Slashfood caters to food enthusiasts -- people who love food and consider themselves connoisseurs of cooking and food culture –- but they’re not snobs. A reader’s obsession might be fast-food tacos rather than white truffles, but he or she wants to feel like a master of the taco-truck universe. If you believe that great food only comes from high-end restaurants, esoteric ingredients, and an overly intellectual cooking style, this position is probably not right for you. The senior editor needs to be able to assign stories with mass appeal, covering everything from fast food to supermarket items to TV cooking shows, without a cynical attitude.
If you are a creative thinker (with a rolodex of writers and industry contacts) who is comfortable with a fast-moving editorial process and has a proven track-record of creating “clicky” stories that people talk about and share, this is an excellent opportunity to work at one of the most widely read food blogs in the country. A cool head, grace under pressure, and the ability to work alongside a variety of skill levels and personalities will be the keys to success. Must be both a team player and team leader.
Duties include, but are not limited to:
• Coordinate all daily coverage of food news and features (10 to 12 daily).
• Follow food and restaurant trends and be able to turn them into stories people will read, talk about and forward to their friends.
• Scanning the news wires and food blogs every morning for current stories, and getting them to WS by9:00 A.M.
• Hire and develop freelance writers who can turn around a story within a few hours, and ensure those pieces come in on deadline. Also have writers who can work on longer-term evergreen stories.
• Know the national food communities and their key figures. Be informed about current issues and events within those communities.
• Edit stories for appropriate lengths, improving clarity and style while ensuring that the stories are accurate and follow AP standards for style, grammar and spelling.
• Generate display copy following best SEO practices.
• Work with sales team to produce advertising-friendly content that is still honest and audience-worthy.
• Feel comfortable suggesting workflow practices that improve efficiency and ensure we’re ahead of schedule as much as possible.
• Pitch in as needed on larger projects and projects working with theAOLcompany at large (such as Welcome Screen and other cross-promotion).
Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree
•5 to 7years editorial experience, including assigning and editing (news background a plus)
• Ability to analyze data and track metrics as well as think creatively
• Basic understanding of HTML, Photoshop and blog publishing platforms
• Must be an organized multi-tasker who can self-manage his or her time and proactively as well as enforce deadlines for others
• Extensive writer and food-industry contacts essential
• Endless energy and ideas, and able to adapt quickly to change
Apply here.
This blog is no longer updated. Please instead visit Writers For Diversity for new opportunities for women/ LGBT writers and writers of color. Thank you.
