Job Information
New York Times Senior Comment Moderator in New York, New York
The mission (https://www.nytco.com/company/mission-and-values/) 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.
Job Description
The Community team is looking for a new senior comment moderator . This position involves the review, approval and curation of reader comments in a fast-paced, ever-changing work environment. The senior comment moderator will also assist the Community team editors with other key responsibilities, including assigning articles for moderation to other moderators and opening and closing articles for comment. The senior comment moderator will also be expected to select comments for NYT Picks, work with news desks to find candidates for Reporter Reply, provide analysis for various Audience team reports and support other initiatives of the Community team.
Readers come to our comments sections looking to participate in an informed and thoughtful debate on the most important news facing the world today. The New York Times is known within the industry as having one of the most thoughtful, robust and helpful (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/04/insider/reader-comments.html) comments sections.
Our ideal candidate has a background in journalism and an interest in community building, preferably some experience with online discussion groups as a manager or contributor, and a willingness to help shape The Times’s roadmap for building communities within our comments. Our ideal applicant will demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence (https://www.nytco.com/company/mission-and-values/) and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world
Key responsibilities:
Moderate comments according to NYT comment moderation guidelines, maintaining a high-quality user experience
Under general guidance from managers, decide when to open and close stories for comments
Share insights about trends in comments with the Audience team and desks and contribute to daily, weekly and monthly reports about comments and reader engagement. These insights could be shared via Audience team channels, Community newsletters or other venues.
Contribute copy to external-facing Community projects.
Flag errors identified by readers to Community editors and relevant desk editors as needed.
Contact commenters for permission to use their comments beyond the comment section of the site. Assist reporters in finding appropriate comments for reporter reply.
Assist editors in carrying out community engagement plans.
In addition, Senior Comment Moderators may be called upon to help ensure the smooth administrative operation of the Community team by performing a variety of tasks, including those of Comment Moderators.
Track their work through team tools such as Slack, spreadsheets, Airtable and Google Docs.
Perform related work as assigned.
This position will have a Sunday-Thursday schedule.
Basic Qualifications:
B.A. or B.S. degree, or equivalent work experience
5+ years of experience in journalism
Experience moderating or facilitating online communities or discussion groups
Basic knowledge of HTML and experience with content management systems a plus
Preferred Qualifications:
A strong, demonstrable passion in journalism
Attention to detail and the ability to meet deadlines in a daily production environment
Outstanding communication and time management skills
Comfortable with change and willing to adapt to the constant flow of news
Enthusiastic about shaping the future of reader engagement and online communities at The Times.
This position is represented by the NewsGuild of NY.
The annual base pay salary for this role is between $79,364.85 and $80,000.00.
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.
The Company will further consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable "Fair Chance" laws.
The New York Times Company follows the pay transparency and non-discrimination provisions outlined by the United States Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Click here (https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OFCCP/pdf/pay-transp_%20English_formattedESQA508c.pdf) for details.