HCMG Opinion Editor - Military Veterans

Opinion Editor - Help Redefine Opinion Journalism at HCMG

Hearst Connecticut Media Group (HCMG) is seeking an innovative, strategic, and experienced Opinion Editor to redefine our opinion strategy across digital and print platforms. This role will lead a transformation in how we present opinion journalism, ensuring our coverage is relevant, engaging, and reflective of the most pressing issues in Connecticut's communities.

With 10 daily and 21 weekly newspapers, plus a rapidly growing digital subscriber base, HCMG is committed to fostering civic engagement and thoughtful discourse. This editor will spearhead a modern approach to opinion journalism, integrating audience insights, multimedia storytelling, and a diverse range of voices into our coverage.

What We're Looking For:

We are looking for a leader who can reimagine and expand opinion coverage across multiple platforms, emphasizing audience engagement and digital-first storytelling. The ideal candidate understands how opinion content is consumed today-across digital, social, and print environments-and can craft an approach that maximizes impact.

This person should have strong connections to freelancers, experts, and local voices, bringing fresh perspectives into our opinion pages and online forums. They should be able to convene key decision-makers for public discussions and editorial forums that hold leaders accountable and drive civic dialogue.

The right candidate is also comfortable using analytics and audience insights to shape coverage, ensuring HCMG's opinion content is impactful, engaging, and widely read. A strong understanding of ethics and legal considerations in editorial writing is essential.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and innovate HCMG's opinion strategy, integrating reader engagement, interactive content, and digital-first storytelling.

• Recruit and develop a diverse team of columnists, opinion writers, and community voices.

• Create a system for identifying and reacting quickly to major local and national news events, ensuring HCMG's editorial voice is timely and influential.

• Foster community dialogue by organizing live forums, Q&As, and virtual panels on key issues impacting Connecticut residents.

• Champion high-impact opinion pieces, ranging from quick-take op-eds to deep-dive enterprise commentary.

• Work across teams-including newsroom, audience, and visuals-to elevate the presentation of opinion journalism with compelling digital packaging.

• Leverage audience data to track performance, identify trends, and shape content accordingly.

• Uphold the highest editorial standards, ensuring opinion journalism is insightful, thought-provoking, and grounded in facts.

Qualifications:

• Experience in editorial leadership, with a track record of driving innovation in opinion journalism.

• Strong editing and writing skills, particularly in the opinion space.

• Experience working across digital and print in a modern newsroom.

• Demonstrated ability to recruit and develop a strong network of writers.

• Understanding of audience engagement strategies and how readers consume opinion journalism today.

• Highly organized, deadline-driven, and strategic in approach.

• Passion for civic engagement, accountability journalism, and fostering meaningful public discourse.

Perks & Benefits:

In addition to the traditional Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits, Hearst has many supportive benefits designed to help you and your family safeguard your physical, financial, emotional, and family wellbeing in different life moments. Some highlights include:

• $40/month cellphone reimbursement

• Mental Wellness Support through Spring Health

• Life, Accident, and Disability Insurance

• Student Loan Refinancing & College Savings through SoFi

• Free financial coaching & education through Financial Finesse

• Pet Wellness Reimbursement Plan Through Wagmo

• LGBTQ+ Health Services through Included Health

• Fertility and Family Planning via Progyny

• Monthly Childcare & Dependent Care Reimbursement

• Pregnancy, Postpartum, Doula Coverage & Menopause Support Through Maven Clinic

• 401K & Roth401K contributions with a company match

HCMG is committed to growing and retaining a more diverse workforce that better reflects the communities we serve. We strongly encourage all people of working age, who are traditionally underrepresented in media to apply, including women, people of color, applicants with disabilities, those from the LGBTQ+ community and veterans. Here's a look at Hearst CT's 2023 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report: https://bit.ly/3H7UNkV

This full-time job with benefits is based in the Hearst Connecticut Media Offices. This position will have a Monday-to-Friday daytime schedule but weekend and evening work may be required as needed.