The Deputy Sports Editor is responsible for organizing the writers and copy editors/paginators with the purpose of producing a sports section that is comprehensive as well as entertaining in print, online and through various other platforms. The Deputy Sports Editor is also responsible for providing the Sports department with fresh ideas and better ways of achieving the department goals by fostering a positive work environment while still holding colleagues and department members accountable.
Primary Responsibilities and Essential Duties:
A: Supervision
1. Develops employees by providing on-the-job coaching, positive reinforcement and constructive criticism when prudent so as to improve the employees’ judgment and skills.
2. Develops an atmosphere of trust and cooperation among employees, soliciting feedback from employees and resolving disputes/conflicts when they arise; encourages employees to communicate openly and in a civil manner, responding appropriately to employee feedback.
3. Assesses staffing needs and organizational needs to effectively and efficiently accomplish our goals on a daily basis.
4. Develops own expertise and leadership skills to improve personal or group performance.
B: Administrative
1. Prepares for future events by looking at scheduling, filling photo requests and assigns coverage responsibilities to reporters.
2. Answers telephone courteously or returns phone calls in a quick, timely and professional manner. Replies to emails in a professional manner.
3. Participates in daily meetings with other department heads in order to meet our overall goals to produce the best product possible.
C: Editing and other related functions
1. Attends and participates in daily budget meetings to organize sports budget for writers.
2. Plans sports section and prepares daily and weekly sports news budgets and long-range projects for sports writers.
3. Works with reporters and digital desk to develop original ideas and content for our digital product.
4. Reads and edits stories submitted for publications by the sports writers and confers with writers regarding changes in content, style or organizations. Writes headlines for the sports department stories.
5. Paginates and coordinates coverage when staff needs help with such tasks in order to produce a sports section in a timely manner.
6. Reports and writes well-written stories as necessary, isolating pertinent facts and details and meeting deadlines.
Education, Experience, and Knowledge Requirements:
• Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism or related field.
• Five years of experience in sport news coverage for a newspaper.
• Three years management experience.
• Thorough knowledge of English language, grammar, spelling and AP and local style.
• Thorough knowledge of computers, newspaper system, paginations, research tools, etc.
• Thorough knowledge of arithmetic and its application.
• Thorough knowledge of social media, communication law – libel, open meetings, public documents.
Skill Requirements:
• Management of personnel resources — motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
• Speaking — talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Writing — communicating effectively with others in writing as indicated by the needs of the audience.
• Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Time Management — Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
• Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Ability Requirements:
• Ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing including technical and safety documents.
• Ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand such as department correspondence, stories and headlines, in a clear, succinct and understandable form.
• Ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic.
• Ability to speak clearly, understandably and effectively with individuals and groups of varying educational levels.
• Ability to apply general principles, policies and rules to specific problem situations in a logical and consistent manner in order to resolve problems and evaluate job schedules for department.
Supervision Requirements (total number of people supervised may vary):
• Writers, copy editors and sports clerks.
Physical Requirements (sensory acuity)
• The job requires the following demands daily: hear normal conversation, see nearby objects see distant objects, and speak clearly so someone else can understand what you say.
Physical Requirements (coordination, dexterity and strength):
• The job requires the following physical demands daily: finger dexterity, sitting, standing, walking and rapid working speed.
• The job requires the following physical demands less than once a week: bending, crouching, lifting and carrying up to 20 pounds, kneeling and stooping.
Work Environment:
• Moderate noises (business office with computer and printers, light traffic).
• Interacts with others.
• Requires occasional moving vehicle traveling to events, news conference and story locations and exposure to outdoor weather conditions.
