscast teams on adaptive content and aligning listening behaviors with content distribution tactics. 
• Manage audience tactics in breaking news situations and major coverage events (e.g., editing live blogs, live streaming radio shows, supporting reporters in live coverage).
• Work with enterprise editors to set social publishing schedules for major projects and tentpole editorial events.
• Review SEO, homepage curation, push notification workflows, and perform as needed copy edits.
• Monitor insights and adapt tactics based on data, audience behavior, and trends.
• Share informed feedback with the newsroom, including best practices and industry innovations, and platform changes.
• Experiment with engagement platforms and tools (e.g., quizzes, crosswords, Instagram Stories, Reddit AMAs, SMS).
• Assist with social distribution across flagship properties, particularly during breaking news, priority coverage or low-capacity moments.
• Contribute to audience strategy by participating in and encouraging discussion of innovative industry trends.
• Mentor audience specialists and train new staff, freelancers, contractors and newsroom colleagues on audience tactics.

Minimum Qualifications

We are looking for a collaborative leader who is detail-oriented, highly organized, a clear communicator and insights-driven, with demonstrated editorial judgement. Along with:

• A minimum of four years working in an audience, digital, or editor role at a deadline driven news outlet or public media station.
• Experience working in a Content Management System (CMS) with demonstrated digital media production skills (e.g. Brightspot, WordPress, Arc or an equivalent news CMS).
• Demonstrated platform knowledge and usage of the following social media sites including but not limited to, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
• Proficiency in using a social scheduling and publishing tool (e.g. Marfeel, SocialFlow, HootSuite or equivalent). 
• Proficiency using Google products. 
• Ability to read and interpret audience data using insights tools (e.g. Google Analytics, Parsley, Marfeel, SimilarWeb or an equivalent tool)
• Strong writing skills with an understanding of AP style and demonstrated ability to adapt style and tone to platforms and audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

The following is preferred, but not required skills and experience:

• Experience working with building audiences around audio content.
• Experience organizing live, online events for example a Reddit AMA, YouTube livestream, Twitch stream, live blog or another equivalent experience. 
• CSS and/or HTML coding experience.
• Familiarity with vertical video and livestreaming video and/or audio.
• Familiarity with WBEZ and Sun-Times social platforms, written stories, and audio content. 
• Knowledge of Chicago and the surrounding region.
• An enthusiastic news consumer.

Schedule

 The Audience Editor is a shift based role, Mondays through Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. There may be news events, schedule changes or coverage needs that would require a schedule change to best meet the needs of the newsroom, which could include weekend and evening work.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, humanities or related field

Compensation

The expected pay range for this position is $86,700 to $105,000 per ANNUM.

Chicago Public Media provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the organization reasonably expects to pay for a position.  The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographical location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.