Date Posted	April 17, 2026
Industry	Newspapers
Specialty	Local News
Job Status	Full-time
Salary	Range starts at $60,000

Description:

Associate Editor position

Being a managing editor of a weekly newspaper is no easy job. It requires great people skills, excellent news judgment, a love of community and some killer editing chops. 

At least, that’s what we require of our editors here at the Observer Media Group.

But we also realize that those skills are hard to find: which is why we’re willing to work hard to teach them to someone who is willing to work hard to learn them.

As a successful company serving as the dominant source of hyperlocal news in the communities we serve, we are working on succession plans that will fill our newsroom with the next generation of leaders and editors. 

If you are a reporter or editor looking for a place where you can learn, grow and take the next step in your career, this might be just the opportunity for you.

As an atypical publication, we are looking for atypical people. Those who want to learn the Observer way, a method that has successfully trained dozens of journalists to prepare them for their next steps. But this time, we are looking for someone who is looking to stay and build something with us, to continue working on and playing a role in our trajectory of success and growth and, possibly, become a managing editor one day of their very own publication, where they would manage a staff, guide content and become the face everyone knows in the community.

The Associate Editor position was created to do just that. This position works side-by-side with the Executive Editor to oversee reporters and manage production for the Longboat and Sarasota Observers. Because that is primarily a deadline-driven role, this position will be a hybrid editor/reporter job that is designed to help you learn to manage and edit while also covering stories essential to our publications.

The main goal of this position is to learn the skills needed to become a managing editor. On the editing side, this includes big-picture things like macroediting and presentation planning, all the way down to the details, such as mastering copy editing, headline writing and Observer and AP style. In working with the Executive Editor, you will also learn more about management techniques, lessons and principles to help excel at the people side of being an editor … and much of it is about people.  

Editing duties include:

• Assist in budget meetings to brainstorm story ideas with reporters, shape stories and help form a vision of presentation of content for online and print
• Complete layout budgeting for Longboat and Sarasota Observers on a weekly basis
• Manage deadlines with reporters and complete first reads of stories for both papers
• Read stories on page in InDesign to cut for length, sharpen headlines and manage design and presentation
• Work with reporters to help plan ahead and brainstorm story ideas to tackle enterprise topics that keep the papers lively and relevant to readers
• Lead special projects or special sections on an as-needed basis

Reporting duties include:

• Covering the most relevant stories from Sarasota County beat. This includes budget discussions and development news from select areas. As we look to cover more news in East Sarasota County, we will want to keep an eye on that corridor.
• Filling in/helping out with occasional Longboat stories as needed.

Must-haves for the position include:

• Copy editing skills, including knowledge of AP style
• Three to five years of reporting experience, including experience covering a beat
• Excellent communication skills 
• Good news judgment for a weekly audience
• Ability to think through stories visually
• Enthusiasm for community and getting involved
• A wicked sense of humor
• A hard worker who’s not afraid to try new things
• A lead-by-example mindset
• Ability to collaborate with a team of reporters and editors
• A passion for thinking outside of the box and coming up with fresh story ideas 
• An obsession with constant improvement and a commitment to excellence

This position is based in our Sarasota headquarters. To learn from another editor, you need to be around them, so this is an in-office position with flexibility to accommodate a balancing of hours and reporting needs. 

Why should you choose us? 

You can tell the moment you enter our offices that you aren't in your average newsroom. We have a simple motto that describes our culture: If you can dream it, you can do it. We give our staff the freedom to think big and the support to put ideas into action. We also work as a team, and you'll find everyone is a cheerleader for creating new things, whether it's an advertising initiative or a special print product. We strive for excellence every day in everything we do, and we're looking for others who do the same. Like to work hard? You'll be rewarded — as a thriving, family-owned media company, we've got ample opportunities.

Interested? Send your resume and a cover letter to Executive Editor Kat Wingert at kwingert@yourobserver.com. Please put “associate editor” in the subject line.