Editor, Crime and Courts

Newsweek is seeking an Editor, Crime and Courts to help lead the brand’s coverage of criminal justice topics. The ideal candidate will possess exceptional writing and editing abilities and a profound understanding of legal and criminal justice systems. This role requires a proactive and resourceful individual with a passion for uncovering and reporting significant legal and crime-related stories and making them matter to our audience. 

The ideal candidate will have experience working in digital journalism at a commissioning and editing level. They will be able to demonstrate strong news judgment, an ability to identify strong angles across several topics, and a track record in managing a team of reporters. Strong knowledge of U.S. current affairs and politics is also essential. 

Technical skills will include a working knowledge of the US legal system and familiarity with and understanding of legal documents.  Proficiency with digital publishing tools, an ability to use industry standard analytics tools such as Google Trends and others to help identify stories, and a working knowledge of AI tools such as large language models and image generators. 

The successful candidate will help to lead a team of reporters using AI and other tools to enhance their reporting. They will participate in pitching and commissioning news articles for this team, and edit and publish them so that they conform to accepted standards of journalism. They will have a comprehensive understanding of media law and ensure all articles published by the team are accurate and fair. They will meet strict deadlines. 

This is a full-time role, 5 days a week, and may include occasional weekend work depending on the needs of the company. 

Place of work: Our office is based in New York, but you will have the ability to work from home anywhere in the U.S.

Key Responsibilities:

• Commissioning, editing and publishing multiple stories a day across the legal, crime and breaking news beats  
• Using AI tools to enhance quality and productivity 
• Meeting tight deadlines 
• Helping to identify, test and implement new story techniques and formats to enhance reader engagement and understanding of complex legal issues. 
• Ensuring the quality of the content is of the highest possible standard 
• Helping to manage a team of reporters 
• Meeting agreed performance targets for content 
• Any other reasonable duties to meet the needs of the business 
• Develop and implement a comprehensive editorial strategy for crime and court reporting, in alignment with the publication's goals and audience interests. 
• Oversee the identification, research, and development of compelling stories related to crime, legal proceedings, and court cases. 
• Provide meticulous editing and proofreading of articles to ensure clarity, coherence, and adherence to journalistic standards and ethics. 
• Work closely with other editorial teams, including multimedia, and investigative teams, to produce engaging and multifaceted content. 
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with key sources within the legal and law enforcement communities to ensure access to critical information and insights. 

Qualifications:

• Candidates should have significant experience in a commissioning and editing role 
• Strong news judgement across a range of subjects 
• Excellent writing and copy editing skills 
• Knowledge of AI tools 
• Flexible hours 
• Experienced in SEO best practice 
• Knowledge of digital publishing platforms 

Salary range: $100,000 - $120,000