Tone Madison seeks a News and Politics Editor

Apply by May 19 to help us expand our political coverage.

Tone Madison is seeking a News and Politics Editor to take charge of our independent, vital coverage of local political stories. Here’s everything you need to know about the position and how to apply.

Application Deadline: midnight on Monday, May 19

To apply, email editor@tonemadison.com and include 1) at least three relevant work samples (links and attachments are both fine), 2) your resume, and 3) a few sentences introducing yourself. No formal cover letter is needed. 

BIPOC, women, members of the LGBTQ community, and other members of underrepresented communities in the journalism field are strongly encouraged to apply.

Position Details

• Time commitment: 12-15 hours/week, as negotiated
• Pay rate: $16/hour (W2 hourly position)
• Reports to: Managing Editor
• Location: Remote, but must be based in the Madison area
• Start date: Preferably sometime in June.

Summary

The News and Politics Editor will coordinate with Tone Madison‘s freelance writers and other editors to write, assign, edit, and publish stories that deepen our coverage of and commentary on local political news, and occasional breaking items related to arts and culture. This editor will play a lead role in shaping the balance of our coverage between long-term reporting and quick-turnaround coverage.

Tone Madison covers politics with an openly left-wing bent, a dedication to factual accuracy, and a commitment to holding the powerful accountable. The News and Politics Editor will especially look for stories and perspectives that are overlooked in local media, and will focus on original reporting and challenging prevailing narratives—not aggregation or following the pack. 

The end goals are to build on the strong voice Tone Madison has already developed in local political coverage, follow through more thoroughly on important stories as they develop over time, and amplify the stories and perspectives neglected by other Madison media.

Tone Madison is a worker-owned cooperative. The person hired for this position will join the rest of our W2 staff in serving on our Board of Directors and becoming a worker-owner.

Responsibilities 

• Monitor local news developments (during negotiated work hours) via social media, tips, and other news outlets. 20%
• Communicate promptly during negotiated work hours.
• Report and write stories as necessary. 20%
• Brainstorm ideas with writers and other editors via email and Discord. 15%
• Pitch longer-term story ideas. 15%
• Work with freelance writers to field pitches and execute story ideas. 15%
• Participate in our partnerships with other independent publications, when it’s helpful to a story. 5%
• Coordinate with other team members to make sure stories get distributed via social media. 5%
• Participate in cooperative governance as a Board member and worker-owner. 5%

Limitations on Responsibilities

• The News and Politics Editor will not be expected to be on-call outside of negotiated work hours.
• The News and Politics Editor will not be expected to make editorial decisions without the guidance of supervisors and colleagues, unless comfortable doing so.
• The News and Politics Editor will not be held to unreasonable quotas.

Skills and Qualifications

• Strong editing skills.
• Ability to write and report on deadline.
• A familiarity with Madison’s local government and political landscape.
• A working grasp of journalism ethics.
• Ability to plan and publish with tools including a WordPress CMS, Google Docs, AirTable, etc.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to follow an internal style guide. to follow an internal style guide.

Supervisors’ Responsibilities

• Provide prompt feedback on short-turnaround and long-turnaround story ideas.
• Assist with editing, writing, gathering images, and CMS entry as much as possible.
• Be open to new ideas and feedback.
• Respectful, supportive, and professional communication at all times.
• Re-assigning News and Politics Editor duties if the workload becomes unmanageable.