Breaking Social Assignment Editor

Breaking Social Assignment Editor

Remote | Full-Time | $70,000 - $80,000

Reports to: VP, Social Media | Direct Reports: 3

Join COURIER Newsroom - an organization that drives journalism and empowers communities.

At COURIER Newsroom, we’re reinventing local media to inform and empower communities through impactful reporting. Our mission is rooted in civic engagement and equity—and we’re growing fast.

COURIER Newsroom is committed to building an inclusive workplace that values diverse perspectives and lived experiences. We strongly encourage women, people of color, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ candidates, and those from all backgrounds to apply. As an equal opportunity employer, we strive to break down barriers and ensure every team member feels seen, heard, and supported.

Position Overview

The Breaking & Trending Social Assignment Editor leads COURIER’s rapid-response social content team. This role is responsible for identifying breaking news, emerging stories, and trending conversations across social platforms and quickly translating them into clear, compelling social content. Working with a team of social producers and editors, the Breaking & Trending Social Assignment Editor assigns coverage, edits scripts and graphics, and ensures that COURIER’s state newsrooms can respond quickly and effectively to major news moments online.

This role sits at the center of COURIER’s social operation—connecting real-time news developments with platform-native storytelling that helps audiences understand what’s happening as it unfolds.

The ideal candidate is a fast, detail-oriented editor with strong news instincts, exceptional writing skills, and a deep understanding of how information spreads on social media. They are endlessly curious about the news cycle, comfortable making quick editorial decisions, and energized by the pace of rapid-response journalism.

Key Responsibilities

Breaking News & Trending Coverage

• Monitor news developments, social platforms, and cultural conversations to identify breaking stories and trending topics relevant to COURIER’s audiences.
• Quickly determine which stories require rapid social coverage and coordinate the production of videos, graphics, and posts across platforms.
• Ensure COURIER’s state social channels are timely, responsive, and aligned with the day’s most important conversations.

Editorial Assignment & Workflow Management

• Lead the daily workflow for the rapid-response social team, assigning stories and coordinating coverage across producers and editors.
• Provide clear editorial direction and ensure all assets meet COURIER’s editorial standards before publication.
• Balance speed with accuracy, ensuring fast-moving content remains fact-based and responsibly sourced.

Copy Editing & Quality Control

• Review and edit scripts, captions, graphics, and video copy for clarity, grammar, and accuracy.Maintain a high editorial standard across all rapid-response social content, ensuring consistent voice and tone.
• Ensure all posts meet COURIER’s style guidelines and best practices for digital publishing.

Platform-Native Storytelling

• Guide the team in adapting breaking stories into formats optimized for social platforms, including short-form video, graphics, and explainers.
• Identify opportunities to package news in ways that are both timely and highly shareable.
• Stay closely attuned to evolving social trends, formats, and audience behavior.

Collaboration Across Newsrooms

• Work closely with state editorial leaders and social media managers to ensure breaking news coverage aligns with local reporting and newsroom priorities.
• Coordinate with the broader social team to ensure rapid-response coverage complements longer-form and planned content.

Qualifications

• 4–6 years of experience in journalism, digital media, or social media publishing
• Strong editorial judgment and demonstrated experience covering breaking news
• Exceptional writing, grammar, spelling, and copy-editing skills
• Deep familiarity with social media platforms and the dynamics of how news spreads online
• Ability to work quickly and decisively in a fast-paced news environment
• Strong organizational and communication skills, with experience coordinating editorial workflows
• Passion for staying informed and closely following the news cycle

Preferred

• Experience editing short‑form video or social graphics
• Experience managing or coordinating editorial teams
• Background in political reporting, local news, or civic journalism
• Experience working with distributed or remote teams

Mindset

• Highly collaborative, proactive, and adaptable in a fast‑paced, startup‑like environment.
• Excited about helping launch new state markets and building trust with local audiences.
• Creative, experimental, and data‑driven, with a strong sense of platform culture and trends.
• Passionate about values‑aligned storytelling and reaching audiences underserved by traditional media.

Benefits

• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO), 11 paid holidays a year
• An Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Full suite of health benefits
• Flexible working arrangements