Hi! 👋🏾 We’re Prism—a community of journalists, truth-tellers, and justice seekers committed to delivering in-depth and thought-provoking news and analysis.
Want to join us? We’re hiring! Read on to learn more about our News Editor (full-time) role and check out our Jobs page for additional opportunities.
As a nonprofit, independent news outlet led by journalists of color, Prism reports truth to power. Our coverage informs and animates the fight for justice at every point where power is built—from grassroots movements, to policy change, to lasting shifts in our culture. Activists, thought leaders, decision-makers, and all those who believe in justice for all come to Prism for deep reporting and honest insights on the most pressing injustices of our time—delivered through the lens of those who are most impacted.
While we are headquartered in California, we are a fully-remote team—with staff member locations ranging from the Bay Area, Michigan, Philadelphia, and the U.S. South.
Our approach
From everyday readers to movement leaders, we help people to see the full story of injustice, and to better understand what is broken, how to fix it, and who’s leading the way.
Our coverage deeply explores issues of racial justice, mass incarceration and policing, workers’ rights, gender justice, immigration, electoral justice, and the climate emergency. We report fully and accurately on the most pressing matters of our time by listening to and amplifying the experiences of people impacted by these issues. We’re led by and written for people of color, with a shared commitment to widen the lens on injustice. Prism’s approach to reporting is grounded in trust and relationships, centering the people and communities who experience injustices firsthand. We’re investing in this model by providing a platform for the next generation of journalists, storytellers, and thought leaders of color.
About the role
Reporting to the Managing Editor, the News Editor oversees Prism’s daily news storytelling and journalists. This role supervises our Senior News Reporter and freelance news reporters.
While the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor are tasked with setting editorial strategy (e.g., coverage priorities including major events/issues/news we want to tackle, newsroom-wide projects we want to undertake, and high-level story assignment), the News Editor will be responsible for the day-to-day execution of Prism’s growth and digital strategies.
The right candidate for this role has two main passions: crafting great storytelling and uplifting people to do their best work.
As News Editor, you will:
- Oversee, assign and edit daily news stories in Prism’s core areas
- Manage and assign from a monthly freelance budget
- Develop and manage our Senior News Reporter
- Work with the Managing Editor and Features Editor to balance daily production and thematic story planning.
- Oversee copy flow and web production for news stories, including headline and subheadline writing, and photo selection
- Set goals and conceptualize storylines with staff and freelance reporters
The salary band for this position is $82,500-90,000.Â
This role is a salaried, full-time position with benefits. Like all of Prism’s team, this role is fully remote, and we will consider candidates based anywhere within the U.S.
Prism has a 32-hour, four-day workweek (closed Fridays) and offers a generous benefits package including:
– 12 weeks annual paid leave (4 weeks vacation, 4 weeks wellness, 1 week office closure, and 12 paid holidays per year)
– 100% employer-paid medical/dental/vision insurance
– 401(k) match
– paid parental leave
– sabbatical eligibility at 3 years
– professional development support
– home office stipend
All staff are provided with a loaned MacBook Air, AirPods, and additional tech as needed.
Who we’re looking for
Our ideal News Editor is an organized, detail-oriented leader with a passion for building community-oriented culture and organizations. The ideal candidate has a vision for building out the newsier side of Prism’s overall coverage. Perhaps you’re a breaking news junkie, or you just love getting to the second-day story faster. Regardless, we’re looking for someone with a demonstrated passion for Prism’s areas of coverage and experience serving our audience.
Additional desired qualities include:
- A demonstrated commitment to the issue areas we cover—racial justice, gender justice, immigration, the criminal legal system and abolitionist movements, workers’ rights, climate and environmental justice, health and disability justice, politics and democracy, and education
- Strong news judgment and a deep understanding of how best to position Prism’s coverage within the news cycle
- A clear communicator who can both dream big and execute in reality
- Facility with both short- and long-term planning
- Flexible and adaptive work style with the ability to thrive in a growing, entrepreneurial, mission-driven environment
- Project management and process development capability
- Alignment with Prism’s mission and values
If you see yourself in some of the characteristics we’ve described—even if you may not have the exact experience you think we’re looking for—please reach out! We’d love to hear from you.
Note: Our current News Editor is transitioning to a new position at Prism and will be available for guidance throughout the onboarding period.
To apply
To apply for the News Editor position, please create a single-document PDF file that includes the following, in this order:
- A cover letter that outlines how you would approach this position and why your experience and skills make you best suited
- Your resume—one to two pages—including a link to your LinkedIn profile and portfolio of work, if you have one
- Links to no fewer than three published pieces you’ve edited, along with a brief explanation of changes you made to the original draft you’re proud of
Email join@prismreports.org with your single-document file containing what’s outlined above, along with the subject line News Editor by the conclusion of Sunday, April 7, 2024. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Consistent with our mission, we believe the experiences of BIPOC, women, the LGBTQ+ community, and other invisibilized groups should be centered in our work and we encourage people from these identities to apply to join us.
Prism is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, national origin, ancestry, religion, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, whistleblower status, or any other personal characteristics protected by state or federal law. Prism’s policies and practices are to reflect our commitment to nondiscrimination in all areas of employment.
