Social Media Editor

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.

The New York Times is looking for a social media editor with experience in journalism, social media strategy, off-platform video promotion and collaborating on projects that involve crowdsourcing, social media reporting and research. You will establish a vision for shaping and targeting our journalism for different platforms, and you will be responsible for understanding and developing new strategies, tools and workflows as those platforms evolve. This means you’ll be building our presence on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and emerging platforms. Engaging our readers, monitoring on-site and off-platform conversations for story ideas and integrating readers’ contributions into our report is essential. You will know how to adjust social programming targets and priorities amid a shifting global, 24-hour news cycle and ever-changing platform landscape. You will also work with reporters and editors across the newsroom on how social media and readers’ voices can inform our journalism, both pre- and post-publication.

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

Main responsibilities:

• Leading The Times’s social presence across our main accounts, ensuring coverage of breaking news and live events; conceiving and executing innovative social plans for enterprise projects; and leveraging videos, photography and graphics to elevate our off-platform report.
• Support the increase in video production across the newsroom by prioritising time-sensitive projects and ensuring that our video journalism reaches a wide audience off-platform.
• Developing and refining the voice of The Times on all of our off-platform channels, exhibiting excellent news judgment and audience-sensitive framing.
• Collaborating with Social Visuals editors and across our Video team, especially the video audience editor in London, on developing and executing visual storytelling formats and strategies for social platforms.
• Building creative social native content (e.g., visual cards, Instagram stories, etc.).
• Skillfully editing, shaping and elevating headlines, copy and visual assets for social media.
• Suggesting story ideas, identifying video opportunities and partnering with desks across the London newsroom to produce stories that anticipate readers’ prospective social and search needs sparked by a Times exclusive or a news event, and respond to readers’ real-time social and search needs and trends.
• Developing testing strategies around medium (images, video) and message (headline, social share text), to inform a constantly updating set of best practices for engaging off-platform audiences (Social, Search, etc.).
• Partner with editors across the newsroom to workshop on-platform framing of articles that leverage off-platform performance insights and reader interest.
• Interpreting data and signals to know what pieces are the right fit for what audiences both on and off our platforms.
• Tracking success through engagement rates, growth statistics, reader responses and other metrics, especially for video.
• Working with journalists in the newsroom on best social media practices, including framing pieces for specific audiences.
• Collaborate with other audience editors, in London and around the world, on flagging coverage opportunities informed by off-platform trends and sharing performance insights and case studies with desks.
• Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.

Our ideal candidate:

• Proven experience in social media and digital journalism.
• Deep understanding of all mainstream and some emerging social channels.
• Consistent record running Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram accounts for major media outlets.
• Demonstrated interest in visual storytelling, including through video.
• Strong editorial judgment; comfortable with experimenting and refining strategies to optimise article-sharing for different social audiences.
• A passion for news and a dedication to The Times and its journalistic mission.
• Skill at bridging specialties, including reporting, editing, product, analytics, design and user research.
• Strong writing and editing skills, and knowledge of Times style or the ability to absorb and apply it quickly.
• Strong analytical skills and familiarity with how to use data to inform editorial decisions.
• Experience working independently and collaborating across time zones.