Staff Writer – Center for Digital Education – $24.04 – $28.85/hour
Pay: Non-Exempt role, $24.04 – $28.85 DOE
Summary of Overall Job:
- Write for the Center for Digital Education (CDE) and its related editorial products as directed by editors. CDE is one of e.Republic’s many editorial departments, which produce news and feature stories relevant to state and local government and education, for distribution in print, online and through multimedia. A staff writer is responsible for developing and maintaining a network of sources applicable to their beat, pitching and developing story ideas for web and magazine coverage, and writing stories that demonstrate thoughtful analysis of their subjects.
Essential Duties:
- Develop and Pitch Story Ideas for Web and Print.
- Regularly generate thoughtful and timely story ideas relevant to education and technology.
- Work with editors to refine pitches that align with editorial goals and audience interests.
- Report and Write Weekly Web Articles and News Briefs.
- Write 3-5 bylined pieces per week, ranging from short news briefs to longer-form web articles.
- Conduct interviews, research and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and insight.
- Create Content Across Multiple Platforms.
- Collaborate with editors to produce in-depth features for CDE’s print and digital magazines.
- Develop engaging narratives that explore major trends and innovations in the education sector.
- Exercise Strong Editorial Judgment.
- Stay on top of news developments and identify what’s relevant and impactful for CDE’s audience.
- Maintain high standards for accuracy, fairness and clarity in all content.
- Build and Maintain Source Networks.
- Cultivate relationships with key stakeholders in education, including administrators, tech leaders and public officials.
- Develop beat coverage that reflects an ongoing of understanding of assigned topics and communities.
- Represent CDE at Events and Conferences.
- Attend relevant events—both virtual and in-person—to report on sessions and interview attendees.
- Generate content based on event coverage that adds context and value for readers.
Skills/Qualifications:
- Able to write clear, concise and accurate articles about technically complex subjects
- Strong analytical and interpretive skills
- Knowledge of education issues, institutions and technology
- Able to conduct phone and in-person interviews of sources in K-12, higher education and the ed-tech industry
- 2 years of journalistic experience, preferably covering education
- Knowledge of journalistic standards and AP style
- Able to work under strict deadlines
- Able to post stories through content management system and commercial social networks
- SEO experience a plus (can be trained if needed)
- Must be in a work environment with reliable internet access