Senior News Editor

Senior Editor overseeing U.S. news desk at Newsweek.

Posted 6/25/2026full-timeNew York City • New York • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $100,000 - $115,000 per yearWebsite

Key responsibilities & impact

Run the U.S. news desk during peak coverage hours, making final calls on framing, prioritization, and play.
Distinguish decisively between stories that advance public understanding and those that merely follow the pack.
Kill weak or redundant stories quickly—and demand better replacements.
Deliver first-class framing on the most competitive national stories, identifying where Newsweek can add clarity, originality, or analytical value.
Rewrite without hesitation: leads, nut grafs, headlines, structure, sourcing, and tone.
Take raw field notes, transcripts, interviews, and exclusives and turn them into clean, analytical, tightly argued journalism.
Perform rapid second-day and rolling rewrites that materially improve stories as facts evolve.
Operate as a desk reporter when the moment demands it—making calls, confirming facts, chasing documents, and closing gaps.
Personally intervene on high-stakes or sensitive stories where precision and judgment are critical.
Hold yourself and your team to elite newsroom standards.
Provide blunt, constructive feedback and demand improvement.
Mentor reporters and junior editors into sharper thinkers and stronger journalists.
Take ownership when coverage underperforms.
Maintain a sophisticated understanding of how serious readers engage with news.
Work with audience teams to ensure performance goals support editorial ambition.
Monitor competitive coverage and push Newsweek to outperform, not echo.

What you’ll need

7–10+ years of experience at a high-level U.S. digital newsroom.
Demonstrated record editing breaking news, exclusives, and enterprise reporting at speed.
Exceptional news judgment.
First-rate rewriting skills.
Comfortable making consequential editorial decisions independently.
Proven ability to handle sensitive and legally complex stories.
Deep understanding of U.S. political, legal, and cultural dynamics.
Calm, decisive leadership style under pressure.

Comp & perks

ATS Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

editingrewritingjournalismstory framingfact-checkinganalytical writingnews reportingcopy editingstory developmentnews analysis

Soft Skills

news judgmentleadershipdecision makingmentoringconstructive feedbackteam managementcommunicationproblem solvingadaptabilitycritical thinking