As announced last week, J-Source is now seeking its next editor-in-chief, who will take over for me when my three-year term is up this spring.
I can’t quite believe that it’s been three-ish years since I took over from Janice Neil. We’ve accomplished a lot in that time, including launching a new site, increasing the pace and range of our coverage and, as a result, growing our audience. I’m proud of how the site has changed and grown during my tenure as editor-in-chief and will have more to say about that later.
For now, though, we need to find the site a new editor-in-chief. As per the official announcement, here’s what the job entails:
The editor-in-chief is responsible for all editorial matters concerning the site. Principally, the editor-in-chief supervises and supports the associate editor, J-Source’s only full-time, paid staff member. This includes conducting weekly story meetings, editing and proof-reading the associate editor’s work, as well as the weekly newsletter, and being available during regular business hours for consultation.
The editor-in-chief also leads long-term editorial planning for the site, recruits new section editors from Canadian journalism schools and the industry, negotiates content-sharing agreements and other types of partnerships with industry organizations, and liaises with the publisher, business manager, and the board of directors on a regular basis. The editor-in-chief also plays a role in hiring and training new associate editors.
The job requires approximately 10 to 12 hours of work a week, 12 months of the year. Knowledge of the Canadian journalism industry is important, as is an understanding of digital newsgathering and social media. Experience using a content management system, and Drupal in particular, is an asset but not required. As this position is unpaid, the ideal candidate will be a full-time faculty member in a Canadian journalism program who can take on the role as part of his or her service commitment to his or her university or college.
I’d be happy to speak with anyone who’s interested in the position. Applications are due by the end of February and the job starts May 1.