Breaking-News Photo Editor and Writer, London

Job Description

The Washington Post is seeking a multi-skilled breaking-news photo editor and writer to join our London news hub. This position plays a critical role in The Washington Post’s 24-hour news operations, working daytime hours in London.

This editor will be expected to source, acquire and edit breaking-news photos, create galleries, and write stories and short posts to accompany them. This work is integral to our breaking-news team’s reporting efforts, and the London-based position will often lead the newsroom’s visual coverage in breaking-news situations during the overnight hours in Washington.

The successful candidate possesses a strong news radar, sharp storytelling skills and a talent for finding emerging stories and angles. Candidates should be committed to speed, clarity and accuracy and should be agile in shifting rapidly from subject to subject while reaching a massive digital audience. The bulk of stories launched by the breaking-news teams require rapid turnaround, so comfort and confidence in finding photos, editing, reporting and writing on deadline is essential.

This position reports to the Photography Department but will take tactical direction on a day-to-day basis from editors in the London Hub.

Responsibilities: 

• Conduct visual research and generate daily visual stories across a wide array of subject matters.

• Pitch, write and edit visual-first stories.

• Think creatively about visual storytelling approaches that take advantage of all our publishing platforms, including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. 

• Collaborate with our breaking-news teams in Washington and Seoul, as well as our photo editors in Washington.

Preferred Qualifications:

• At least three years of experience in a fast-paced English-language newsroom environment.

• A nuanced eye for photography and a strong understanding of visual storytelling is essential.

• The ability to write briefly and accurately for photo and multimedia presentations is needed.

• Strong news judgment, a bias for speed and an ability to shift rapidly from subject to subject is essential.

• A track record of editing breaking news with authority across a broad range of formats is recommended. 

• Knowledge of how to acquire and verify photographs, particularly those surfaced from social media, is required.

• Proficiency in handling photographs quickly using Adobe products and Photo Mechanic is essential, and an ability to work with video is preferred.

• Knowledge of a foreign language is welcomed but not a prerequisite.

This role is based in our London Hub offices and will be staffed through TWP International in the United Kingdom, subject to local legal requirements. It will require some night and weekend shifts to meet deadlines and respond to breaking news.

Interested applicants should submit a résumé and a cover letter that includes links to three work samples to our jobs portal. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled, but those received by Mar. 9 will be prioritized. Cover letters should be addressed to Senior Photo Assignment Editor Olivier Laurent, Director of Photography Robert Miller, International Editor Douglas Jehl and London Hub Editor Kendra Nichols.

The Post strives to provide its readers with high-quality, trustworthy news and information while constantly innovating. That mission is best served by a diverse, multi-generational workforce with varied life experiences and perspectives. All cultures and backgrounds are welcomed. 

The innovation doesn’t end in the Newsroom – dozens of teams power The Washington Post.  We are now hiring the next innovator – how will you Impact Tomorrow?

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