Copy Editor/Designer
Visual storytelling through smart, sophisticated and engaging design, along with carefully edited content are critical ways to win new readers and retain them — on both the print and digital platforms. The Press Democrat, a division of Sonoma Media Investments, is seeking a strong, multidisciplinary journalist for our universal editing and design desk in Santa Rosa, California. This candidate must be comfortable designing pages using an InDesign-based CMS, optimizing our Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism for print and digital and making tough news decisions on deadline.
We have a newsroom culture built around respect, collaboration, great talent and a desire to be the best news organization of our size in the country. It's more than a dreamy goal. We're serious about serious journalism, and as the biggest newsroom between San Francisco and the Oregon border, we push hard for ambitious, agenda-setting content. We're consistently recognized as one of California's strongest news organizations. In fact, in this year’s California News Publishers Association, we landed a record haul of 51 awards. We won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news, related to the tragic 2017 wildfires that swept through Sonoma County. But success is measured by winning new readers and subscribers, not by awards on a wall.
We have a tremendous relationship with readers across our market, and the ideal candidate will have a commitment to thoughtful edits and smart, powerful designs (for print and digital). Our goal is simple: Win more readers and keep them.
Sonoma County is a West Coast treasure. Here, you will find the gorgeous Pacific Ocean coastline, more vineyards than you can count, hundreds of wineries, world-class dining and inspiring groves of redwoods. We're also privately owned with local investors, not Wall Street, determining our future. We have zero debt, but a mountain of aspirations.
Ideally, the person we hire would work here in our Sonoma County newsroom, but we are open to a hybrid role.
The ideal candidate will be expected to:
- Carefully edit articles for content, clarity, grammar and length while on deadline.
- Design pages using an Adobe InDesign-based content management system.
- Help select wire service articles of relevance to our print and online audiences.
- Write or edit headlines and photo captions for print and digital.
- Be comfortable with posting stories, monitoring digital traffic and know how to engage readers through social media channels.
Qualifications
- Strong writing proficiency and command of English and AP style.
- Attention to detail and a commitment to upholding the quality of our journalism.
- Experience designing pages, editing, writing headlines, posting content online, using social media and meeting deadlines.
- Proficiency with Adobe InDesign, functional knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, as well as experience using a variety of social media platforms are preferred.
The Press Democrat values the contribution of our employees and offers a competitive compensation plan. We also offer an array of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, accident insurance and paid time off. Any job offer is conditional upon satisfactorily completing a background investigation. Some positions require a valid California State Driver’s License, proof of insurance and reliable transportation.
To be considered, click “apply” or visit our company career page www.sonomamediainvestments.com/jobs.
Candidates should feel free to contact senior editor Bryce Martin at bmartin@pressdemocrat.com.
COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement: SMI is committed to creating a safe work environment for all employees, independent contractors, vendors and guests. All employees are required to submit proof of a COVID-19 vaccine and be subject to booster shots as recommended by the CDC. Medical reasons for not being vaccinated and religious objections will be carefully reviewed to determine if an accommodation can be made.
Sonoma Media Investments is an Equal Opportunity Employer