Local News Editor

Hungry to take your journalism career to new heights? Desire the opportunity to lead news coverage in a thriving small town in Northern California? Tired of dealing with the pressures of Wall Street-owned newsrooms? We have a strategic Newsroom leadership opening at Sonoma Media Investments, an independent and locally owned media organization: Editor of The Petaluma Argus-Courier.

The Argus-Courier and Petaluma360.com cover southern Sonoma County and Petaluma, the second-largest city in Sonoma County. It’s a growing community with a robust news scene, defined by growth/development issues, matters of diversity, equity and inclusion; public safety and education; as well as a vibrant downtown, a sophisticated dining scene and an active philanthropic community. The Argus-Courier is a division of Sonoma Media Investments (SMI), a locally owned and debt-free media organization in Santa Rosa, California.

You bring your passion for sophisticated community news and we’ll provide an environment to help you grow professionally and personally. You’ll develop and nurture your own team while working with seasoned editors and a talented content team at a number of publications and digital platforms owned by SMI.

As Argus-Courier editor, you’ll have a team of four full-time journalists and 15 freelance writers to deliver compelling digital and print coverage in Petaluma, a city of about 57,000 an hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge in the heart of Northern California’s Wine Country. The ideal candidate will be a leader who works collaboratively and strategically with several other publications in the SMI portfolio, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Press Democrat.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced journalist who’s responsible for creating an environment in which staffers feel they can be at their best. It’s a leadership role defined by collaboration, innovation and sophistication; one that emphasizes meaningful hyperlocal content that breaks new ground and analyzes how the day’s news affect those who call Petaluma home. You will help drive innovation and content in an energetic newsroom that is excited about conceiving, pursuing and publishing top-shelf journalism in a digital age. Editing, reporting and community news experience is needed.

We seek someone with a track record of managing teams and inspiring, energizing and mentoring journalists. You must have excellent organizational skills with attention to the details and a commitment to recruit, develop and work with individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

SMI was formed in 2012 by a consortium of local investors who recognize the value of quality local journalism. It is is home to the most-read publications and websites in the affluent Sonoma Valley.

Each week, seven out of ten North Bay adults – more than 376,000 in total – engage with the many SMI publications and their corresponding websites, including: The flagship daily, The Press Democrat; The Sonoma Index-Tribune, Petaluma Argus-Courier, The North Bay Business Journal, Sonoma Magazine and La Prensa Sonoma (the region’s premier Spanish-language newspaper and website).

The Argus-Courier covers daily life – from public service and public government to education, growth/development, environmental and a vibrant downtown. There is no shortage of news. From city council races to community events, we are seeking a strong leader to guide the newsroom at this iconic paper. Visit www.petaluma360.com to view our publication.

If you’re interested, contact our Chief Content Officer at rick.green@pressdemocrat.com

Essential job functions include, but are not limited to the following:

You must demonstrate the vision, judgment and skills that produce superior content across all platforms our audience uses to engage with our journalism. You will be expected to:

• Have a strong journalistic foundation as a reporter or editor, with a track record for producing meaningful content for a daily digital site and weekly newspaper.
• Research and write 2-3 stories weekly.
• Edit news stories for clarity, accuracy and readability.
• Post stories to website daily. Coordinate with other staff members to keep site updated multiple times a day with fresh content.
• Oversee breaking news coverage and be able to pivot priorities.
• Manage social media channels.
• Track local news and trends, suggest news stories that appeal to a wide variety of readers.
• Maintain a robust pool of freelancers.
• Develop, maintain and monitor long-range story list, ensuring coverage of ongoing stories and planning enterprise stories and series well in advance.
• Write editorials.
• Lead daily news staff meetings.
• Proofread pages.
• Maintain robust digital knowledge to enhance the website and reader experience.
• Approve newsroom staff time cards, PTO requests and freelance invoices, ensuring newsroom budgeted expenses are not exceeded.
• Participate in staff development and training, including following safety practices and procedures.
• Represent newspaper at community events, per the publisher.
• Regularly monitor area news sources for news story ideas.
• Take photos and shoot Facebook Live as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field.
• Minimum of three years’ experience with a community newspaper.
• Multimedia skills, including updating a website.
• Supervisory/managerial experience.
• Spanish language skills a plus.
• Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, plus AP Style.
• Individual must have computer skills and knowledge of the Internet.
• Should be familiar with word-processing software, i.e. Microsoft Office Suite, and be able quickly learn software used in the newspaper.
• Work under deadline pressure.
• Interact with sources to gain information.
• Valid California Driver’s license.

Sonoma Media Investments values the contribution of their employees and offers a competitive compensation plan. We also offer an array of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, accident insurance and paid time off. Any job offer is conditional upon satisfactorily completing a pre-employment background investigation. This is not a remote position. You’ll be asked to work in Sonoma County, California.

To be considered please submit an application on our career page and please include a cover letter and 3 writing samples.

COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement: SMI is committed to creating a safe work environment for all employees, independent contractors, vendors and guests. All employees are required to submit proof of a COVID-19 vaccine and be subject to booster shots as recommended by the CDC. Medical reasons for not being vaccinated and religious objections will be carefully reviewed to determine if an accommodation can be made.

Sonoma Media Investments is an Equal Opportunity Employer