NEW YORK, N.Y. — THE CITY, an independent, nonprofit newsroom dedicated to serving the people of New York, has launched a search for an experienced, innovative and visionary editor in chief to help lead the acclaimed local news site as it embarks on its next phase of its growth.
The news leader tapped for the job will succeed founding editor in chief, Jere Hester, who assembled a diverse team of committed journalists and has guided them to high-impact, award-winning work since the site’s debut in April 2019, quickly making THE CITY an indispensable local news source.
“Jere Hester and our newsroom team have built a remarkable record of results through reporting that is centered on people, informed by data, and committed to better outcomes for New Yorkers,” said Executive Director Nic Dawes.
“Our city urgently needs more journalism that focuses on accountability, responsiveness, and community, and an approach that actively addresses the inequities that were too often reinforced by the coverage of decades past,” Dawes added.
“We have ambitious plans to meet that need, a growing revenue pipeline — and an opportunity to scale up our audience, our impact, and our role in the national conversation around local news and democracy. I can’t think of a more thrilling editorial leadership role than this one.”
In addition to overseeing a newsroom staff of 20, the new editor in chief will work closely with Dawes and THE CITY’s product and audience teams to develop and execute a strategy for expanded reach, impact, and revenue.
“Reliable reporting on New York and its future has never been more important than now,” said Jamie Alter Lynton, chair of THE CITY’s Board of Directors.
“Jere Hester brought enormous talent and drive to THE CITY and he will be missed. Whoever succeeds him will be charged with keeping THE CITY at the front and center during New York’s recovery and transformation, leading through journalism,” she added.
The search for Hester’s replacement will be a rigorous and inclusive process conducted by a recruitment firm, and a board committee with input from newsroom staff.
Hester, a life-long Brooklynite and former New York Daily News reporter and city editor, will be returning to the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY where he started the national award-winning NYCity News Service in 2006 and later oversaw the writing and reporting program.
In his new role as the J-School’s Director of Editorial Projects and Partnerships, Hester will bring his considerable contacts and local news expertise to forging key relationships and spearheading innovative journalism initiatives that serve the people and news outlets of New York.
“I’m incredibly proud of all our team has accomplished at THE CITY,” Hester said. “And I’m looking forward to using all I’ve learned during this amazing experience to help build the next generation of local news leaders. I also can’t wait to work with students and faculty to produce journalism, resources and news tools worthy of THE CITY and other outlets.”
In under 2 ½ years, THE CITY has experienced tremendous growth, earning more than 30 local and national awards — notching honors from Editor & Publisher’s EPPY Awards, the Online News Association, the National LION Publishers Awards, RTDNA’s Edward R. Murrow Awards, the Society of Journalists and the New York Press Club, among others.
THE CITY became a go-to site during the pandemic with the advent of the award-winning Coronavirus in New York City Tracker and robust coverage of COVID-19’s impact on the five boroughs. The site’s MISSING THEM project, a growing collection of obituaries of New Yorkers killed by COVID, shows THE CITY’s commitment to community collaboration, as does its innovative Open Newsroom initiative.
THE CITY’s 2021 citywide primary coverage notably combined community engagement, and explanatory and accountability reporting with the widely-used MEET YOUR MAYOR quiz-driven interactive to serve New Yorkers during the most crucial election season in a generation.
THE CITY has also generated significant impact in the realms of accountability and action — catalysing the end of solitary confinement in city-run jails, sparking reforms in the Department of Education to better serve children with special needs, and spurring laws mandating better working conditions for app-based food delivery workers. Its daily THE CITY Scoop newsletter and newsletters built around jobs, rent and civic engagement have become crucial resources for New Yorkers.
In addition, THE CITY has become a collaborative journalism partner to news organizations that include ProPublica, WNYC/Gothamist, The Marshall Project, Chalkbeat, Documented, The Fuller Project and more.
ABOUT THE CITY: THE CITY is an independent, nonprofit news outlet dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York. Our reporters pound the pavement in all five boroughs, working with New Yorkers to tell their stories and make their lives better. We’re here to listen to New Yorkers, dig into their concerns and deliver stories that drive the public conversation, set the agenda on key issues and empower people through insight, information and engagement. For media inquiries, contact: Vania André: vandre@thecity.nyc
THE CITY is committed to diversity and especially encourages members of underrepresented communities to apply. We offer equal opportunity employment regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, marital status, or protected veteran status.
Interested and qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to Gina Roose of Harris Rand Lusk:
Please list “THE CITY Editor in Chief” in the subject line.
WEBSITE: www.THECITY.nyc