Job opening: Audience Engagement Specialist

Job Summary:

Mississippi Today is a dynamic, digital nonprofit news organization that aims to engage, inform, and empower the people of Mississippi. Committed to delivering the highest caliber of journalism, we focus on educating Mississippians about the intersections of education, health, government, climate, and politics, and how these impact the daily lives of its residents. Mississippi Today is part of Deep South Today, a nonprofit hub of local newsrooms located in the South.

Become a key player at Mississippi Today, where your role as an Audience Engagement Specialist will bridge the gap between our journalism and the diverse communities of Mississippi. Your mission is to use creative and strategic methods to distribute our content, making sure it reaches and resonates with people across the state. From the Delta to the Gulf Coast, your work will amplify voices and stories that matter, fostering a more informed, engaged, and connected Mississippi. Join us in our commitment to serve our community with news that enlightens, educates, and empowers.

Key Responsibilities:

• Content Distribution: Spearhead the distribution of engaging content across diverse platforms to elevate visibility and reader engagement.
• Audience Engagement: Foster active and meaningful two-way interactions with our audience, utilizing social media, direct outreach, and innovative engagement tactics.
• Collaborative Content Promotion: Partner with our editorial teams to craft compelling promotion strategies that amplify our stories’ reach and impact.
• Data-Driven Insights: Harness analytics to shape content strategies, providing actionable insights to our newsroom and tailoring approaches to diverse audience segments.
• Trend Analysis and Adaptation: Stay ahead of industry trends, continuously refining our engagement strategies to align with evolving reader behaviors and preferences.
• Paid Acquisition: Execute social media advertising, boosted posts, lead generation and Google Ad Grant management/strategy to promote stories and coverage
• Multimedia: Act as on-set associate producer and a liaison between the newsroom and production teams; responsibilities could include script writing, video recording, equipment management, scheduling and coordination, production, editing with closed captioning, posting and promotion

Day-to-Day:

• Here’s what you can expect your day-to-day to look like:
  • Attend weekly editorial meetings
  • Consistent communication (via in-person, Slack and email) with the managing editor to make sure tasks are aligned with the needs of the newsroom
  • Weekly meetings with manager
  • Schedule evergreen content on social
  • Daily social media posting as stories publish and following a social media action plan 
  • Curate and schedule The Today, Mississippi Today’s daily newsletter, as well as The Report, the weekly newsletter
  • Assist Marshall Ramsey with his weekly newsletter scheduling and provide support for weekly video series, Marshall’s Mississippi
  • Assisting editors with podcast posting and promotion
  • Sending regular text alerts and monitoring responses
  • Curating, promoting and monitoring results for surveys
  • Engage with readers, responding to comments, messages, and inquiries in a timely and professional manner
  • Identify opportunities and assist in execution of community engagement projects, including virtual and in-person events 
  • Assist editors and reporters with story post formatting and visual enhancements, including resizing photos and graphics
  • Assist CEO and managing editor with occasional staff spotlight story posts and other announcements

Essential Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Communications, Marketing, or Journalism.
• Demonstrated experience in audience engagement, digital marketing, or a related area, preferably in a news or media environment. 
• A strong preference will be given to applicants with a journalism background and newsroom experience
• Proficiency with digital and social media platforms, such as Mailchimp, Buffer for scheduling social media posts, Google Ads, WordPress, SMS/texting and survey tool, with a knack for leveraging them to foster community and conversation
• Skilled in using analytics tools to guide content strategy and measure engagement success
• Strong communicator, adept at distilling complex ideas into clear, compelling messages
• Creative thinker with a strategic mindset, able to innovate and adapt in a fast-paced setting
• Collaborative spirit, thriving in teamwork and cross-functional projects
• Passionate about the mission of local journalism and its role in empowering communities
• Ability to help with video production coordination, set-up and execution
  • Experience in filming and editing video is a plus!

You will report directly to the Distribution & Engagement Specialist at Deep South Today for strategic direction, with a dotted line to the Managing Editor of the respective local newsroom for day-to-day activities and integration. This dual reporting line ensures strategic coherence across our network while fostering local relevance and autonomy.

What We Offer:

• A role at the heart of redefining local journalism’s connection with its audience
• Collaboration within a network passionate about impactful storytelling and community service
• Opportunities for professional growth, learning, and development in audience engagement strategies
• A supportive, inclusive work environment that celebrates diversity and creativity
• Competitive market pay
• Benefits Package that includes:
  • Medical, Dental and Vision
  • 29 days of paid time off (PTO accrual)
  • 3 paid community service days
  • 1 day paid birthday leave
  • Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
  • Professional development opportunities

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit their application through this link. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, especially those from traditionally underrepresented communities, including women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, and people with disabilities.

Deep South Today is committed to building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and ages. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome all to apply. Join us in shaping the future of local news and community engagement.