Statesman Journal / Gannett is hiring: Associate News Director, The Arizona Repu

Associate News Director, The Arizona Republic

Arizona’s largest news organization and part of the USA TODAY NETWORK seeks a strategic, digitally fluent journalist to lead our news team in a highly competitive market for urgent, informative and exclusive news. The Associate News Director will drive digital-first news gathering, champion multimedia storytelling, and ensure our journalism reflects and serves Arizona’s diverse communities.

Responsibilities

• Lead a Digital-First Newsroom: Direct breaking news and criminal justice coverage with a focus on speed, accuracy, and digital impact. Assign and edit coverage for all platforms, prioritizing mobile, web, and social distribution.
• Champion Video Storytelling: Collaborate with visual editors, reporters, and producers to create compelling video content for social platforms (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube) and azcentral.com.
• Urgent Sourcing Across Channels: Develop and execute strategies for real-time sourcing and verification using social media, public agencies, and community sources. Monitor social platforms for breaking news, trending topics, and user-generated content; verify and incorporate multimedia from public and official sources.
• Audience Engagement: Use analytics and audience insights to shape coverage, drive subscriptions, and deepen engagement. Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and inclusivity.
• Mentorship and Collaboration: Mentor reporters in digital news gathering, compelling narratives, and diverse sources. Collaborate across the newsroom and USA TODAY Network to enhance story forms and audience reach.

Knowledge and Skills

• Expertise in digital-first news gathering, video production, and social media sourcing.
• Expertise with public records, data reporting, and data visualization.
• Strong news judgment, editing skills, and command of journalism ethics.
• Proficiency with analytics, audience funnel strategies, and digital content optimization.
• Ability to verify and curate user-generated content and multimedia from social platforms.
• Spanish language skills a plus.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in journalism, media production, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Five or more years of newsroom editing experience, with a track record in digital and public safety journalism.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams in a fast‑paced, multi‑platform environment.

Application Instructions

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don’t limit your upload to a resume; show us what you’ve done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

• Your resume – one to two pages.
• A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.

It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Gannett Co., Inc. is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a diverse workforce. As such, we will consider all qualified applicants for employment and do not discriminate in connection with employment decisions on the basis of an applicant or employee’s race, color, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, citizenship status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, marital status, personal appearance (including height and weight), sexual orientation, family responsibilities, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), education, genetic characteristics or information, political affiliation, military or veteran status or other classifications protected by applicable federal, state and local laws in the jurisdictions where Gannett employs employees. In addition, Gannett Co., Inc. will provide applicants who require a reasonable accommodation, as a result of an applicant’s disability or religion, to complete this employment application and/or any other process in connection with an individuals’ application for employment with Gannett Co., Inc. Applicants who require such accommodation should contact Gannett Co., Inc.’s Recruitment Department at Recruit@gannett.com.