News Producer (AI & Social) Job at Surround News in Springfield

Local news is the most trusted source of information in the United States (73% of Americans believe and trust local news compared to ~30% who trust national outlets). Local news, however, is a highly splintered industry that suffers from a staff heavy business model. The model is unable to capture much of the $169 annual ad spend.

We’re looking to change that. At Surround News, we are building an AI platform that fuels wholly owned news outlets. We’re creating a single network of outlets that can capture a greater share of corporate ad budgets while providing local communities a trusted source of news.. And we’re doing it by applying AI to a product that is beloved by Americans, but weighed down by a broken business model.

The Role
We’re hiring a News Producer to help us scale—someone who’s equal parts journalist, engagement lead, and AI-native.

You’ll help launch new sites, win readers by pushing content across social media, and act as a quality filter between AI-generated output and what actually deserves to be published.

This is not a “just post and schedule” role—you’ll be expected to think like an editor.

What You'll Do
Launch & Grow New Outlets

Help stand up and manage dozens of new local news sites

Own social publishing across platforms (X, Facebook, Instagram, etc.)

Experiment with headlines, formats, and timing to drive engagement

Be the Human-in-the-Loop

Review and refine AI-generated articles before they go live

Catch errors, weak framing, or anything that feels “off”

Make quick editorial calls under tight timelines

Find What’s Missing

Spot stories the AI didn’t catch

Add context, nuance, or “color” that makes coverage actually useful

Flag gaps in coverage and push for better storytelling

Who You Are

Early-career journalist (or recent grad) who actually wants to build something

Comfortable using AI tools like ChatGPT or similar in your workflow

Deeply online—you understand how content spreads and what gets attention

Strong editorial instincts: you know what’s newsworthy and what’s not

Fast, detail-oriented, and not afraid of a little chaos

You care about local news and community storytelling

Why Join Us

Ground-floor role in a fast-moving media startup

Real ownership from day one (you won’t be stuck doing busywork)

Work at the intersection of AI, media, and distribution

High-impact: your work will directly shape dozens of local outlets

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