Editorial Writer - Editorial Page

El Segundo, CA

Join the hundreds of talented and innovative team members who are making an impact every day at one of the most iconic media brands in the nation. Whether you love to tell compelling stories or want to drive our award-winning powerhouse in new directions, the Los Angeles Times team is the place to be.

Job Description Summary

The Editorial Page is seeking to hire a full-time member of the editorial board.

This person will join a team of writers and editors who meet several times a week to determine and articulate the editorial positions of the newspaper. As we say in our mission statement: “On the editorial page, the newspaper sets aside its objective news-gathering role to join its readers in a dialogue about important issues of the day — to exhort, explain, deplore, mourn, applaud or champion, as the case may be.”

Job Description

As with most roles in the newsroom, this is a multimedia, multiplatform job. An editorial writer's job is to conceive and shape editorials, defend them before the board, and to report and write them – but also to write for our blog and to devise digital projects that expand on the concept of the traditional editorial.

The ideal candidate is both a clear thinker and a powerful writer, intrigued by the challenge of squeezing complex arguments into a short space. Editorials require nuance and logic and intellectual honesty, but they also need to be authoritative, passionate and engaging. Opinion blog posts require cleverness, news judgment and a lively writing style, but they also demand clarity of thought.

The editorial board forges its opinions as a team, so we’re looking for someone who is articulate, open-minded, flexible and collegial.

Qualifications:

At least five years of experience reporting and writing

Ability to clearly describe governmental actions and their consequences; familiarity with law or public policy a plus

Ravenous reading habits

An interest in experimentation, including visuals, data and graphics

Impeccable interpersonal skills

Demonstrated ability to work well in a team setting and multitask in a deadline-driven environment

An ethical and inclusive approach in the workplace

This position is classified as Editorial Page Writer in the Los Angeles Times News Guild. Times staffers are currently working remotely, but when we return to the newsroom this position will be based in El Segundo, Calif.

Qualified applicants should upload a resume, cover letter and work samples to Editorial Page Editor Sewell Chan at the apply link.

Please note, the opportunity to attach additional documents appears on the third screen and is labeled “Upload.”