Job Introduction

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has provided the news industry with an unprecedented source of stories about local decisions. Reach, the UK's largest publisher, currently employs 55 journalists as part of this scheme across 31 newsrooms in England, Scotland and Wales.

In partnership with the BBC, our journalists and newsrooms are scrutinising the work of councils, NHS trusts and other local bodies, keeping communities informed and telling the stories that really matter to local audiences.

Producing nearly 600 stories each week we want to make sure that every story produced by our LDRs, as well as those in other parts of the UK, find the right audience amongst Reach's stable of online and print titles.

We are seeking to recruit two content editors to work alongside our newsrooms in making the best use of the work produced by our LDR team and growing the audience for their stories.

We are looking for experienced journalists who can combine a strong interest in political issues with a keen knowledge of digital publishing techniques and social media.

The role can be based within any Reach newsroom in the UK - but occasional travel will be required. Flexible working arrangements will be considered.

We are Reach because it's what we do.

Every day our newsbrands - national and regional, in print and online - reach millions of people up and down the country. We are the UK's largest news publisher, with influential national newsbrands such as the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Sunday People, Daily Record, and more than 100 distinguished regional titles.

Our brands have a long heritage of being trusted sources of news and information, with our editorial conviction and high standards of journalism providing audiences with timely information and opinion across multiple platforms.

Last year we sold 540 million newspapers, and our network of over 70 websites provide 24/7 coverage of news, sport and showbiz stories, viewed by 110m unique browsers every month.

Key Responsibilities:

• Publishing of LDR content to multiple Reach websites in line with best headline and SEO practice, as directed by local democracy editor
• Social media posting and co-ordinating with reporters and newsrooms to ensure posting strategy is followed
• Ability to understand the tone and differences of Reach's various websites, coordinating with digital editors on story prioritisation and homepage placement
• Copy tasting of BBC newswire for Reach websites which do not have dedicated LDRs
• Monitoring of content quality by both Reach and non-Reach LDRs and assisting with partner feedback as well as training and development of the team
• Monitoring of audience analytics to identify high-performing stories and issues and to feedback to LDRs and newsdesks on potential follow-up opportunity
• Occasional publishing of LDR stories to the BBC newswire, as directed by local democracy editor

The Ideal Candidate:

• First-class digital publishing skills and ability to use Escenic competently and quickly
• Ability to write about politics and issues in an engaging way, removing jargon and identifying key points of interest
• Content desk experience preferable, but these roles could be considered as entry-level newsdesk positions and experienced senior journalists (minimum two years) will be considered
• Demonstrable interest and knowledge of local government
• Experience of working with video, images, graphics and widgets to bring digital stories to life
• Excellent communication skills. This role involves working with multiple newsrooms and reporters across the UK. The ability to maintain clear and concise communication with colleagues in a fast-paced environment is vital.
• Rigorous attention to accuracy - particularly spellings and place names. Good knowledge of UK geography desirable
• Sound knowledge of audience analytics tools
• Solid understanding of social media and comfortable using social publishing tools
• Up-to-date legal and IPSO code knowledge

Package Description

In addition to a competitive basic salary, bonus, 25 days holiday and contributory pension scheme, Reach plc has a wealth of flexible benefits on offer.

We offer childcare vouchers, cycle scheme, a technology scheme in conjunction with Curry's PC World, holiday purchase scheme, car scheme, health cash plan, employee loans and lots of high street discounts!

Our business is fully committed to health and wellbeing in the workplace with an employee assistance programme in place and trained mental health first aiders across the business.

We are committed to equal opportunity for all. We may collect relevant data for monitoring as part of our candidate registration process.

Click 'Apply' now. We will be reviewing applications as they are received so please don't delay in submitting your application. Please note that we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the application deadline/closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.