Deputy editor
Fall 2023 PublicSource editorial internship
Health and mental health reporter

Deputy editor

PublicSource is seeking a deputy editor to help build on our track record of producing high-quality journalism to serve the Pittsburgh region.

We are an award-winning, collaborative newsroom dedicated to facts, diverse voices and the pursuit of transparency. 

Responsibilities:

The deputy editor will be expected to serve as direct supervisor for two to three reporters; assist with and/or manage interns; and work regularly with freelance journalists. The deputy editor will report to the managing editor:

  • Helping to guide story idea generation and planning
  • Editing stories — from dailies to in-depth enterprise and investigative reporting to first-person essays — in close collaboration with reporters, other editors
  • Fact-checking in consultation with reporters and fact checkers
  • Contributing to newsletters and other products
  • Writing headlines
  • Using SEO best practices to help make content discoverable
  • Reviewing metrics, employing audience engagement strategies and looking for opportunities for the newsroom to be present in communities
  • Producing stories and other content as needed
  • Representing PublicSource in the community

Requirements

PublicSource is seeking candidates with at least five years of experience in a newsroom and preferably some editing experience. Also:

  • A keen sense of news judgment
  • Ability to juggle copy editing, line editing and editing for structure, composition, factual accuracy
  • A sense of urgency even for stories that are not breaking news
  • Ideas to push the envelope on formatting of stories, not just traditional longform
  • Audience-first thinking — care about what the audience wants and responds to and how our journalism can serve them
  • Communicative and diplomatic manner
  • Organized and efficient approach

Finalists for the position will be asked to perform a first edit on a story in line for publication and will be paid for the time spent on the task.

The salary range for this position is $58,000-$65,000, commensurate with experience and skills.

PublicSource has an office in Pittsburgh and operates in a hybrid work environment.

PublicSource offers paid vacation time leave and sick days, a 401(k) match, a health plan, competitive paid parental leave and professional development opportunities. PublicSource is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Candidates from traditionally underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply, including but not limited to people of color, people who are LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities. To learn more about what it’s like to work with PublicSource, please visit this page. Are you interested? Applicants should apply using this form by June 21. We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis.

Fall 2023 PublicSource editorial internship

PublicSource is a nonprofit news outlet in Pittsburgh. We write stories with powerful narratives and characters, often beautifully illustrated and supported by data visualization, to explain complex issues in the areas of local government, economic development, education, health, the environment and climate, and gender and identity. 

Check us out at PublicSource.org. Here’s what we’re looking for in an editorial intern:

  • We want someone who goes through life with an eye for untold stories and can figure out how to tell those stories through interviews and research as well as technically sound and creative writing.
  • We expect interns to pitch ideas for enterprise stories and communicate with editors about the progress and timeframe. Interns will also assist staff reporters on stories and projects, which could include contributions to research, reporting and fact-checking.
  • You should be able to share your stories on social media and have ideas for how all of our stories could get more exposure. (Note: We will check your social media accounts for professionalism.)
  • Accuracy will be king to the right intern. You’ll be trained in our fact-checking system and asked to conduct fact checks for your own story and for others.

We like it when our interns are driven, take initiative and work collaboratively with the PublicSource team to make our time together worthwhile for all involved. PublicSource also welcomes interns who want to dabble in audience engagement by assisting with social media strategy, story marketing and promotion and newsletter creation.

This is a paid internship. To qualify for the stipend of $2,250, we ask interns to work 15 hours a week for 15 weeks (or another agreed upon schedule). Half of the intern stipend will be paid out eight weeks in and the remainder at the end of the internship. (If timing of payment is prohibitive, please reach out to discuss.) If you have a professor who will give you credit, we’re also happy to fill out the forms.

We operate as a hybrid newsroom, between our office in Pittsburgh’s Uptown neighborhood and virtual. We encourage candidates of underrepresented backgrounds to apply.To apply, please send a cover letter, resume and clips/writing to rich@publicsource.org by Aug. 1.

Health and mental health reporter

PublicSource.org is seeking a reporter to cover health and mental health issues in the Pittsburgh region. The ideal candidate has the ambition and ability to build this critical beat and produce enterprise journalism combining people’s experiences with broader context and incisive looks at policies, programs and practices related to quality of life in our region. We are a collaborative newsroom dedicated to facts, excellence, diverse voices and the pursuit of transparency.

We’re looking for candidates who have:

  • Interest in covering health and mental health issues.
  • Passion for bringing trauma-informed and solutions-oriented approaches to journalism.
  • Strong people skills and an affinity for working with others and building professional relationships.
  • Adept interviewing skills: This reporter will need to talk to medical professionals, public officials, activists and community members, and be able to move back and forth easily between complex health matters, policy and people-focused stories.
  • Ability to work independently under deadlines and juggle a variety of assignments.
  • Some proficiency in working with data is preferred but not required.
  • A dedication to broader team goals is a must. Our team collaborates on many levels, from producing strong visuals and developing promotion plans for our stories to evaluating audience engagement and hosting events.

The salary range for this position is $42,000-$46,000.

PublicSource has an office in Pittsburgh and operates in a hybrid work environment.

PublicSource offers paid vacation time leave and sick days, a 401(k) match, a health plan, competitive paid parental leave and professional development opportunities. PublicSource is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Candidates from traditionally underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply, including but not limited to people of color, people who are LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities. To learn more about what it’s like to work with PublicSource, please visit this page.Are you interested? Applicants should apply using this form by June 7. We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis.