Trending News Writer

Advance Local; Woodbridge Township (NJ); Remote; USD 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision plans

Mental health support

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Parental and caregiver leave

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Advance Local is seeking a highly energetic Trending News Writer to join our National Trending Team. You will cover the biggest stories of the day across sectors like retail, sports, pop culture, politics, and personal finance, adapting quickly to shifting trends and newsroom needs.

You will produce multiple stories daily, optimize for SEO, and self-publish on deadline. The position is remote, with a standard weekday schedule and occasional nights/weekends as needed.

Qualifications

• A degree in Journalism, Communications or related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Responsibilities

• Write quick-hitting stories on trending topics and big breaking news with clarity and speed.

Skills

Strong writing

AP style

SEO knowledge

Time management

Independent work

News judgment

Social media sourcing

Ethics

Audience metrics

Speed writing

Education

Journalism degree or related

Job description

Job Description

Strengthening and empowering all of the communities we serve.

Do you have a nose for what the internet is talking about right now? Can you write tightly, with lightning speed and an engaging voice, on just about any topic?

Advance Local is searching for an energetic, self-starting, digital-savvy Trending News Writer to join our National Trending Team and help us build on our already expansive reach by covering the biggest and hottest stories of the day.

This person will write quick-hitting stories on whatever is trending, from retail and food to sports, pop culture, celebrities, politics and personal finance, as well as national and international breaking news and viral moments. Depending on the needs of the newsroom, there may eventually be a focus on a specific area of coverage.

This role is about finding the buzzy angles that make people stop scrolling and tap or click to read the story. Candidates should have their finger on the pulse of the internet, whether it's a viral moment that has everyone talking, a product recall readers need to know about, a celebrity headline that won't go away, or a breaking news story where clear, accurate and fast matters most.

We want someone who is eager to serve an audience of curious readers, and who can move comfortably between lighthearted viral content and harder news without losing accuracy or voice.

Candidates should be able to write multiple stories per day, understand the importance of SEO, and be comfortable self-publishing content on deadline. The role is mainly a standard weekday schedule, but flexibility for the occasional night or weekend is required based on breaking news and the calendar.

This is a full-time, staff editorial position on our National Trending Team, which creates content that appears on websites such as AL.com , Cleveland.com , MassLive.com , MLive.com , NJ.com , OregonLive.com , PennLive.com , SILive.com and Syracuse.com .

The base salary range is $50,000-$60,000 per year. This is a remote position.

Our ideal candidate will have the following:

• A degree in Journalism, Communications or a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum 1 year of experience in content creation, ideally in trending writing
• Strong writing skills with a command of grammar and AP style
• Knowledge of SEO best practices with an understanding of Google Trends and Discover, with SEO skills that will adapt to moving goal posts
• Clean copy, plus a willingness to write with voice
• Strong news judgment and the ability to get up to speed quickly on unfamiliar topics
• An ability to work independently while prioritizing tasks appropriately
• The poise and organization to handle multiple tasks at once at a fast-moving pace
• A passion for digesting data and understanding audience metrics
• Exceptional time management and organizational skills
• Experience verifying viral claims and social media content before publishing
• Familiarity with sourcing content ideas from X, Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms
• A commitment to fairness, diversity, professionalism and ethics

Additional Information

Advance Local Media offers competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package with affordable options for your healthcare including medical, dental and vision plans, mental health support options, flexible spending accounts, fertility assistance, a competitive 401(k) plan to help plan for your future, generous paid time off, paid parental and caregiver leave and an employee assistance program to support your work/life balance, optional legal assistance, life insurance options, as well as flexible holidays to honor cultural diversity.

Advance Local Media is one of the largest media groups in the United States, which operates the leading news and information companies in more than 20 cities, reaching 52+ million people monthly with our quality, real-time journalism and community engagement. Our company is built upon the values of Integrity, Customer-first, Inclusiveness, Collaboration and Forward-looking. For more information about Advance Local, please visit www.advancelocal.com .

Advance Local Media includes MLive Media Group, Advance Ohio, Alabama Media Group, NJ Advance Media, Advance Media NY, MassLive Media, Oregonian Media Group, Staten Island Media Group, PA Media Group, ZeroSum, Headline Group, Adpearance, Advance Aviation, Advance Healthcare, Advance Education, Advance National Solutions, Advance Originals, Advance Recruitment, Advance Travel & Tourism, BookingsCloud, Catalyst IQ, Cloud Theory, Fox Dealer, Hoot Interactive, Search Optics, Subtext.

Advance Local Media is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, encouraging applications from people of all backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or any other category protected under federal, state or local law.

If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please contact Human Resources and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

Advance Local Media does not provide sponsorship for work visas or employment authorization in the United States. Only candidates who are legally authorized to work in the U.S. will be considered for this position.