Assistant Editor — Entry Level | D.C. Witness

 

Assistant Editor — Entry Level | D.C. Witness

 

Assistant Editor — Entry Level 

Location: Washington, D.C.

D.C. Witness is looking for an assistant editor to help manage its editorial department. 

If you are committed to hard news, serious reporting, data journalism, investigative reporting and looking to get a taste of editing, we would be delighted to talk to you. 

We are looking for someone to help us grow the degree of transparency we offer of the local justice system and continue to build something new.

We are looking for someone who has interest in the justice process either as a journalist or moving onto law itself. We need someone who is organized, responsible, detail-oriented and ready for a position with management responsibilities. 

This is an Assistant Editor position with reporting responsibilities. The position is a full-time, Monday-Friday position with work expected on the occasional weekend. Hours will vary and are subject to change depending on court operations. 

This position is not a remote position.

The D.C. Witness Assistant Editor duties will include but are not limited to: 

• Work with the Editor to manage interns and their written work
• Write and posting breaking news articles on non-fatal shootings, sexual assaults and homicides 
• Write and assist interns with profile, research-based and investigative articles 
• Edit (first-pass) intern articles 
• Proofread data reports
• Work with Editor-in-Chief to compile a bi-weekly newsletter
• Assist interns will speaking to sources
• Track submission of various documents
• Manage interns’ social media posts and other social media content 
• Track and gather analytics on social media content
• Cover court hearings or trials when needed 
• Assist Editor-in-Chief and Editor with other duties as needed 

Qualifications: 

• Knowledge/interest in basic reporting techniques 
• Strong verbal and written skills 

• Possess strong attention to detail 
• Professional work posting on social media sites is a plus 
• At least one year of experience working in media is a plus 
• Interest in the Criminal Justice System
• Interest in data journalism

D.C. Witness is a non-profit news website that tracks homicide, non-fatal shooting, sexual assault and domestic violence cases in Washington, D.C. We take a unique approach that has reporters in every courtroom for every hearing on every case. We don’t just cover the big eye-catching stories, picking up the torch where traditional news falters. Through our coverage, underserved communities are given a voice and every life is memorialized. And, by leveraging our data, public officials are already improving their policy-making processes. 

To apply to the position, please send a resume, cover letter and three writing examples to noa@dcwitness.org.