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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Web Journalist

💰 $40,000 - $85,000

JournalismDigital MediaContent

🎯 Role Definition

This role requires a talented Web Journalist to produce fast, accurate, and audience-focused digital journalism across web and social platforms. The Web Journalist will research, report, write, and publish compelling stories optimized for search engines and social distribution, incorporate multimedia assets (video, audio, graphics), and use analytics to iterate on content performance. The role requires strong editorial judgment, impeccable fact-checking, and the ability to meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced digital newsroom.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Staff Reporter or Local/Community Reporter transitioning to digital-first coverage
  • Digital Producer or Social Media Editor with hands-on reporting experience
  • Editorial Assistant / Newsroom Intern with a published portfolio

Advancement To:

  • Senior Web Journalist / Deputy Online Editor
  • Multimedia Editor or Managing Editor (Digital)
  • Investigative Reporter or Beat Editor
  • Audience Editor or Head of Content Strategy

Lateral Moves:

  • Social Media Manager / Community Manager
  • SEO Content Strategist or Audience Development Specialist
  • Podcast Producer or Video News Producer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Research, pitch, and produce high-quality daily web stories and feature packages that are accurate, fair, and engaging, tailored for SEO and digital discovery.
  • Write clear, concise, and compelling headlines, subheads, deck copy and ledes that maximize click-through and reader retention while adhering to editorial standards and SEO best practices.
  • Investigate, interview, and develop original reporting using primary sources, public records, data, and on-the-ground reporting to create exclusive digital-first content.
  • Publish and format articles in the content management system (CMS) — including correct tagging, meta descriptions, canonical links, image captions and formatting for accessibility and mobile responsiveness.
  • Optimize stories for search engines: implement targeted keywords, structured data, internal linking, and on-page SEO tactics informed by keyword research and analytics.
  • Incorporate multimedia elements — photos, graphics, embedded video, audio clips, interactive elements and data visualizations — to enhance storytelling and improve engagement metrics.
  • Produce and host short-form video explainers, live streams, or audio segments tied to written coverage; edit video/audio to a publishable standard for web and social distribution.
  • Monitor breaking news and maintain live coverage during fast-moving events with accurate, timely updates and clear source attribution.
  • Use analytics platforms (Google Analytics, Chartbeat, Parse.ly, etc.) to measure audience behavior, identify top-performing content, and iterate headlines, formats and promotion strategies accordingly.
  • Collaborate closely with editors, designers, photographers, data journalists and social teams to plan visual storytelling, interactive features and cross-platform distribution.
  • Translate complex subjects into accessible explainer pieces, Q&As and fact checks that improve public understanding and reduce misinformation.
  • Execute daily editorial workflows: copyediting, proofreading, fact-checking, applying AP style (or house style), and obtaining necessary legal/rights clearances for published content.
  • Build and maintain sources and community relationships; cultivate expert interviews and on-the-record comments to strengthen reporting depth and credibility.
  • Pitch and develop long-form features, investigations and series that align with audience interests and strategic editorial priorities.
  • Repurpose and repackage content for newsletters, social posts, push notifications, partner platforms and syndication while maintaining story integrity.
  • Support multimedia and cross-department projects such as data-driven investigations, interactive explainers, and audience engagement initiatives.
  • Manage freelance contributors and stringers: assign stories, provide editorial guidance, review submissions and ensure timely payment and rights clearances.
  • Prepare and maintain newsroom-ready asset repositories, including image libraries, B-roll, interview transcripts and source documentation for editorial and legal review.
  • Plan and execute A/B headline and social copy tests to determine optimal presentation for traffic and engagement uplift.
  • Maintain ethical journalism standards: verify claims, identify conflicts of interest, label sponsored content, and respond to corrections and reader feedback transparently.
  • Track emerging trends, audience signals and SEO opportunities to propose new coverage areas, recurring columns or newsletters that grow readership and revenue.

Secondary Functions

  • Assist the audience development team in planning distribution calendars and cross-promotions across platforms (newsletter, social, push alerts).
  • Support special projects such as sponsored content integrations, branded series and native advertising with clear editorial boundaries.
  • Train junior reporters and interns on digital best practices: CMS publishing, SEO fundamentals, multimedia capture and newsroom workflows.
  • Participate in editorial meetings, planning sessions and post-publication debriefs to refine story pipelines and workflow efficiency.
  • Maintain an up-to-date knowledge base of newsroom tools, plugins and CMS features; propose improvements to publishing templates and metadata standards.
  • Coordinate with legal and compliance teams on libel risks, source confidentiality and copyright clearance when required.
  • Contribute short-form social-first content for platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and X to support headline stories and drive referral traffic.
  • Monitor comment sections and user feedback channels; escalate credible tips and reader leads to the reporting team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Expert writing and editing skills with demonstrable portfolio of web-first journalism and bylines.
  • Mastery of CMS platforms (WordPress, Drupal, Contentful or comparable systems) for publishing, tagging and taxonomy management.
  • Strong SEO skills: keyword research, on-page optimization, metadata, schema/structured data and internal linking strategies.
  • Proficiency with audience analytics tools (Google Analytics, Chartbeat, Parse.ly) to interpret user behavior and guide editorial decisions.
  • Experience producing and editing video and audio: Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, Audition, Audacity or equivalent.
  • Basic HTML/CSS familiarity for clean formatting, embedding content and troubleshooting layout issues in the CMS.
  • Photo editing and asset management experience (Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, or equivalent).
  • Ability to work with data for reporting: spreadsheets, data cleaning basics, and data visualization tools (Tableau, Flourish, Datawrapper, or Google Sheets/Charts).
  • Strong fact-checking, source verification and legal-risk awareness for digital publishing.
  • Live blogging and live video production experience using tools like OBS, LiveU or platform-native live features.
  • Skilled in headline optimization and A/B testing tools (Optimizely, Google Optimize or native CMS testing features).
  • Experience with social media management platforms and best practices for organic distribution (Buffer, Hootsuite, CrowdTangle).

Soft Skills

  • Excellent editorial judgment and a strong news sense that prioritizes accuracy and public interest.
  • Exceptional attention to detail, grammar, and AP or house-style consistency.
  • Ability to work under tight deadlines and manage multiple stories across platforms simultaneously.
  • Strong verbal communication and interviewing skills; ability to develop trust with sources.
  • Curiosity and persistence; willingness to pursue complex stories and track down original reporting angles.
  • Collaborative mindset: works effectively with cross-functional teams including design, product, audience and legal.
  • Adaptability and willingness to learn new tools, formats, and platform-specific best practices.
  • Resilience under pressure and a calm, professional demeanor when handling breaking news or sensitive topics.
  • Time management, organization and project planning skills for managing beats, investigations and recurring features.
  • Ethical decision-making and commitment to transparency, corrections and responsible sourcing.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, English, Political Science, or a related field OR equivalent professional experience with a strong published portfolio.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's degree or specialized certificate in Digital Journalism, Multimedia Storytelling, Data Journalism or related disciplines.
  • Additional training or certifications in SEO, analytics, video production or data visualization are advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Journalism
  • Communications
  • English / Creative Writing
  • Political Science / Public Policy
  • Data Journalism / Multimedia Production

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years of professional journalism experience with measurable web publishing and audience-growth results.

Preferred: 3+ years in a digital newsroom or content-first role with demonstrable experience in SEO-driven reporting, multimedia production, CMS publishing and audience analytics. Portfolio must include web-native articles, multimedia pieces and evidence of audience impact (traffic, engagement or conversions).

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