Deputy Sports Editor
Chicago Public Media: Internal Totebag · Chicago, IL workplace
The Opportunity
The Chicago Sun-Times (CSTM) is a distinctly Chicago news organization focused on stories that matter to working people across the city and region. We are seeking an innovative, audience-minded Deputy Sports Editor to help lead sports coverage built for the ways fans follow news now: on the web, through social platforms, in video and during live moments.
This CSTM editor will be a key partner to the Sports Editor, helping set daily priorities, shape coverage and drive experimentation in storytelling and distribution. The role calls for strong sports-news judgment and rigorous editing standards, along with demonstrated experience using video, social platforms and other digital formats to reach and engage audiences. The Deputy Sports Editor will work closely with sports reporters and colleagues in Audience, Visuals and Product to develop coverage that is timely, distinctive and useful to Chicago sports fans.
Responsibilities
- Help lead factual, accurate, fair and compelling coverage of Chicago sports across Chicago Public Media digital platforms.
- Partner with the Sports Editor on daily news planning, major event coverage and long-term editorial priorities.
- Serve as acting Sports Editor when needed.
- Edit quickly and effectively on breaking news, game nights and major sports moments, ensuring reporting meets the Sun-Times’ standards for accuracy, fairness and clarity.
- Drive social-first and video-forward storytelling, including vertical video, live coverage, explainers, analysis and other formats tailored to fan behavior on each platform.
- Work with reporters to identify stories, personalities and franchises with strong potential for recurring audience engagement and innovative formats.
- Collaborate with Sun-Times and WBEZ editors, Audience, Visuals and Product teams on story packaging, promotion, platform strategy and experiments that improve discovery and deepen engagement.
- Use audience data, social listening and platform knowledge to inform coverage decisions, while maintaining independent editorial judgment.
- Help develop workflows and newsroom habits that make the Sports team faster, more creative and more effective across emerging formats.
- Engage directly with sports fans through social platforms during major news moments and games, and support the promotion of the Sports team’s journalism.
Skills
- Strong editing skills and a demonstrated ability to make sound news decisions under deadline pressure.
- Deep knowledge of sports and experience editing sports journalism. Chicago sports knowledge preferred.
- A track record of leading or contributing to change in a digital newsroom, particularly through social video, platform-native storytelling or other new-media formats.
- Strong understanding of audience behavior and best practices for platforms including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and emerging channels.
- Experience working with reporters, visual journalists and audience specialists to produce journalism across text, photo, video and live formats.
- Familiarity with audience metrics and an ability to use performance data and feedback thoughtfully in editorial decision-making.
- Strong collaborative instincts, clear communication and a solutions-oriented approach.
- Curiosity, initiative and comfort experimenting with new tools, formats and workflows.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or related field
- Experience as an editor in sports is a must.
- Willingness to work evenings, weekends and holidays as news demands
- Working knowledge of social platforms relevant to sports audiences, including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and emerging platforms
Compensation
The expected pay range for this position is $78,600 to $98,000 per ANNUM. Chicago Public Media provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the organization reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographical location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.
This is an exempt (non-union) position. CSTM does not discriminate in its employment decisions on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender, color, religion, age, genetic information, medical condition, disability, marital status, citizenship or national origin, and military membership or veteran status, or on any other basis which would be in violation of any applicable federal, state or local law.