Part Time Weekend Writer (Crime) - UsWeekly at McClatchy Media

This Part-Time Weekend (Crime) Writer will be part of the UsWeekly publication and requires an experienced journalist with a proven ability to cover major events. The candidate should excel at pitching, reporting, and writing 6-8 daily stories focused on crime and pop culture, trending moments, and human interest angles, prioritizing speed, creativity, and audience relevance while drawing in the pop culture audience. Their expertise includes identifying and elevating stories that intersect crime with celebrity culture, lifestyle, and viral moments, thus engaging a broad readership.

This professional is adept at monitoring digital trends, social platforms, and live events to uncover and produce buzzworthy, traffic-driving content. They skillfully aggregate breaking news, social posts, and interviews, crafting insightful follow-ups and exclusive narratives. In addition, they produce compelling photo-driven galleries, features, recaps, previews, guides, and analytical pieces designed to enhance social engagement and brand visibility.

The anticipated base pay for this position is between $35 - $40 an hour. Individual base pay may vary within that range depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, department equity and relevant education.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Pitch and write multiple daily crime news stories (6-8 a day, plus updates), ensuring speed, accuracy, and originality.
• Aggregate and reframe crime news, interviews, and social media content into compelling digital stories within the Us Weekly tone.
• Produce photo-driven stories, galleries and exclusive reports.
• Craft creative, enterprising follow-ups to major breaking news and trending topics.
• Track story performance and use real-time data to guide pitch development, story angles, and headlines.

Qualifications:

• Deep knowledge of and passion for crime and pop culture, with an instinct for what stories will resonate beyond the field or court.
• Proven ability to write clean, engaging, fast-turnaround copy.
• Strong news judgment and ability to spot viral angles and timely stories.
• Comfort working in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment.
• Familiarity with SEO, social media platforms, CMS tools, and performance tracking tools (like Google Analytics, Chartbeat).
• A roster of editorial contacts and sourcing skills is a plus.

What you'll bring:

Desire and flexibility to work Saturday + Sunday 

• BS Degree in Journalism or related field
• 2–4 years of digital writing/reporting experience, ideally in entertainment, celebrity, or sports media.

To apply, include a persuasive cover letter, your resume and two examples of your best work when you apply.

About McClatchy Media & a360:

As a member of the McClatchy Media family, you are part of a flexible, empowering, and exciting culture dedicated to creating a work/life balance and consistent opportunities for growth—a place where you have a voice and the ability to impact our future. It’s an exciting time to be here. Our company is experiencing the most transformative period in its history. We’re growing rapidly in the digital space and delivering award-winning journalism in innovative ways.

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