Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer are reimagining the legendary newsroom rewrite desk for a new era — one powered by the collaboration between human creativity and artificial intelligence.
We’re seeking an AI Rewrite Specialist to experiment with and refine the use of AI in transforming raw reporting, notes, quotes, and multimedia from beat reporters into clear, compelling stories ready for publication. This role blends the instincts of an editor, the curiosity of a reporter, and the fluency of a technologist.
If you’re the kind of journalist who loves great writing and is fascinated by the creative power of AI — and you want to help invent what’s next — this is the role for you.
This is not an entry-level position, nor is it a senior management role. It’s designed for a proven storyteller who understands that journalism is evolving rapidly through AI — and wants to help shape what comes next.
This position sits at the heart of our newsroom’s transformation. You’ll help define how AI becomes a trusted partner in the reporting process — freeing journalists to spend more time in communities, on investigations, and on storytelling that matters most to Northeast Ohio.
The base salary range is $65,000 to $70,000 per year.
Responsibilities
- Collaborate closely with reporters in the field to understand each story’s core — its facts, background, and public significance — as well as the assets and context needed to assemble a complete, compelling narrative.
- Use AI tools to structure, draft, and refine stories quickly from field inputs, including reporter notes, transcripts, photos, audio, video, and prior coverage.
- Experiment with and improve prompt strategies to achieve the strongest narrative voice, clarity, and accuracy.
- Evaluate and edit AI-generated drafts with the practiced eye of a journalist, ensuring every story meets our standards for fairness, accuracy, and style.
- Build, document, and continuously refine AI-driven workflows to improve newsroom efficiency and storytelling quality.
Qualifications
- Degree in Journalism or Communications or related field
- Minimum of 5 years of journalism experience with a proven ability in reporting and writing.
- Strong understanding of story structure, tone, and what makes compelling writing.
- Demonstrated newsroom experience — as a reporter, editor or digital producer.
- High AI fluency, including prompt writing, workflow design and the ability to assess and refine AI-generated content.
- Collaborative instincts and excellent communication skills — serving as the bridge between human reporters and the AI writing platform.
- Curiosity, adaptability and comfort with experimentation and innovation.
- Hands-on experience with advanced AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or newsroom-specific applications).
- This job requires reliable transportation to meet with sources or cover events.
Skills Required
- Degree in Journalism or Communications or related field
- Minimum of 5 years of journalism experience with a proven ability in reporting and writing
- Strong understanding of story structure, tone, and what makes compelling writing
- Demonstrated newsroom experience
- High AI fluency, including prompt writing, workflow design and the ability to assess and refine AI-generated content
- Collaborative instincts and excellent communication skills
- Curiosity, adaptability and comfort with experimentation and innovation
- Hands-on experience with advanced AI tools
- Requires reliable transportation to meet with sources or cover events
What We Do
Advance Local, one of the largest media groups in the United States, operates the leading news and information companies in more than 20 cities, reaching more than 50 million people monthly with its quality journalism and community engagement.
