Senior Editor, Watchdog

American Public Media Group; Pasadena (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 124,000; Full time

Job summary

LAist seeks a senior editor to lead the watchdog team across Southern California, guiding a small group of reporters to hold local government and powerful institutions to account.

You will shape ideas, deepen reporting, and tell stories across radio, digital, social, video, on‑demand, and live events, with a track record of in‑depth investigative work and data‑driven public records requests.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Five years reporting or editing experience, with two years editing or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of two years supervisory experience.
• Experience maintaining high journalistic standards under deadline pressure, including accuracy and fairness.
• Experience assigning stories and editing copy.
• Experience with digital news production and presentation.
• Experience covering government or editing local, state or federal government beat stories.
• Strong writing and editing skills.
• Knowledge of radio, digital, and print style.
• Ability to lead and develop high‑performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Oversee investigations and daily enterprise reporting that betters the lives of Southern Californians, producing 12 stories or more per month.
• Develop and execute cross‑platform strategies for your assigned beats that reflect LAist’s mission to deliver distinctive and unique content.
• Work with the engagement team to learn and uphold best practices for creating audience‑first content.
• Develop strategies to diversify sources and, in cooperation with the engagement team, establish new relationships with readers, listeners, and other stakeholders.
• Assign and edit daily stories, special projects, and other content for accuracy, fairness, and inclusivity across broadcast and digital platforms.
• Provide clear guidance, feedback and supervision to assigned staff.
• Participate in, and sometimes lead, training sessions for the LAist newsroom.
• Embrace LAist’s digital strategy and partner with senior leaders to make data‑informed decisions.
• Encourage creativity and high standards.
• Work with direct reports to develop short‑ and long‑term goals.
• Represent LAist at public events.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Editing

Investigative reporting

Public records requests

Data analysis

Deadline management

Cross-platform storytelling

Communication

Audience engagement

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Audio production

Video editing

Digital news platforms

Job description

Overview

As senior editor of our watchdog team, you will lead a small group of experienced reporters to hold local government and powerful institutions to account across Southern California, a region largely underserved by journalism due to industry cutbacks.

We focus on a broad range of beats—major law‑enforcement agencies, county government, workplace safety, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crises. Your team will include a reporter specializing in transportation, two government‑accountability reporters, and additional newsroom resources. You will shape ideas, deepen reporting, and discover creative ways to tell stories across radio, digital, social, video, on‑demand, and live events. The role requires a track record of in‑depth investigative work that reveals wrongdoing and injustice, an aptitude for analyzing data and guiding public‑records requests, and an ability to produce at least 12 stories per month in a fast‑paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Oversee high‑impact investigations and daily enterprise reporting that betters the lives of Southern Californians, producing 12 stories or more per month from your team.
• Develop and execute cross‑platform strategies for your assigned beats that reflect LAist’s mission to deliver distinctive and unique content.
• Work with the engagement team to learn and uphold best practices for creating audience‑first content.
• Develop strategies to diversify sources and, in cooperation with the engagement team, establish new relationships with readers, listeners, and other stakeholders.
• Assign and edit daily stories, special projects, and other content for accuracy, fairness, and inclusivity across broadcast and digital platforms.
• Provide clear guidance, feedback and supervision to assigned staff.
• Participate in, and sometimes lead, training sessions for the LAist newsroom.
• Embrace LAist’s digital strategy and partner with senior leaders to make data‑informed decisions.
• Encourage creativity and high standards.
• Work with direct reports to develop short‑ and long‑term goals.
• Represent LAist at public events.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Five years reporting or editing experience, with two years editing or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of two years supervisory experience.
• Experience maintaining high journalistic standards under deadline pressure, including accuracy and fairness.
• Experience assigning stories and editing copy.
• Experience with digital news production and presentation.
• Experience covering government or editing local, state or federal government beat stories.

Required Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Strong writing and editing skills are essential.
• Knowledge of radio, digital, and print style.
• Ability to make decisions on deadline, direct coverage, and communicate effectively with colleagues and supervisors.
• Ability to effectively execute multiple assignments on deadline.
• Leadership and personnel skills and ability to develop high‑performing teams.
• Ability to consistently work well with others and to inspire and lead staff.
• Strong communication skills.
• Ability to develop complex story ideas that provide analysis and add context.
• Ability to recognize and act on opportunities for tapping audience expertise.
• Well‑established contacts and knowledge of the journalism community.
• Commitment to public service journalism.
• Communicate effectively and cordially with colleagues across platforms.
• Juggle multiple projects and deadlines.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience producing and editing audio.
• Experience producing and editing video.
• Fluency in Spanish or other languages commonly used in Southern California.
• Experience as a reporter, producer or editor in L.A. or Orange County.

Reporting To This Position

Watchdog reporters

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Physical Demands:
  • Required to move about in an office environment and sit for extended periods of time.
  • Required to move about in the community.
  • Frequent use of hands for data entry/keystrokes and simple grasping.
• Working Conditions:
  • Moderate noise level.

Compensation and Location

Expected compensation range: $120,000 - $124,000 per year. The exact salary rate is determined by experience and education related to the role, organizational compensation structure, and internal equity.

Location: Hybrid, Pasadena, CA

EEO Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage you to apply.