News Assistant – New York Times

Posted by Stephanie Vivirito on

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Job Description

Under general supervision, news assistants are responsible for a variety of clerical tasks across all platforms.

Management will inform news assistants which job function(s) listed herein are their primary responsibility(ies).  Management will provide all necessary training for any employee assigned to job function(s) for which he or she does not have the necessary skills or abilities.

For the purposes of annual reviews, and discipline based on performance, News Assistants will be evaluated on their performance of the primary responsibility(ies) of the assignment.

While reporting and rewriting shall not be a general requirement of the work of a News Assistant, any employee so classified may be required to perform such work in limited amounts for no additional compensation. The amount of reporting and rewriting a News Assistant is permitted to perform without additional compensation shall result in the publication of no more than 1500 words in any given month, absent a bona fide news emergency.  The duties of the news assistant may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Gather, prepare and archive content, including, but not limited to, a wide variety of tables, listings, captions, summaries, photos, graphics and other content elements accurately and efficiently, repackaging, reformatting and appending assigned content as needed for immediate publication in any and all media;

  • For publication in listings, review and confirm background facts for events submitted to The Times, seek out appropriate upcoming events, select events and edit content for space requirements;

  • Determine accuracy of data, correcting apparent errors as needed and calling attention to news developments the material may disclose;

  • Manage desk social media accounts at the direction of editors;

  • Write and/or reword caption information attached to incoming pictures or other material submitted by photographers so that editors can write captions for publication;

In addition, news assistants may be called upon to help ensure the smooth administrative operation of the assigned desk by performing a variety of tasks under the supervision of desk editors and/or the administrative manager, including:

  • Screening mail, telephone calls and other incoming information for the department;

  • Arranging appointments as needed and reminding editors of appointments and other unfinished business;

  • Helping to maintain varied departmental files and personnel and other office records including work and vacation schedules, timebanks, whereabouts lists and payroll records;

  • Assisting editors and operations managers with processing of freelance and staff payments;

  • Learning and utilizing evolving administrative tools and working with editors and operations managers to help create and apply newsroom policies on the assigned desk;

  • Arranging equipment repairs as directed; assisting others in maintaining equipment inventory in support of staff; ensure all supplies are fully stocked and new requests are filled in a timely manner.

This position is represented by the NewsGuild of NY

The New York Times is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce, one that reflects the varied global community we serve. Our journalism and the products we build in the service of that journalism greatly benefit from a range of perspectives, which can only come from diversity of all types, across our ranks, at all levels of the organization. Achieving true diversity and inclusion is the right thing to do. It is also the smart thing for our business. So we strongly encourage women, veterans, people with disabilities, people of color and gender nonconforming candidates to apply.

The New York Times Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex, age, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage, religion, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation or affectional preference, gender identity and expression, disability, genetic trait or predisposition, carrier status, citizenship, veteran or military status and other personal characteristics protected by law. All applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to legally protected characteristics. The New York Times Company will consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local “Fair Chance” laws.