Part-time Writer

This position will write and pitch a high volume of daily pre-planned content for Us Weekly digital (UsMagazine.com) and its brand-new Watch With Us vertical, which focuses on TV and streaming programming, episode guides, how-to-watch, scheduling information and more.

Reporting to Watch With Us’ Senior Editor, the writer must work efficiently and collaboratively. The ideal candidate should be comfortable writing in established formats
and applying best SEO practices to all copy while also writing in a fun, engaging voice appropriate to the Us Weekly brand.

Note that the “What to Watch” section does not include original interviews, features, reviews, essays, analysis, exclusives, or breaking news about TV or celebrities, all of which are handled by a separate Us Weekly team.

The anticipated base pay for this position is between $20 – $30 an hour. Individual base pay may vary within that range depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, department equity and relevant education.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Exceptional writing and editing skills, with at least 3 years of relevant professional experience.
• Proven ability and experience writing a high volume of smart, ready-to-publish daily stories (usually 4-6 articles) on deadline. Typical word counts for these articles range from 300 words to 900 words each, depending on the type of article.
• Types of articles may include streaming guides (and subsequent updates), breaking news (i.e. recently released trailer), features on trending topics (Netflix’s most popular movie, a trending TV show, an underrated movie on a streaming service), how to watch a specific show, movie or event and more.
• Passionate and knowledgeable about popular culture and entertainment. This role will cover all genres (action movies, rom-coms, comedies, reality shows, Westerns) and topics (5 great movies to watch in the summer).
• Proficiency in SEO best practices, particularly in the crafting of headlines, meta descriptions, story structure and in the scheduling of content and content updates is required.
• Familiarity with content management systems like WordPress, photo editing tools and project management tools like Airtable.
• Exceptional organizational skills.
• Must be flexible and adept at research. This may require figuring out how to find information about a topic to quickly write an authoritative and engaging article.
• Must be able to pitch relevant articles that fit within the Us Weekly brand and have the potential for high traffic.
• Availability to work Monday through Friday, with flexibility for live coverage of major entertainment events (e.g., award shows, premieres, finales), including occasional work outside standard hours.
• Other duties as assigned by management
• McClatchy Media’s journalists are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to ethically harness and leverage artificial intelligence and other automation to enhance and elevate their work and to find efficiencies that free them to focus on source-building and high-quality, deeply reported journalism.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Strong grounding in journalism ethics and an unwavering commitment to accurate and ethical journalism.
• Must have solid news judgment and a broad knowledge of headlines.
• An understanding of audience trends and digital media.
• Ability to correctly identify audiences for selected stories.
• Ability to use social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to reach audiences.
• Track record for innovation, learning and using new skills and technology, especially AI.
• Ability to prioritize and to work under and meet short- and long-deadlines in a fast-paced, data-driven work environment and to accurately fact-check information
• Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, and team player skills.
• Excellent communication and active listening skills.
• Ability to interact professionally and build relationships and develop sources with a diverse array of people.
• Ability to work well, be professional and courteous with a variety of editors, staff at all levels.
• Computer proficiency (MS Office, Digital editing, web search, databases)
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, which may include nights and weekends
• Must be able to work remotely while contributing to a team environment
• Regular and reliable attendance.

What you’ll bring:

• Bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) from an accredited college or university, preferably in Journalism, or the equivalent education, experience, skills and knowledge needed to perform the tasks and responsibilities of the position.
• 3 years related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

What we’ll bring:

As a journalist at McClatchy Media, you will join a supportive, flexible, collaborative team. McClatchy strives to be an employer of choice, and our benefits package is made with this goal in mind. With a focus on health, well-being, wealth and daily life, our package options include healthcare coverage for employees and their families, financial protection from expected and unexpected expenses, multiple no-cost wellness resources and even coverage for four-legged friends.

To apply, include a persuasive cover letter, your resume and two examples of your best work when you apply.