Politics Editor

University of Missouri-Saint Louis; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 70,000 - 87,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Moving allowance

University benefits

Educational fee discounts

Job summary

University of Missouri-Saint Louis seeks a Politics Editor to lead and strengthen coverage of politics and government in the St. Louis region and beyond. The editor will supervise four reporters, coordinate with editors, and oversee Missouri statehouse coverage from Jefferson City.

The role emphasizes shaping daily political news, ensuring accuracy, and driving enterprise reporting in a collaborative newsroom environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum four years of experience in journalism or editing.
• Experience leading and mentoring reporters is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead politics and government coverage for St. Louis region, Missouri and Illinois.
• Develop coverage plans for elections, legislative sessions and events.
• Oversee Jefferson City reporting and coordinate state government coverage.
• Edit scripts, web stories and briefs for accuracy and style.
• Supervise reporters and provide direction and feedback.

Skills

Editing

Newsroom experience

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

CMS

Audio scripting formats

AP Style

Job description

Job Description

St. Louis Public Radio, an award-winning multimedia journalism organization and NPR member station, seeks an editor to lead and strengthen our coverage of politics and government across the St. Louis region, Missouri and Illinois. The Politics Editor plays a key role in shaping daily political news coverage while helping reporters pursue ambitious, deeply reported stories that hold elected officials and institutions accountable and give audiences the context they need to understand how government decisions affect their lives.

The Politics Editor supervises a team of four reporters and collaborates closely with other editors, reporters and producers across the newsroom. This editor also manages our Missouri Statehouse and Politics reporter, overseeing coverage from Jefferson City both during and outside of the legislative session. The ideal candidate will help set the newsroom's political coverage priorities, including elections, state and local government, policy debates and the people and communities affected by political decisions.

This is an opportunity to join a deeply collaborative, award-winning newsroom of nearly 30 journalists, committed to excellence, innovation and public service. STLPR is recognized nationally for ambitious storytelling and is a founding member of the Midwest Newsroom, which focuses on enterprise and investigative reporting. Our reporting regularly airs nationally on NPR, Marketplace and other programs.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead STLPR's coverage of politics and government across the St. Louis region, Missouri and Illinois.
• Develop and execute coverage plans for elections, legislative sessions, major political events and other significant developments, including coordination with editors and reporters across the newsroom.
• Oversee STLPR's Jefferson City reporting team and help coordinate coverage of Missouri state government and the legislature.
• Coordinate the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, working with the political team to develop timely, informative and engaging topics that provide audiences with context and perspective on Missouri and Illinois politics and policy.
• Edit broadcast scripts, web stories, and briefs for clarity, accuracy and consistency with STLPR's editorial standards and voice.
• Supervise and edit stories from STLPR's political reporting team, providing clear direction, regular feedback and support for professional development.
• Occasionally edit high-impact stories outside of your direct team, particularly when subject matter expertise or newsroom need arises.

Supervision Received: The Politics Editor reports to the Managing Editor of News.

Supervision Exercised: This position supervises a team of 4 reporters and may occasionally coordinate with interns or freelance contributors.

Location: This position is based in St. Louis. The Politics Editor must live in or relocate to the region. A moving allowance is available in applicable situations.

Shift

40 hours a week, M-F with occasional on-call/weekend editing shift

Minimum Qualifications

A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 4 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary

Preferred Qualifications

Additionally, we are looking for candidates with the following:

• At least five years of professional newsroom experience, with at least two years in an editing, producing or assigning role.
• Strong editing skills and a track record of improving clarity, structure and depth in others' work.
• Proven ability to manage fast-moving news while maintaining accuracy and editorial integrity.
• Familiarity with a newsroom CMS, audio scripting formats, and AP Style.
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative approach to working across teams.
• Strong organizational skills and comfort managing shifting priorities on deadline.

Preferred:

• Experience covering politics in Missouri and Illinois, with an understanding of legislatures in both states.
• Familiarity with the St. Louis region and its communities.
• Comfort editing both audio and digital formats.
• Experience managing or mentoring reporters.
• Interest in contributing to the development of sustainable newsroom workflows.

Anticipated Hiring Range

$70,000 - $86,632

Grade: GGS-011
University Title:MEDIA PRODUCTION DIRECTOR III
Internal applicants can determine their University title by accessing the Talent Profile tile in myHR.

Application Materials

Application materials include a cover letter and resume. Finalists will be asked to provide references at a later date. Applicants must combine all application materials into one PDF or Microsoft Word document and upload as a resume attachment to the UMSL Careers: https://www.umsl.edu/services/hrs/careers/index.html. Limit document name to 50 characters. Maximum size limit is 11MB. Do not include special characters (e.g., /, &, %, etc.). For questions about the application process, please email [e-mail]. If you are experiencing technical problems, please email [e-mail]

Sponsorship Information

Employment visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Benefit Eligibility

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, paid time off, short- and long-term disability, paid parental leave, paid caregiver leave, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/departments-staff/human-resources/benefits-retirement

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To request ADA accommodations, please email the Office of Human Resources at [e-mail].