Gannett is hiring: Associate News Director, The Arizona Republic in Phoenix

Associate News Director, The Arizona Republic

The Arizona Republic /azcentral.com, 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:

1. Your resume - one to two pages.
2. 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.

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