Journalism jobs
The Economist is hiring a social-media fellow in London for 2022
We’re offering a paid one-year opportunity to work in our digital newsroom
The Economist has ambitious plans to ensure our digital presence becomes as good as our print heritage. The Audience team is at the heart of this strategy. It publishes content to social media, through a growing portfolio of newsletters, and via push alerts to our apps. It assists the Newsdesk with the management of our website, as well as seeking opportunities to reach new audiences and increase engagement among existing subscribers.
Ever more people are encountering our journalism for the first time on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, where our accounts have a total of nearly 60m followers. However, size is not everything and we want to do more to turn this audience into the next generation of subscribers.
We are seeking a Social-Media Fellow to assist with our strategy to extend the reach of The Economist’s journalism. The one-year paid fellowship is an entry-level position, working alongside colleagues in Britain and North America and reporting to the Head of Social Media. The role is based in central London. In the long term it is likely to follow a hybrid model, with perhaps two to three days per week in the office and the ability to work remotely at other times. However, you should be prepared to attend our newsroom as required.
The successful candidate will collaborate with multiple editorial and digital departments. You will be an innovative, unstoppable newshound with an interest in, and knowledge of, current affairs. You will probably have some junior experience either as a journalist or in telling engaging stories online, and you will understand how our brand and our social-media output fit into the global media landscape.
You would be expected to:
Help distribute our journalism across digital channels, primarily via social-media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn but also through push alerts and newslettersCome up with ways to create and publish engaging content that turns our journalism into easily digestible material for a mobile-first audienceWork closely with—and learn from—an award-winning team of talented, motivated editors on two continents
To succeed you should have:
The ability to share online stories in an engaging wayAn understanding of social-media networks, as well as emerging digital trends and platforms, and how The Economist fits into themStrong writing and proofreading skillsGood communication skills, both written and oralA thorough grasp of current affairs, both in Britain and elsewhereExcellent news judgment and a commitment to producing accurate and engaging journalism that meets our editorial guidelines and is true to our brandThe ability to be a self starter, capable of working both independently and within a team structure
Applicants should study our daily estimate of excess deaths attributed to covid-19 and devise a plan to promote its content on social media, with suggestions for both written copy and multimedia visual assets on our current core platforms: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Ideas for other social platforms are also welcome. The assessment should be no longer than 600 words.
This assessment is the most important part of the application, so make sure you explain your proposals thoroughly and clearly. We will read it blind, without seeing your name or your experience. Only if what is written fits with what we are looking for will we examine your accompanying material. Candidates will not be considered if they fail to submit an assessment.
Please send your assessment, along with your CV and a cover letter explaining why you should be our next Social-Media Fellow, to [email protected].
The closing date is Sunday January 2nd 2022. Interviews will be conducted as video calls, rather than in person. All applicants must already hold the right to live and work in the United Kingdom without the need for any further visa-application process. The salary will be £26,000.
The Economist Group values diversity. We are committed to equal opportunities and creating an inclusive environment for all our employees. We welcome applicants regardless of ethnic origin, national origin, gender, race, colour, religious beliefs, disability, sexual orientation or age.