Columbia Editor

The Post and Courier, South Carolina’s statewide leader in award-winning news coverage, is looking for a digitally minded editor who can oversee our Columbia newsroom. We are looking for an editor who will embrace our approach to insightful, enterprising coverage while building strong relationships throughout South Carolina’s capital city and the surrounding areas.

This editor will lead a team of approximately 10 journalists, including the editor of the Free Times. In addition to coverage of significant daily news, the team pursues investigative stories and other deeply reported enterprise, concentrating on both quick-turn and long-form projects.

The Columbia editor needs to be a strong coach and inspiring leader who is adept at spotting rich opportunities for coverage, is able to help reporters mold issues or trends into high-impact, relatable journalism, and is skilled at editing complex, sensitive stories.

At The Post and Courier, you would join a Pulitzer Prize-winning culture where distinguished journalism is valued – and expected – and where journalists have the opportunity to pursue the best work of their careers, limited only by their ambition and determination.

The Post and Courier is a privately held newspaper that values its relationship with readers, believing in the idea that investing in journalism will lead to more readers and a sustainable business. We have built newsrooms throughout the state, seeking to fill a void in news deserts or areas where local news coverage has dramatically shrunk.

RESPONSIBILITIES

This is a job for a self-starter who has a strong journalistic background and can motivate a team to produce a steady quantity of compelling stories.

You must be able to work comfortably under deadline pressure, be a strong coach, be a strong planner, embrace a digital-first mindset and work with a collaborative spirit.

You will need to be able to both guide seasoned reporters and coach younger reporters, and in all cases help elevate the level of journalism produced from our Columbia market.

You will work closely with the audience team and managing editor to drive digital subscriptions off of high quality journalism.

Requirements, minimum education level, and experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism or another field if you have journalism experience

• At least 5 years of newsroom experience, including as a manager

• A track record of producing exemplary journalism as a reporter and/or editor

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills associated with developing trusting relationships, being an effective coach and maintaining confidentiality as needed

• Strong organizational and prioritization skills with excellent follow through

• Accomplished leader with clear managing and editing skills.

• Ability to ensuring writing and reporting of the highest quality.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Digital skills: Can lead a team in a digital-focused news operation, with a grasp of SEO tactics and promoting work in social platforms and off platform.

• Accuracy and ethics: Produces work that is accurate and fair. Understands libel and privacy issues.

• Communication: Works well with editors and reporters across disciplines. Discusses original and assigned story ideas. Participates in brainstorming sessions to develop detailed and realistic story ideas.

• Organizational skills: Develops a systematic approach to managing a team. Understands how to set individual and small team goals to drive overall performance.

• Professional development: Seeks out and participates in training opportunities to improve skills.

• Flexibility: Reacts to change productively and handles other duties as assigned.

Physical Requirements, Work Environment and Travel: 

• Regularly required to sit for long periods of time; close eye work on computer screen; required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, bend and stoop; light to moderate lifting 15–30 pounds.

• The worker is frequently subject to inside environmental conditions, which provide protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes, and is sometimes subject to adverse outside environmental conditions.

• Local travel is required. 

The Post and Courier is an equal opportunity, drug-free workplace.

Please include a cover letter, resume, list of references and work samples with your application.