Newsletter and social media editor

About the role

The Cap Times is seeking an experienced news professional with innovative instincts to help grow our audience and lead the newsroom approach on email newsletters and social media platforms. We are a digital-first media organization that covers public affairs and culture in Madison, Wisconsin. This is a leadership position where you will work with supportive, friendly colleagues eager to share and assist, as your successes will also be theirs.

Responsibilities

• Newsletters
  • Working with the newsroom and the audience director, produce a daily morning newsletter, including editing content from other journalists and creating your own.
  • Develop strategies with the audience director to increase newsletter subscribers.
  • Produce occasional newsletters for paid Cap Times members, Idea Fest subscribers, and fill in on other newsletters like Food & Culture and Opinion Roundup.
• Social media
  • Set strategy for social media growth and make posts across multiple platforms.
  • Develop strategies to convert social media followers into regular consumers of Cap Times content.
  • Create ideas for shortform social media videos featuring newsroom writers to build the newsroom brand.
  • Recommend and execute paid social media campaigns to grow our audience.
  • Interact with users, respond to messages and comments, and forward important inquiries to internal teams.
  • Lead community engagement, such as liking, commenting, and following new users on behalf of the Cap Times.
• Events and membership
  • Assist in the production and marketing of newsroom events, including Cap Times Idea Fest and Cooking with the Cap Times.
  • Occasionally assist the audience director with membership tasks, including communication and distribution of member benefits.

Requirements

• Experience writing, editing, and producing email newsletters.
• Demonstrated fluency and creativity using social media and other tools, including video, to reach diverse audiences.
• Strong customer service skills, including using digital tools to track and manage interactions and assisting with reader engagement events.
• A passion for championing journalism’s role in informing the public and growing subscriptions, event participation, and membership.
• Talent for connecting with younger social media users to diversify readership and turn them into daily news consumers.
• Ability to analyze metrics and apply data to develop outreach and engagement strategies.
• Understanding of SEO and its impact on engagement.
• Forward-thinking with the ability to balance strategic and tactical work.
• Eagerness to try new tools, including responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence, and share knowledge with colleagues.

Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field is preferred.

Skills

Technologies used include:

• Google Analytics
• Parse.ly
• Mailchimp
• Salesforce
• Stripe
• Social media platforms: Facebook (including Ads Manager), Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, Threads, YouTube, LinkedIn
• OptInMonster
• GSuite, Microsoft Excel

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Company-paid life insurance
• Company-matched 401(k)
• Employee assistance program
• Paid time off, sick leave, and holiday time

About The Cap Times

The Cap Times (formally, The Capital Times) has a rich history in Madison. Today, we are an independent newsroom delivering local journalism focused on Madison, primarily through digital and social media. We produce a weekly print newspaper, progressive opinion content, and host events like the annual Cap Times Idea Fest. The Cap Times is also a major source of philanthropy in the community through the William T. Evjue Foundation.

Our newsroom is filled with passionate journalists who want to help Madison become a better place to live, work, and raise families. We offer a fun, team-driven environment to produce impactful local journalism.

About Madison

Madison is one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S., home to about 300,000 people, the Wisconsin state Capitol, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a growing biotech industry, and a vibrant restaurant and entertainment scene. Located between lakes Mendota and Monona, the city offers abundant outdoor recreation, bike paths, and parks.