Gannett is hiring: Detroit Free Press Sports Editor in Detroit

The Detroit Free Press / freep.com

The largest metro publication within the USA TODAY NETWORK seeks a champion journalist to lead the sports desk covering the busiest sports scene in the country, with historic professional franchises in the NBA, NHL, NFL and MLB, along with two national Big Ten brands, regional college programs in the MAC, Horizon League, GLIAC, MIAA and one of the most robust high school sports scenes in the country. Our college audience includes more than 50 million readers annually.

In this role you will guide beat writers and columnists with solid editing and headline writing, collaborate with our award‑winning photography staff, and draw readers to freep.com to engage a national sports audience.

The editor is the lead for the sports department on all platforms—print, digital (website, app and social media) and audio (podcasts and voice stories)—working in concert with all newsroom leaders within the Free Press and USA Today Sports vertical.

The next Free Press Sports Editor will dig deep into trends, maintain freep.com's voice on all things sports, plan daily, weekly and tentpole event coverage, assign and edit stories, and engage our audience whenever there are moments to celebrate or lament. Additional responsibilities include leading award‑winning high school sports coverage, the Free Press marathon’s editorial coverage, acting as liaison for book production for special moments, and editing Mitch Albom's weekly column.

In this role you will:

• Respond to a dynamic and demanding news environment.
• Assign and edit stories, projects and investigations for Detroit‑based reporters covering professional, collegiate, high school and recreational sports.
• Coordinate and edit cross‑network coverage of major sports events.
• Establish and maintain ongoing lines of communication among sports teams across the USA Today Network.
• Monitor metrics and utilize SEO best practices.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in journalism or related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 7+ years of relevant management/supervisory experience.
• Proven proficiency in applying analytics to content strategy.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Exposure to deadline‑driven environment.
• Exceptional planning and organizational skills.
• SEO knowledge.
• Self‑motivation and self‑direction.
• Strong line‑editing skills.
• Strong people‑management skills.
• Strong problem‑solving skills.

Industry knowledge:

• Understanding of the multi‑faced sports environment—from game coverage to fan experiences.
• Understanding of how to engage audiences on digital platforms.
• Ability to multitask and excel under intense deadline pressure in a rapidly changing environment.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a cross‑functional environment.

How To Apply:

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 outlining how you would approach the job.
• Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what you’ve produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role.

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.