Job Description

McClatchy is seeking a strategic, versatile editor to lead one of the best midsize newsrooms in the country, The Island Packet of Hilton Head. Live among the natural beauty, wildlife, sun and sand — and work with a newsroom that has been recognized as South Carolina’s best of its size six of the past seven years.

We’re looking for a news leader who understands how to engage readers across all of our digital products and who thrives on experimentation – with new tools, approaches and coverage areas. This editor will be responsible for the management, direction and operational oversight of the newsroom. This means direct supervisory responsibility for newsroom staff, including assigning work, managing schedules, performance evaluations and participating in employment decisions.

As the hands-on newsroom leader, you will direct the team to deliver quick-turn accountability reporting, high-utility service journalism and breaking news. The role includes writing stories when needed to support newsroom priorities or coverage needs.

Strong candidates will bring fresh ideas on producing a high volume of unique, relevant local journalism to best serve our communities and build reader loyalty. We’re looking specifically for a leader who understands that building a loyal audience around a topic requires publishing consistently and often.

McClatchy Media’s editorial leaders are expected to seek out and embrace the ethical use of artificial intelligence and other automation to enhance and elevate our work, create supplemental content, and build efficiencies that free our staff to focus on publishing high-quality journalism.

This leader must be able to approach the role with creative, fresh ideas on how to serve a local audience. This requires a command of audience analytics and tactics that deliver results.

What you’ll bring:

• College degree or equivalent work experience.
• 5 years of journalism experience.
• Strong writing skills, excellent news judgment and a demonstrated ability to “see the story” that is going to matter to readers.
• Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism.
• Ability to identify target audiences and tailor stories to their information needs.
• Understanding of SEO and other optimization opportunities and a demonstrated ability to learn new social and digital skills.
• Experience working with news analytics to derive actionable insights on growing audience, driving subscriptions and earning loyalty.
• Comfort with a job that will be demanding, fast-paced and constantly evolving.
• An entrepreneurial spirit, deep curiosity and high energy.
• A collaborative style, working comfortably across teams throughout the office and company.

Required materials:

To apply, include a persuasive cover letter, your resume and four to six examples of your best work.

What we’ll bring:

As a journalist at McClatchy, you will join a supportive, flexible, collaborative team. McClatchy strives to be an employer of choice, and our benefits package is made with this goal in mind. With a focus on health, well-being, wealth and daily life, our package options include healthcare coverage for employees and their families, financial protection from expected and unexpected expenses, multiple no-cost wellness resources and even coverage for four-legged friends.

Our overall benefits package also includes a 401(k) with employer match, competitive paid time off and corporate holidays, and a variety of mental health benefits. With an excellent support team and with focus on your well-being as a top corporate strategy, McClatchy provides benefits to support you and your family in achieving your health and wellness goals.

About McClatchy:

The McClatchy Media Company features a portfolio of vibrant and trusted news, lifestyle, entertainment brands and a robust retail distribution network. Our iconic local news brands such as the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star and The Sacramento Bee, have collectively earned a total of 57 Pulitzer prizes and are complemented by popular lifestyle and entertainment brands such as Us Weekly and Woman’s World. Together, our brands reach more than 100 million unique visitors a month,The McClatchy Retail Network, our distribution and logistics arm, offers delivery to more than 56,000 retail locations weekly.

McClatchy is committed to providing equal employment opportunity (EEO) for all applicants and employees. McClatchy considers all candidates without regard to basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, ancestry, medical condition, family care status, pregnancy or physical disability (except where physical fitness is a valid occupational qualification), or any other basis protected by state and federal laws.

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