The Independent, Political live blogger

The Independent; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading online news publisher is seeking a Political Live Blogger to join their UK politics team. The role involves writing news copy, optimizing for search, and engaging with breaking news. Candidates should have a solid journalism background, digital publishing skills, and the ability to thrive in high-pressure environments. This is a hybrid position based in Greater London, offering a competitive salary.

Qualifications

• Proven track record as a news journalist.
• Experience in a fast-paced media environment.
• Strong familiarity with The Independent and its coverage.

Responsibilities

• Write clean and legally sound news copy.
• Optimize content for search.
• Act swiftly on arising issues.
• Solve problems calmly and decisively.
• Communicate effectively within the team.

Skills

Strong news background

Digital publishing expertise

SEO knowledge

Excellent organization

Independent information sourcing

Calm under pressure

Team player

Education

NCTJ or equivalent

Job description

The Independent, Political Live Blogger

Employer: The Independent, London, hybrid working. Salary: Competitive. Closing date: Apr 4, 2024.

About us

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.

The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as a news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.

Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy100, subscriptions and other ‘reader revenues’, The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, making its voice ever louder and more insistent in the world.

We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone.
• We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.

The Independent is an equal opportunities employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

Job purpose

The Independent is seeking a political live blogger to join the title’s UK politics team.

It’s election year and the political liveblog frequently leads the Independent’s website, breaking the biggest stories of the day and providing expert and pithy commentary.

The right candidates will be a trained journalist with a strong news background, and have a firm grasp on all aspects of digital publishing.

The ability to source and verify information independently for publication, as well as understanding how best to use agency content, is a must. The right journalists will be confident reporters and commentators as well as aggregators.

You will be comfortable managing multiple priorities in a calm and methodical manner, and possess the ability to thrive in breaking and changing news situations.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

• Writing clean and legally sound news copy.
• Optimising content for search.
• Act swiftly and vocally when issues arise.
• A problem solver with the ability to deal with issues calmly and decisively.
• A team-player able to work and communicate well with others.
• Understand digital analytics tools.
• Working knowledge of newsroom SEO.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to multitask.
• Skilled content creator.
• Ability to clearly communicate best practices.

Essential experience and qualification

• Experience of successfully working in a similar role at a similar title.
• A proven track record as a news journalist.
• Experience of working in a dynamic fast‑paced media environment.
• Strong familiarity with the Independent and our coverage.
• NCTJ or equivalent.

Our values - you will deliver across all our values

Inclusive : We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.

Innovative : From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.

Independent : Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.