Summary of the Associate Writer/Editor job at Versant

Company Description

VERSANT (Nasdaq: VSNT) is an industry-changing media and entertainment business and home to trusted brands that shape culture, inform audiences, and build lasting connections. It operates across four core markets: political news and opinion, business news and personal finance, golf, and sports and genre entertainment. These markets are served through a powerful portfolio of iconic and innovative brands, including CNBC, MS NOW, USA Network, Golf Channel, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Versant's sports division USA Sports, along with complementary digital assets including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and GolfPass.

Job Description

E! News is looking for a passionate Associate Writer/Editor to join our digital editorial team and help drive daily entertainment news coverage across E! Online in the afternoon/evening in Los Angeles.

The ideal candidate lives and breathes pop culture, has experience writing about entertainment, strong news judgment and an understanding of the E! audience. They are comfortable working in a fast-paced news environment, can quickly identify compelling angles and understand how social conversation, search trends and audience data can inform coverage.

This person should be a collaborative team player who can also work independently, juggle multiple assignments and turn around clean, engaging copy on tight deadlines.

Responsibilities:

• Write and publish approximately 5-7 pieces of content daily, ranging from breaking and trending news stories to galleries, interviews and evergreens
  • Write clean, accurate and engaging copy under tight deadlines while adhering to E!’s editorial standards and voice
• Monitor breaking entertainment news, social platforms and emerging trends to quickly identify stories relevant to the E! audience
• Craft compelling, SEO-informed headlines, descriptions and other packaging designed to reach audiences across search, social and other distribution platforms
• Identify and pitch stories, viral trends and celebrities that help start conversation and drive page views, video views, referral traffic and engagement
  • Seek out clever angles, second beats and follow-up stories that extend high-performing coverage
  • Use analytics and audience insights to understand story performance, identify opportunities and inform future coverage
• Pitch and conduct interviews with celebrities, identifying strongest angles afterwards and publishing in a timely manner
• Work alongside the team in covering tentpole events in real time, including red carpets, award shows and other pop culture events (may include weekend coverage)
• Partner with social team to identify opportunities and promote content across the portfolio
• Collaborate with the digital news video team to align on coverage, angles and timing
• Ensure reporting is accurate and properly sourced, including fact-checking names, dates, quotes and other key details before publication
• Able to edit and assign stories to other writers and fill in for assignment editor at times

Qualifications

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
• 2+ years experience in a deadline writing sharp copy, ideally in entertainment news, celebrity or pop culture
• Excellent writing, editing and headline-writing skills with the ability to adapt to the E! voice
• Strong news judgment and understanding of what resonates with the E! audience
• Working knowledge of SEO and digital publishing best practices
• Ability to manager multiple assignments and priorities in a deadline-driven environment

Desired Characteristics:

• Collaborative team player with the ability to contribute independently
• Passionate and knowledgeable about entertainment, celebrity news and pop culture
• Creative storyteller who can identify trends and find fresh, compelling angles
• Hard-working, dedicated and detail-oriented  
• Curious and proactive, with an instinct for finding the next story rather than waiting for an assignment
• Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment
• Effective communication skills and strong collaborator who can work across multiple departments
• Comfortable using performance data and audience insights to inform editorial decisions

Additional Requirements:

Hybrid: This position has been designated as hybrid, generally contributing from the office a minimum of three days per week. Expected hours: noon PT to 8 p.m. PT, Monday-Friday.

Salary Range: $70,000-$75,0000

Additional Information

As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with a VERSANT Media employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. VERSANT Media's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

For LA County and City Residents Only: VERSANT Media will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories, or arrest or conviction records, in a manner consistent with relevant legal requirements, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, where applicable.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to candidateaccessibility@versantmedia.com.

VERSANT Media is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. We include a good faith pay range for each position to comply with applicable state and local pay transparency laws and to promote equity across our organization. Actual compensation will be based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, experience, and location and may include additional forms of compensation and benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, etc.

VERSANT Media is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at VERSANT via-email, the Internet, or in any form and/or method without a valid written Statement of Work in place for this position from VERSANT's Talent Acquisition team will be deemed the sole property of VERSANT. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by VERSANT as a result of the referral or through other means.