News Editor at Daily Trust

Job Description

• We are seeking an ideal candidate to lead a cross-functional editorial team in our new converged newsroom, ensuring the seamless integration of artificial intelligence tools in news gathering, content production, and multi-platform distribution.
• The ideal candidate will maintain the highest standards of journalistic integrity while leveraging AI to enhance speed, personalization, and audience reach in the Nigerian market and beyond.

Key Responsibilities

• Editorial Leadership & Strategy: Conduct daily meetings to set content priorities for all platforms.
• Multi-Platform Content Management: Oversee the “content factory” workflow, ensuring raw stories are adapted into platform-specific versions—such as Print, TV and social media
• Quality Control & Ethics: Act as the final “gatekeeper of truth,” editing for accuracy, clarity, and adherence to style guides while ensuring all content meets strict ethical and legal standards (e.g., NBC codes and libel laws).
• Digital Optimization: Monitor audience analytics and SEO trends to refine editorial strategies and maximize engagement
• Strong leadership, excellent storytelling ability, and the capacity to work under tight deadlines.
• Direct the “Intake” and “Output” cycles, coordinating with reporters, digital editors, and broadcast producers to ensure a unified editorial voice.
• Edit stories for accuracy, legal compliance, and tone across TV scripts, web articles, print, and social media threads.
• Use live audience analytics to pivot coverage, prioritizing breaking news or trending topics based on viewer engagement.
• Ensure “breaking news” is updated on all our platforms immediately while simultaneously preparing depth-driven packages for linear broadcast.
• Assign “story owners” to oversee the lifecycle of a report from the first tip-off to the final evening broadcast/social media wrap-up.
• Planning, developing, and selecting stories for publication based on audience interests and breaking news.
• Verifying the accuracy of stories, checking sources to avoid legal issues like libel or copyright infringement.
• Ensuring all content adheres to ethical guidelines, maintaining objectivity and accuracy.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Degree in Journalism, Mass Communication, or a related field.
• 5+ years of editorial leadership experience in a reputable newsroom, with a proven track record in cross-platform newsgathering.
• Exceptional news judgment, the ability to make decisive calls under tight deadlines, and strong interpersonal communication
• Ability to handle both “Intake” (newsgathering/wires) and “Output” (quality control/deadlines) in a fast-paced environment.
• High professional integrity with a deep understanding of Nigerian media laws and ethical journalism.