News Assistant

Thenewyorktimes
New York, NY
HybridCareer-pivot friendly

Who this role is best for

Best suited to candidates with experience in fast-paced journalism environments and strong organizational abilities working in media production and newsroom operations.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with prior experience in media production and a background in administrative support
    — “assist editors in producing multiple newsletters and other online content
  • Individuals who thrive in rotating roles and are open to learning new journalistic formats
    — “floaters fill in on multiple jobs to cover other employees' vacations
  • People with a demonstrated ability to manage content across print and digital platforms
    — “reformat assigned content for immediate publication in all media

Things to consider

  • The role requires regular in-office attendance with limited remote flexibility
    — “This is an in-office position, based in New York City
  • Candidates must be prepared for irregular and changing schedules
    — “a floater's schedule varies week to week

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience with Google Workspace and Adobe InDesign in your resume and interview responses
    — “Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud, with an emphasis on InDesign
  • Demonstrate adaptability by showcasing past roles with shifting responsibilities or tasks
    — “rotate easily from one job to another
  • Emphasize your ability to maintain accuracy in content and data handling
    — “Determine accuracy of data, correcting apparent errors
  • Showcase your communication skills through examples of collaborative projects or editorial support
    — “Strong communication skills
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Individual

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • Successfully managed multiple news assistant jobs
  • Maintained smooth administrative operations
  • Supported editors and operations managers
Typical background
Experience in newsroom operationsStrong organizational and communication skills

Skills & requirements

Required

Newsroom OperationsContent ManagementProofreadingFact-checkingSocial Media Management

Preferred

SEOURL VerificationEvent Management

Stack & domain

LeadershipCommunicationMedia

About the role

Original posting from Thenewyorktimes via Greenhouse

The mission of The New York Times is to seek the truth and help people understand the world. That means independent journalism is at the heart of all we do as a company. It’s why we have a world-renowned newsroom that sends journalists to report on the ground from nearly 160 countries. It’s why we focus deeply on how our readers will experience our journalism, from print to audio to a world-class digital and app destination. And it’s why our business strategy centers on making journalism so good that it’s worth paying for. 

About the Role:

The New York Times is looking for a news assistant to work in a floater role to learn several different news assistant jobs throughout the newsroom. Floaters fill in on multiple jobs to cover other employees' vacations, leaves of absence and other types of time off, and fill in on any shifts or projects that don't have an assigned news assistant. 

You will rotate easily from one job to another. Flexibility is important as floaters do not have a set schedule; a floater's schedule varies week to week and will include nights, weekends, and holidays. Schedule changes occur regularly and being cooperative with changes and quickly responsive to calls/emails from Newsroom Operations managers are required. 

This is an in-office position, based in New York City and includes regular attendance in the office four days each week. There may be some flexibility to work remotely per your departmental guidance.

Responsibilities:

Assist editors in producing multiple newsletters and other online content

Handle layout of some parts of our print newspaper

Maintain department documents, including listservs that contain reliable information of reporter locations

Proofread and fact-check audience-related tasks, i.e. SEO and URL verification

For publication in listings, review and confirm background facts for events submitted to The Times, seek out appropriate upcoming events, select events and edit content for space requirements

Determine accuracy of data, correcting apparent errors and calling attention to news developments the material may disclose

Manage desk social media accounts at the direction of editors

Write and reword caption information attached to incoming pictures or other material submitted by photographers so that editors can write captions for publication

Gather, prepare and archive content, including tables, listings, captions, summaries, photos, graphics and other content elements, reformatting assigned content for immediate publication in all media

Screen and sort mail, send out newspapers, answer telephone calls and manage other incoming information for the assigned department

Ensure the smooth administrative operation of the assigned desk by performing a variety of tasks under the supervision of desk editors and the operations manager, including:

Maintain varied departmental files and personnel and other office records including work and vacation schedules, timebanks, whereabouts lists and payroll records

Assist editors and operations managers with processing of freelance and staff payments

Learn and use evolving administrative tools and working with editors and operations managers to help create and apply newsroom policies on the assigned desk

Demonstrate support and understanding of our values of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world

You will report to a Deputy Director of Newsroom Operations.

Basic Qualifications:

1+ years of experience with Google Workspace

1+ years of experience in a role requiring organizational skills

1+ years of experience in a fast-paced environment that requires meeting deadlines

Strong grammar

Preferred Qualifications: 

Strong communication skills

A passion for learning about new tools and journalism formats

Versatile skills in writing

Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud, with an emphasis on InDesign

This position is represented by the NewsGuild of NY.

REQ-020574

Additional Compensation and Benefits

For roles in the U.S., dependent on your role, you may be eligible for variable pay, such as an annual bonus and restricted stock. Benefits may include medical, dental and vision benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts (F.S.A.s), a company-matching 401(k) plan, employee stock purchase plan, paid vacation, paid sick days, paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement and professional development programs.

For roles outside of the U.S., information on benefits will be provided during the interview process.

The annual base pay range for this role is between:$67,626—$68,000 USDCandidate Use of GenAI Tools:

We’re excited to learn more about you and your experience. To keep our hiring process as fair and authentic as possible, we ask that you submit your own work and not use GenAI tools to generate substantive content during the application and interview process.

If you’re an engineering candidate, we’ll let you know what specific GenAI tools you are permitted to use for your technical assessment.

The New York Times Company is committed to being the world’s best source of independent, reliable and quality journalism. To do so, we embrace a diverse workforce that has a broad range of backgrounds and experiences across our ranks, at all levels of the organization. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate on the basis of an individual's sex, age, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage, religion, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation or affectional preference, gender identity and expression, disability, genetic trait or predisposition, carrier status, citizenship, veteran or military status and other personal characteristics protected by law. All applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to legally protected characteristics. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s Know Your Rights Poster is available here. 

The New York Times Company will provide reasonable accommodations as required by applicable federal, state, and/or local laws. Individuals seeking an accommodation for the application or interview process should email reasonable.accommodations@nytimes.com. Emails sent for unrelated issues, such as following up on an application, will not receive a response.

For information about The New York Times' privacy practices for job applicants, click here.

Please beware of fraudulent job postings. Scammers may post fraudulent job opportunities, and they may even make fraudulent employment offers. This is done by bad actors to collect personal information and money from victims. All legitimate job opportunities from The New York Times will be accessible through The New York Times careers site. The New York Times will not ask job applicants for financial information or for payment, and will not refer you to a third party to do so. You should never send money to anyone who suggests they can provide employment with The New York Times.

If you see a fake or fraudulent job posting, or if you suspect you have received a fraudulent offer, you can report it to The New York Times at NYTapplicants@nytimes.com. You can also file a report with the Federal Trade Commission or your state attorney general.

Source: Thenewyorktimes careers (Greenhouse)

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