Showbiz Features Writer

NEWS UK; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading media company in London seeks a talented showbiz writer to produce engaging features and drive editorial decisions. Candidates should have extensive experience and a deep understanding of audience interests in celebrity culture. Responsibilities include collaborating with a dynamic team to generate original content across various platforms while maintaining high journalistic standards. The role offers competitive benefits and supports diversity in its workforce.

Benefits

Maternity leave up to 18 weeks

Private medical insurance

Discounted gym memberships

Generous pension scheme

30 days holiday plus bank holidays

Qualifications

• Extensive experience as a features or showbiz writer.
• Outstanding portfolio of published entertainment features.
• Deep understanding of audience preferences.

Responsibilities

• Generate engaging showbiz features for multiple platforms.
• Work with the showbiz team to create agenda-setting content.
• Respond quickly to trends in celebrity culture.
• Transform breaking news into compelling narratives.

Skills

Features writing

Editorial decision making

Celebrity culture understanding

Strong network in entertainment

Job description

Overview

The Sun is the biggest news brand in the UK, publishing hundreds of stories a day and reaching over 170m unique users digitally every month. Its exclusives set the news agenda and its campaigns have changed the lives of many. Delivering news, entertainment, and sports coverage to millions of readers every day. With a rich history spanning decades, we are dedicated to providing accurate, insightful, and engaging content across print and digital platforms.

The Sun has a mass-market audience and aims to appeal to a diverse audience in the UK and beyond.

Your Role

Your Role: You will be a leading voice in The Sun’s unparalleled showbiz coverage. A great writer, you will be adept at coming up with a fresh, features take on the biggest showbiz stories, to engage our readers across all platforms.

The Sun is the market leader when it comes to showbiz, and your role will be to contribute clever features on the most interesting stories of the moment. These articles should be suitable for both the pages of The Sun print edition, as part of the flagship new membership service, Sun Club, and as substantial journalism for our websites.

Based in our vibrant London newsroom, your normal core working hours will be 40 hours per week within the operating hours/days as advised by your line manager.

As per the News UK flexible working policy, this role is required to work from our London Bridge office for a minimum of 3 days a week. Any part-time working requests will be considered on an individual basis.

Key Responsibilities

• Generate brilliant showbiz features, writing and, when needed, commissioning content that is both engaging and journalistically sound across all our platforms.
• Work with our award-winning showbiz team to generate agenda-setting features with fresh news lines.
• Respond quickly to data and trends showing which celebrities are resonating with our audience - and constantly come up with ideas for new stars to focus on.
• Use your outstanding network of contacts in the entertainment industry to land exclusive interviews and insight that our rivals can't get.
• Work with reporters to transform breaking news into in-depth features and compelling narratives that resonate with our audience.
• Consistently generate and pitch compelling, original, and on-brand feature ideas that tap into the latest celebrity trends and pop culture moments across 360 platforms: online, video, Sun Club and paper.
• Thrive in a fast-paced environment, making quick, sound editorial decisions and ensuring stories are published brilliantly and accurately under tight deadlines.

Key Qualifications/Skills

• Extensive experience as a features writer or showbiz writer with a specialty in long form or opinion journalism.
• An outstanding portfolio of published work that showcases your ability to write and secure and deliver exclusive, agenda-setting entertainment features.
• A deep, intuitive understanding of what our audience wants to read and watch, and a passion for celebrity culture.
• Exceptional contacts within the entertainment industry, including publicists, agents, and talent.
• The ability to write and edit brilliantly with a confident and compelling voice, while also maintaining the highest standards of journalistic ethics.

Life at News

Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose. We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter. We inform our audiences so that they can make decisions based on trusted information.

We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter most. To ensure these stories resonate with as broad an audience as possible, it is essential that our organisation reflects the diversity of the people we reach. Whether through age, gender, ethnicity, disability, social class or sexuality, we are committed to representing the rich variety of voices that make up our society. And we champion a culture where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and thrive as we continue to innovate and drive long term sustainable growth. This is done through our Diversity Strategy.

At News UK, we take pride in our exceptional employee-led networks that bring together individuals with shared interests and create a vibrant sense of community. We believe our networks play a vital role in fostering a collaborative and supportive work culture at News UK. Groups that we support include the African & Caribbean Network, Parents and Carers, and LGBTQ+ group News Is Out, and Next Gen.

Benefits

Some of our benefits include:

• Maternity leave up to 18 weeks full basic salary & paternity leave up to 2 weeks
• Wide range of training available, plus full LinkedIn Learning access
• Private medical insurance including coverage for pre-existing conditions
• Discounted gym memberships, free ClassPass at Home, weekly virtual yoga classes
• ‘Bikes for Work’ and ‘Electric Car’ scheme
• Up to 60% discount on Harper Collins books
• Access to exclusive events and competitions with exciting brands such as talkSPORT, Virgin Radio UK & The Times. Weekly virtual panel chats with top journalists and celebrities
• Access to wellbeing benefits such as EAP, physio/massage and counselling
• A generous pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 5%
• 30 days holiday, plus bank holidays and up to 4 volunteering days per year

We want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to perform to their best when applying for a role. If you would like to receive any information in a different way or for us to do anything differently to support you apply for any of our roles please contact us on [email protected].