Deputy Managing Editor, News Desk

Job Description

Job Description

About Chicago Public Media

Chicago Public Media is one of the nation's largest local nonprofit news organizations. Home to WBEZ 91.5FM, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Vocalo. Chicago Public Media reaches more than 3.3 million people weekly across broadcast, print, and digital platforms. As a mission-driven organization, we aspire to be the most trusted news source Chicagoans turn to for understanding the people, events, and ideas shaping our community.

Chicago Public Media is a 100% community-funded newsroom powered by nearly 97,000 members whose support makes our journalism possible. This sustained community investment helped drive nationally recognized work in 2025, including 29 awards from esteemed organizations, including the Public Media Journalists Association, the Edward R. Murrow Awards, and the National Association of Black Journalists.

We believe independent journalism is essential to a healthy democracy and that access to objective, fact-based news is a right for every citizen. We serve the public interest by creating diverse content that informs and enriches our community, supported by a dedicated staff of approximately 250 professionals.

For more information, please see the Chicago Public Media Annual Report.

 

The Opportunity

CSTM is looking for an innovative leader to help guide daily news coverage in one of America's most exciting and diverse metropolitan areas. We're seeking a Deputy Managing Editor, News, to help guide an ambitious and talented news team of general assignment reporters and assistant editors to produce important, interesting and useful stories that help Chicago area residents participate in, and make the most of, our community.

The successful candidate will be energized by a broad mix of breaking and trending news coverage, staying abreast of such stories on emerging platforms. This editor must be able to inspire a team to create daily stories that serve, grow and engage our audiences digitally, in print, in audio, on social media and beyond. This person will be a creative storyteller comfortable working in multiple formats; a superlative and intentional communicator; and an enthusiastic collaborator who is adept at working closely with enterprise/topic desks, audience, visuals, our WBEZ audio team and print production teams. The ideal candidate will be an experienced and thoughtful people manager, with an understanding of how a healthy team culture supports stronger storytelling that connects with diverse audiences. Working closely with the Managing Editor, News, the Deputy Managing Editor will direct and help shape impactful coverage across digital, print and wire editions that will keep our audiences coming back.

 

Responsibilities

• Co-manage the News Desk operations Sunday-Thursday, including a Monday night shift
• Collaborate on News Desk operations and oversight with the Managing Editor, News and the early shift Deputy Managing Editor, News
• Run afternoon news budget meetings in the Managing Editor's absence
• Coordinate with daily news editors to ensure copy is edited in a timely fashion with strong attention to accuracy, tight writing, breaking news deadlines and best practices
• Collaborate with enterprise desk editors to add deeper reporting or background on the day's news and to coordinate and prioritize daily coverage from beat reporters
• In collaboration with other News Desk leaders, oversee the daily story budget and identify top story lines for emphasis on all platforms and ensure appropriate resources — including reporters, photographers, videographers and graphics team members — are assigned in a timely fashion to the biggest stories of the day, prioritizing based on our goals and staffing
• Help guide our planned and evergreen coverage with News Desk leaders and enterprise editors to stay on top of stories across our various coverage areas
• Work closely with our audio, audience and visual teams to make sure news stories are conceived of and presented in ways that ensure our stories reach, engage and serve as many readers as possible
• Create stories and other assets that serve Sun-Times wire clients, ensuring their needs are met across platforms 
• Directly supervise assistant city editors and general assignment reporters, coaching them so they can do their best work, reach their goals and develop in their careers
• Participate in creating a supportive culture, mentoring and training the team of reporters – including interns – with assistance from other news editors editors
• Oversee News Desk scheduling of reporters and editors
• Help improve the Sun-Times' editorial excellence, workplace culture and impact
• Promote diversity, inclusion and equity

 

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, or a related major – or equivalent training
• Minimum 10 years of experience in journalism with at least five years of experience managing reporters or editors
• Excellent news judgment and a platform-agnostic storyteller with a track record identifying trends in new and innovative platforms to determine the most important, impactful and interesting stories in the Chicago area – and what to skip
• Stellar breaking news and deadline writing skills
• Strong line-editing and top-editing skills with the ability to turn stories into gold 
• Excellent headline writing and packaging skills
• A clear understanding of journalism standards and ethics 
• The desire and ability to work in a collaborative, union environment

 

Education

Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, humanities or related field

 

Compensation

The expected pay range for this position is $104,000 to $130,000 per ANNUM.  Chicago Public Media provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the organization reasonably expects to pay for a position.  The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographical location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.

Working at Chicago Public Media

At Chicago Public Media, we care deeply about our employees as we know attracting, developing, and growing talent is key to our success and enhancing our impact.  

Our culture is one where collaboration, diversity of ideas, and innovation are encouraged.  We value colleagues who will enhance our culture by bringing new ideas, divergent experiences, and talents to our dynamic workplace.

At Chicago Public Media we believe dedication to a great workplace includes supporting our employees and their families. As a result, we provide a broad and generous benefits package for employees at hire and in the years to come.

Our benefits include a competitive salary and benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, vacation, holidays, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement savings, and a commuter benefits plan.

Chicago Public Media is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we actively seek and welcome people from all backgrounds, orientations, and life experiences to join our team.

 

The essential functions described above are not all-inclusive and are not intended to create any contractual or other legal commitment. Chicago Public Media may change the content or format of this job at any time in its sole and exclusive discretion without notice.