Date Posted December 09, 2025
Industry Newspapers
Specialty Not Specified
Remote / Telecommute Hybrid
Job Status Not Specified
Salary $60,000

Description:

Why come to work here?

Let’s be real. Jumping in to help start a local newsroom for Delaware, Ohio from scratch sounds like a lot of work, and it is. We know this is a true statement because over the past 12 years we’ve built a network of 3 local newsrooms which cover Richland, Ashland and Knox counties. 

Now, we’re building a newsroom for and with Delaware, Ohio and we need a leader. You’ll be leading a startup newsroom with support from fantastic colleagues in audience, product, membership and revenue who are dedicated to your success.

Then let’s have a look at what kind of company you’re joining. 

  • Trusted. 95% of 4,000+ survey respondents said they trusted our news reporting in 2024. Compare that to 28% for national mass media.

  • Entrepreneurial. You’ll learn how to think through new initiatives. You’ll call some of your own shots. You’ll be in a safe place to think big and fail fast. Everyone around you will have your back.

  • Community focused. You will learn all about how memberships and subscriptions support our reporting and make it possible.

  • A solutions mindset. We are going to teach you how to do Solutions Journalism at a very high level and you’ll practice it consistently.

  • Engaged. We are a reader-driven newsroom, which means you’ll learn practical audience engagement from the ground up. You’ll answer reader questions and develop relationships with sources in a way you don’t learn in J-school or traditional media.

  • Professional development. We’re relentless about helping our staff get better and improve through professional development opportunities.

  • Connected.  We count the Knight Foundation, the Solutions Journalism Network, Hearken, the Meta Journalism Project, the Google News Initiative, LION Publishers, the Medill School of Journalism, Poynter, The Lenfest Institute, the American Press Institute, the Sulzberger Fellowship at Columbia University, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, Report for America, the NYC Media Lab, the Associated Press, and many more among our friends and partners. 

Bottom line: Source Media Properties is a great place to work and we punch way above our weight class.

Let’s fact-check those claims

Job Description 

We are looking for an innovative, entrepreneurial leader who isn't afraid to break from the mold of a traditional newsroom. We’re a hybrid work environment with some expected in-office time. Successful candidates will make a home in Delaware to best become part of the community, respond to news as quickly as possible, and engage with our readers.

You’ll do a little bit of everything in this position as we grow, but your focus will be news reporting, editing, team management and production. The environment we operate in is fun, team-oriented, always changing, and deadline-driven. The ideal candidate will be someone with a high degree of energy, community interest, strong journalistic background, and ability to drive audience-centered, values-aligned news production, while collaborating with peers across the news and revenue operations.

Our team at all three sites works together to frequently share content, ideas and resources. Our small network of sites will combine for approximately 10 million page views this year and 500k visitors per month.


Qualifications and Responsibilities

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills, strong editorial mindset.

    • Basic knowledge of photography, audio and video production 

    • A well-rounded individual who can cover a city council or school board meeting, or take a camera to a Friday night high school football game 

    • Ability to work under tight deadlines in a fluid schedule.

    • Write accurate, clear and well-reported stories while facing daily deadlines

    • Identify and pitch stories on various subjects

    • Write and update stories on the news of the day

  • Advanced computer skills specific to editorial CMS and social media.

  • Possess advanced organizational skills and is detail-oriented

  • Demonstrates good judgment, critical thinking skills, and problem-solving abilities

  • Able to work in a team environment while working independently to complete daily expectations

  • Available to work evenings and weekends as required to meet editorial needs. 

  • Collaborate with other departments for various assignments

Education and Experience

  • Bachelor's degree in Journalism or equivalent experience 

  • 3 years of editing experience preferred

  • 3 years of supervisory experience preferred

It’s possible that a great candidate won’t check all of these boxes. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself and why your background makes you a great fit.


Culture

The culture here is collaborative and entrepreneurial, and you need to know that going in. This isn't a giant newspaper and we don't act that way. If you want a 200-foot tall wall between the newsroom and the revenue team, we are not the place for you. We never compromise our ethics, but are realistic about the position the business of local news finds itself in, and we -- all of us -- are committed to fixing it. Our team works together frequently to support membership efforts, organize events, meet with readers, and create content. Our standards are high and we work our tails off, but we have fun while we do it.


We are non-partisan, in case you were wondering. We’re not interested in being a part of the hate economy that has done so much damage to our industry and democracy. That said, non-partisan is not non-thinking. We call B.S. when B.S. needs to be called.


Location

While the majority of your time will be spent in Delaware, you always have a home in our headquarters, located in a growing downtown section of Mansfield. HQ is within walking distance of an emerging scene encompassing bars, live music venues, restaurants and the best coffee shop and bakery in town.


Salary & Benefits

  • $60 to $65k with a full benefits package detailed below. 

  • 401k program with a 100% employer match.

  • 3 weeks paid vacation.

  • Up to 2 weeks PTO in addition to vacation.

  • A generous technology and cell phone stipend.

  • Downtown office in a vibrant co-working space with free parking.

  • A company-wide hybrid work environment. 

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

  • An HSA with an employer contribution.

  • Paid parental leave.

  • Employer-paid emotional and mental health support / counseling.

  • 8 paid holidays, including MLK day and Juneteenth.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

We believe that the best organizations reflect the communities they serve, and we’re continually taking steps to make that a reality at Source Media Properties. People who love it here have a passion for community, love local media, are accountable for their actions, can accept and give constructive feedback (we’ll teach you how), and want to work as a team to achieve great things.


Our company is filled with successful people who grew up on farms, in the suburbs and in cities. We vote Democrat, Republican, and who knows what else. We worship as differently as we vote. Some of us have kids, others don’t. Some of us are married, others are single. Our newsroom is filled with degreed journalists and also English majors. We graduated from public schools, private schools, and maybe never went to college. We’ve got vegetarians and omnivores at the company cookout. Some of us own guns, and others have never held one. 


What this means is we value all people and approach our differences with curiosity and respect.

If this description feels like a diverse workplace which treats people fairly and tries to include all kinds of people, you can find belonging at Source Media Properties. 


We can’t wait to meet you.

Apply

https://ferncocompanies.bamboohr.com/careers/44

When applying, mention you saw this opening listed at JournalismJobs.com.