Dodgers Nation, part of the LA Sports Report Network, is hiring a Sports Editor to join its Southern California newsroom coverage and direct a multi-sport content strategy for live and tentpole sports events. This position will also be working on content that will be published on our partner sites at Newsweek and Sports Illustrated’s On SI network.
Managing a team of contributing writers, this role is responsible for shaping our ideation around breaking news and trending topics within the company’s SEO and social media-driven mission to explain the sports world. The successful candidate will have a deep understanding of search user trends, impeccable news judgment, and a sharp instinct for developing stories that answer questions fans want to know beyond the box score.
On a daily basis, you will be focused on monitoring the news cycle across a multitude of sports, tracking SEO keywords around those topics, and optimizing our stories for increased search engine visibility and traffic. Planning responsibilities include maintaining writing budgets, setting the daily editorial schedule and assigning staff for live coverage.
The Editor will also play a leading role in ensuring the overall quality of our website — looking for ways to strengthen stories, improve copy and build the best user experience across our platforms.
This role is on-location and reports to the Lead Assignment Desk Editor that covers the following teams:
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Los Angeles Angels
- San Diego Padres
- USC Sports – Mens & Womens
- UCLA Sports – Mens & Womens
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Minor Misc Topics: Pickleball, Automotive, Formula 1, Technology
Responsibilities
- Identify, assign and program articles for search and push notifications
- Edit written content for accuracy, style and grammar, as well as working with the team on effective headline writing
- Comprehensive SEO planning, editing and writing, including keyword research for evergreen topics and tentpole events
- Coach SEO best practices with content producers and editors
- Analyze search trends and keyword data to inform coverage decisions
- Maintain tentpole events calendar and budgets
- Line manage staff of content producers and editors across a range of career levels
- Manage affiliate links and ensure success of commercial partnerships
- Help develop ways to enhance user experience beyond text with embedded graphics, stats and other multimedia
- Ideate with other writers and editors on tentpole plans and special projects
Qualifications
- 3-5 years of sports writing experience at established sports media networks
- 2-plus years of editing experience in digital sports media
- Experience managing people is preferred
- High-level understanding of SEO concepts and best practices, and how to utilize them to shape content strategy
- Mastery of writing clean, concise copy that explains to readers what is happening and why
- Sharp and creative news judgment instincts to discern interesting content from noise
- Adept at writing engaging headlines that stand out — and how to make a boring one better
- Strong editing skills to improve a story, and the coaching skills to explain why those changes were made
- Comfortable working under pressure and communicating remotely in a fast-paced news environment
- An eye for smart data, graphics and other visual ideas to enhance storytelling
- Flexibility to work nights, weekends and holidays as necessary
- Expertise in Major League Baseball along with other major North American professional sports
IMPORTANT —–To apply: Email jobs (at) LASportsReport.com your cover letter and resume. These emails will get priority over any LinkedIn application.
