The mission of The New York Times is to seek the truth and help people understand the world. That means independent journalism is at the heart of all we do as a company. It’s why we have a world-renowned newsroom that sends journalists to report on the ground from nearly 160 countries. It’s why we focus deeply on how our readers will experience our journalism, from print to audio to a world-class digital and app destination. And it’s why our business strategy centers on making journalism so good that it’s worth paying for.
About The Role
Wirecutter is looking for a style staff writer to join our discovery team, a group of writers and editors dedicated to applying Wirecutter’s rigorous approach to service journalism to formats beyond our classic product guides.
As a journalist on the discovery team, you’ll write short-form stories. That includes reporting on popular products or trends, highlighting products that you really love (while still being honest about their shortcomings), and interviewing subject-matter experts. You’re curious and eager to understand if something’s really worth it, by testing products yourself, and digging into scientific research. You are comfortable pitching creative, ambitious stories related to your beat on a regular basis.
As a beauty and personal care writer, you understand skin-care ingredients, makeup basics, and hair tools. You know (and care about!) topics like how niacinamide affects the skin, what foundation is worth the splurge, and the difference between 4B and 2A hair—and can explain it to a reader in everyday terms. You are aware of emerging brands and keep a finger on the pulse of beauty news and trending ingredients, all while maintaining an inherent skepticism of marketing and influencer claims.
You will work with writers and editors on Wirecutter’s beauty and personal care team, to highlight advice from their reporting and ensure our short-form journalism complements our existing and future coverage, with an emphasis on inclusivity. You will also collaborate with our social and newsletter teams—fronting videos, bylining newsletters, and more. You are a tastemaker who our audiences look forward to seeing and hearing from, both on- and off-platform, and you should always be eager to help our readers sift through the noise of the internet to delight in quality beauty, skin care, and hair care.
This position is based in New York City, with an expectation to work in a hybrid manner out of our Long Island City office.
Responsibilities
- You will research, report, and write articles related to Wirecutter’s coverage areas, focusing on style; think creatively about sources, identify experts and diverse sources
- You will ensure accuracy and timeliness of quick-turnaround content that is rooted in Wirecutter’s deeply-reported guides
- Work with our social and community teams to respond to reader feedback and questions
- Request product samples and process their return
- You will call experts and review academic journal articles and other scientific data; methodically scan user reviews and forums to find what matters to readers
- You will collaborate with editors to conceive new content and formats and move ideas from pitch to promotion and will also work with creative teams to produce visuals to support articles
- Maintain content for retail events (i.e., Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday), curated Wirecutter deal events, and other seasonal projects
- You may attend trade shows and product news events to build contacts and expertise in relevant topics
- Perform related work as assigned
- Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.
- You will report to the Supervising Editor
Basic Qualifications
- 2+ years writing experience at a major publication, media company, or service journalism outlet
- You have a demonstrated passion for style
- Knowledge of SEO from an editorial perspective and understanding of how to use web analytics data to make editorial decisions
- You will communicate with all levels of management and have task management skills.
- You have experience working through multiple rounds of edits while managing multiple reporting projects and deadlines simultaneously
Preferred Qualifications
- 2+ years of experience doing original reporting and research for features or how-to guides
- Experience covering products or services, especially involving hands-on or lab testing, is also valuable
- Experience collaborating with a visuals or photo team on art and content packaging
REQ-018119
The annual base pay range for this role is between:
$75,316.80 - $82,000 USD
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 provide reasonable accommodations as required by applicable federal, state, and/or local laws. Individuals seeking an accommodation for the application or interview process should email reasonable.accommodations@nytimes.com. Emails sent for unrelated issues, such as following up on an application, will not receive a response.
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