Trending News Producer - News and Entertainme
The trending news producer is part of a new high-metabolism digital-first team working to produce multiple breakouts, explainers, aggregations each day that boil down interesting news developments in the areas of news, entertainment and things to do. The goal for this producer is two stories every day that are presented in a digestible, accessible format. The person in this job will mine wire services, press releases, social media and other news sites to amplify stories that are bubbling up around us. Trending News Producers work quickly and nimbly to make sense of bigger stories or hone in on high-interest topics and trends that speak to our readers. They will put in context various rankings and lists – and Tampa Bay and Florida’s place in it. The work should be fast, sharp and fun when appropriate. A fair number of their posts will be aggregations and listicles, providing nuggets of news and information. Trending News Producers may create occasional social video posts to break down the top trending stories of the week. The producer’s focus will be to jump on the biggest news, entertainment and things to do stories of the day that have a defined connection to Tampa Bay and Florida. This position will report in to the Assistant Managing Editor, Digital Engagement.
Key Responsibilities
- Write two stories every workday to be published that day.
- Get on publicists’ email blast lists to find news to aggregate.
- Receive assignments from across the newsroom.
- Constantly monitor social media for trends and story topics.
- Track the traffic on your stories to assess performance — this role is meant to be a key boost for the digital metabolism of our website.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, English, or related field.
- Relevant experience writing for a journalistic outlet, including a student newspaper.
- Demonstrated news judgment and ability to generate story ideas and follow-ups.
- A combination of speed and attention to detail.
- A constant hunger to find new stories and generate traffic.
- Ability to think “virally” in terms of how best to position a story for social media and newsletters.
Why Work at the Tampa Bay Times
- Be part of an organization committed to public service and journalistic excellence
- Support a diverse workforce that includes newsroom, production, and corporate teams
- Work in a collaborative, mission-driven environment
- Health coverage for you and your family through medical, dental, and vision plans.
- 100% employer-paid short-term and long-term disability.
- 100% employer-paid basic life insurance.
- Supplemental life insurance.
- Tax advantages through flexible spending accounts that allow you to pay for specific health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
- Tax-deferred savings plan for retirement.
- A generous PTO program and much more.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The Tampa Bay Times is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity in the workplace. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply.
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