English Desk Editor based in Washington DC or Los Angeles

About the role

AFP is seeking a dynamic, proven editor for its English-language Americas news desk, based in Washington or Los Angeles. The desk is a fast-paced breaking news and editing hub producing multimedia stories for a worldwide audience around the clock. As a member of one of AFP’s busiest and highest-profile news operations, the successful candidate will have opportunities to apply for jobs in the agency’s global network.

Responsibilities

• Edit and illustrate stories filed by reporters in English
• Translate stories from the French and Spanish services into English
• Report breaking news and pitch original angles
• Participate in a rotation assuring follow-the-sun coverage during Asia’s night time
• Feed AFP’s social media accounts
• Coordinate with the photo, video and graphics departments to ensure strong visual and multimedia coverage
• Contribute to AFP’s newsgathering process across all formats, supporting the wire, video dopesheets, picture captions and graphics

Schedule

Work demanding eight-hour shifts that often involve evenings and weekends.

Requirements

• Several years of news reporting and editing experience
• Exemplary writing skills and news judgement
• Ability to work under pressure
• Sharpness, adaptability, speed, rigor, and a desire to contribute to the newsroom’s complex team effort

Qualifications

• Working knowledge of French and Spanish is a major advantage
• A keen eye for the visual and multimedia aspect of coverage