Social Media Editor

The New York Times; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The New York Times is seeking a social media editor for our London team. You will shape and target our journalism for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and emerging platforms, building our presence and reader engagement across off‑platform channels.

You will work with reporters and editors to inform coverage with reader input, adapt strategies to a 24‑hour news cycle, and collaborate with the London newsroom to maximize off‑platform performance.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in social media and digital journalism.
• Deep understanding of all mainstream and some emerging social channels.
• Consistent record running Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram for major media outlets.
• Strong editorial judgment; comfortable testing and refining strategies for different audiences.
• Strong writing and editing skills with Times style or ability to learn quickly.

Responsibilities

• Lead The Times’s social presence across main accounts and enterprise projects.
• Increase video production and ensure off-platform reach.
• Develop voice for off-platform channels and coordinate with social visuals and video editors.
• Create social native content and craft compelling headlines and visuals.
• Collaborate with newsroom desks to identify story ideas prompted by off‑platform trends.

Skills

Social media

Digital journalism

Platform mastery

Visual storytelling

Editorial judgment

Audience analytics

Cross-time zone collaboration

Job description

The mission of The New York Times is to seek the truth and help people understand the world. That means independent journalism is at the heart of all we do as a company. It’s why we have a world-renowned newsroom that sends journalists to report on the ground from nearly 160 countries. It’s why we focus deeply on how our readers will experience our journalism, from print to audio to a world-class digital and app destination. And it’s why our business strategy centers on making journalism so good that it’s worth paying for.

The New York Times is looking for a social media editor with experience in journalism, social media strategy, off-platform video promotion and collaborating on projects that involve crowdsourcing, social media reporting and research.

You will establish a vision for shaping and targeting our journalism for different platforms, and you will be responsible for understanding and developing new strategies, tools and workflows as those platforms evolve. This means you’ll be building our presence on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and emerging platforms. Engaging our readers, monitoring on-site and off-platform conversations for story ideas and integrating readers’ contributions into our report is essential.

You will know how to adjust social programming targets and priorities amid a shifting global, 24‑hour news cycle and ever‑changing platform landscape. You will also work with reporters and editors across the newsroom on how social media and readers’ voices can inform our journalism, both pre‑ and post‑publication.

This is an in‑office position based in London, and includes regular attendance in the office four days each week. There may be some flexibility to work remotely per your departmental guidance.

Main Responsibilities

• Leading The Times’s social presence across our main accounts, ensuring coverage of breaking news and live events; conceiving and executing innovative social plans for enterprise projects; and leveraging videos, photography and graphics to elevate our off‑platform report
• Support the increase in video production across the newsroom by prioritizing time‑sensitive projects and ensuring that our video journalism reaches a wide audience off‑platform
• Developing and refining the voice of The Times on all of our off‑platform channels, exhibiting excellent news judgment and audience‑sensitive framing
• Collaborating with Social Visuals editors and across our Video team, especially the video audience editor in London, on developing and executing visual storytelling formats and strategies for social platforms
• Building creative social native content (e.g., visual cards, Instagram stories, etc.)
• Skillfully editing, shaping and elevating headlines, copy and visual assets for social media
• Suggesting story ideas, identifying video opportunities and partnering with desks across the London newsroom to produce stories that:
• Anticipate readers’ prospective social and search needs sparked by a Times exclusive or a news event
• Respond to readers’ real‑time social and search needs and trends
• Developing testing strategies around medium (images, video) and message (headline, social share text), to inform a constantly updating set of best practices for engaging off‑platform audiences (Social, Search, etc.)
• Partner with editors across the newsroom to workshop on‑platform framing of articles that leverage off‑platform performance insights and reader interest
• Interpreting data and signals to know what pieces are the right fit for what audiences both on and off our platforms
• Tracking success through engagement rates, growth statistics, reader responses and other metrics, especially for video
• Working with journalists in the newsroom on best social media practices, including framing pieces for specific audiences
• Collaborate with other audience editors, in London and around the world, on flagging coverage opportunities informed by off‑platform trends and sharing performance insights and case studies with desks
• Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.

Our Ideal Candidate

• Proven experience in social media and digital journalism
• Deep understanding of all mainstream and some emerging social channels
• Consistent record running Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram accounts for major media outlets
• Demonstrated interest in visual storytelling, including through video
• Strong editorial judgment; comfortable with experimenting and refining strategies to optimize article‑sharing for different social audiences
• A passion for news and a dedication to The Times and its journalistic mission
• Skill at bridging specialties, including reporting, editing, product, analytics, design and user research
• Strong writing and editing skills, and knowledge of Times style or the ability to absorb and apply it quickly
• Strong analytical skills and familiarity with how to use data to inform editorial decisions
• Experience working independently and collaborating across time zones

Basic Qualifications

• Proven experience in social media and digital journalism
• Consistent record running social media accounts for major media outlets
• Strong editorial judgment; comfortable with experimenting and refining strategies to optimize article‑sharing for different social audiences
• Strong writing and editing skills, and knowledge of Times style or the ability to absorb and apply it quickly
• Strong analytical skills and familiarity with how to use data to inform editorial decisions
• A passion for news and a dedication to The Times and its journalistic mission

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep understanding of all mainstream and some emerging social channels
• Demonstrated interest in visual storytelling, including through video
• Experience working independently and collaborating across time zones
• Skill at bridging specialties, including reporting, editing, product, analytics, design and user research

Additional Compensation And Benefits

• For roles in the U.S., dependent on your role, you may be eligible for variable pay, such as an annual bonus and restricted stock.
• Benefits may include medical, dental and vision benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts (F.S.A.s), a company‑matching 401(k) plan, employee stock purchase plan, paid vacation, paid sick days, paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement and professional development programs.
• For roles outside of the U.S., information on benefits will be provided during the interview process.

Candidate Use Of GenAI Tools

If you’re an engineering candidate, we’ll let you know what specific GenAI tools you are permitted to use for your technical assessment.

The New York Times Company is committed to being the world’s best source of independent, reliable and quality journalism. To do so, we embrace a diverse workforce that has a broad range of backgrounds and experiences across our ranks, at all levels of the organization. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate on the basis of an individual's sex, age, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage, religion, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation or affectional preference, gender identity and expression, disability, genetic trait or predisposition, carrier status, citizenship, veteran or military status and other personal characteristics protected by law. All applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to legally protected characteristics. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s Know Your Rights Poster is available here.

The New York Times Company will provide reasonable accommodations as required by applicable federal, state, and/or local laws. Individuals seeking an accommodation for the application or interview process should email [e-mail]. Emails sent for unrelated issues, such as following up on an application, will not receive a response.