North Carolina Digital Editor

Lee Enterprises Inc; Winston-Salem (NC); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Lee Enterprises Inc in North Carolina seeks a Digital Editor to lead strategy and production across eight NC newsrooms. The role reports to the executive editor and focuses on growing audience, expanding reach, and delivering high‑impact journalism.

You will work with editors and producers to develop evolving coverage packages, using approved AI tools to repackage content and boost engagement. Remote/hybrid work is supported.

Qualifications

• Experience building an online audience for a daily newspaper or equivalent.
• Bachelor's degree combined with newsroom experience.
• Familiarity with AI tools for brainstorming, reframing content and tweaking headlines is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop coverage as evolving packages including updates, explainers, video, visuals, newsletters, and social formats.
• Identify opportunities to update, repackage and redistribute local journalism using approved technology and AI tools to improve efficiency.
• Lead NC leadership team and collaborate with editors and reporters across Winston-Salem and other NC newsrooms.
• Test and implement new digital storytelling and audience strategies; use performance data to inform decisions and train editors and reporters.

Skills

Audience growth

Editorial collaboration

Digital storytelling

Strategic leadership

Remote collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree with newsroom experience

Tools

Blox CMS

AI brainstorming tools

Grammarly

Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X)

Job description

The North Carolina digital editor for Lee Enterprises leads digital content strategy and production across our eight North Carolina newsrooms, working closely with editors to expand the reach, frequency and usefulness of our journalism. This position reports to the executive editor.

Position Responsibilities

• Helps newsrooms think beyond a single story by developing coverage as evolving packages that can include updates, explainers, video, visuals, newsletters, social posts and other digital formats.
• Works with editors and content producers to identify opportunities to update, repackage and redistribute strong local journalism and to use approved technology and AI tools to make that work more efficient.
• Key leader on our North Carolina leadership team, which is based in Winston-Salem and consists of the North Carolina editor and Triad leadership, including sports, to strengthen coverage planning, drive strategy, improve collaboration among newsrooms and develop new approaches to reaching and retaining readers.
• Helps test and implement new digital storytelling and audience strategies, uses performance data to inform decisions and provides training and coaching to editors and reporters across the state.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Strong ethical compass, news judgment, quick decision-making, robust work ethic, and willingness to collaborate.
• Understands how to drive digital audiences to content and how to keep subscribers engaged.
• The ability to work with staff in Winston-Salem and Greensboro, as well as our community newsrooms in Hickory, Statesville, Morganton, Marion, Mooresville and Concord, both in person and remotely.

Education & Experience

• Experience building an online audience for a daily newspaper, either as a content producer, an editor or both.
• Bachelor's degree combined with newsroom experience.
• We use Blox as our content management system, AI for brainstorming, reframing existing content and tweaking headlines, and Grammarly to assist with editing. A familiarity with these is a plus, as is hands-on experience with social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and X.