Senior News Editor

Job Description

For more than 40 years, breaking international news has been right at the very heart of CNN's mission. Never has CNN's role been more crucial than today, with the war in Ukraine in its second year and tensions between China and the US at an all-time high. Millions of people look to us for the truth in a world where so much misinformation abounds.

We're seeking to recruit a capable Senior News Editor (SNE) to our Newsgathering team -- the central hub which gathers the reporting from around the world that drives our storytelling on all of CNN's platforms, including Digital and TV.

In this role, the SNE shapes daily coverage of global events on the assignment desk in Hong Kong, with a focus on being first on the major breaking news stories of the day. The SNE manages the news desk team during their shift, and quickly and accurately communicates information between field, digital and TV teams, often during highly pressurized breaking news situations. They will be required to make quick judgments, selecting the stories to prioritize and cover. SNE is also responsible for flagging any editorial, legal or ethical issues to their seniors. While this job is based in Hong Kong, this role will be covering global news.

The successful candidate will have experience overseeing daily news assignments at a major global news publisher, and management experience as a newsroom leader. They will be able to inspire and develop a team and successfully influence the wider organization to produce accurate, urgent, clear and fair journalism that meets CNN's high standards. They will thrive under pressure and have knowledge of running point on sensitive stories. The role will require exceptional coordination and stakeholder management within a complex, matrixed organization.

What will you be doing?
• Sets CNN's daily and long-term editorial priorities for international news, in close and constant collaboration with newsgathering and digital leaders around the world
• Manages the daily flow of editorial content through CNN's internal news alert system, which forms the basis of cross-platform reports, with a focus on breaking news
• Can gather and distil complex information from a variety of sources and quickly write concise and accurate copy that can be used by digital and other platforms
• Actively monitors sources of breaking news (Dataminr, social media, news wires) and is prepared to jump on stories with urgency
• Directs the newsgathering efforts of desk and field teams and assigns resources to stories, while managing the hours and workload of the teams
• Thinks in headlines and smart framings, and has a good nose for the stories that will differentiate CNN's reporting in a competitive market; puts the audience first and considers who the target audience is for our journalism
• Communicates clearly and effectively with colleagues and stakeholders across the network to ensure that all relevant parties are well informed about upcoming editorial and to prevent duplication of efforts across different departments
• Brings security, legal, and S+P issues to the attention of the director of coverage and digital supervisor on duty
• Manages several direct reports as part of the news desk leadership team; trains and mentors new staff, other desk employees, and freelance journalists; delivers regular and constructive feedback to direct reports and other members of the desk
• Ensures the desk is fiscally responsible; manages spending by making decisions about story assignments and resources based on the budget allocated; makes recommendations on spending in conjunction with senior managers

THE ESSENTIALS
• A track record of working within a breaking news operation at a global news publisher or large news organization; work experience in international and digital-first journalism is preferred
• A track record as a people manager in a newsroom or similar environment and a history of developing journalists/direct reports and helping them to grow
• Substantial experience commissioning, assigning and editing written stories on a busy breaking news desk
• A creative story-teller who has demonstrable experience of delivering exclusive and/or distinctive stories
• Exceptional editorial judgement and knowledge of the news agenda. Knowledge of global audiences and how they consume breaking news output
• Perfect grasp of written and spoken English is essential; fluency in a second language preferred
• Digital and social media proficiency is essential
• Will be required to work morning, evening and weekend shifts on a rotating basis, including weekends
• May be assigned to other global locations
• Should be capable of acting up to Director of Coverage level

What do we need from you?
• Undergraduate degree in journalism or related studies
• Professional journalism training preferred or may be substituted with work experience in the industry of some years.
• 7+ years' experience in television or digital journalism
• 2+ years' experience directing or managing others
• Work experience abroad in international journalism is preferred
• Digital and Social proficiency
• Fluency in a second language preferred
• Will be required to work morning, evening and weekend shifts on a rotating basis
• May be assigned to other global locations
• Should be capable of acting up to Director of Coverage level.
• Occasional travel in and outside of Asia

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

The Legal Bits…

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of our society and the world around us. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, disability or any other category protected by law.

If you're a qualified candidate with a disability and you need a reasonable accommodation in order to apply for this position, please contact us at recruitadmin@wbd.com.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-d5454z-18-116-90-141-42 in your application.