LAist Is Seeking Talented Writer/Editors

Photo by Rob Rovira via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr

LAist is seeking talented writer-editors who are comfortable blogging, have solid news judgment and a touch of wit to cover a range of topics, from hard news to arts and food.

There are full-time (5 days/week) and part-time opportunities. The position is based in Los Angeles. Days and hours may vary from a 9-to-5 job, as covering breaking news in real time will be one of the staff writer's responsibilities. Though the ideal candidate would possess a working knowledge about Los Angeles and its surrounding areas, the right candidate has the versatility and tenacity to become an authoritative local news source. You should be as comfortable reporting—pestering public officials, poring through city records, tracking down sources—as you are musing about the latest cocktail craze.

LAist was launched in 2004, as one in a network of local publications operated by the independently-owned Gothamist, and it has steadily expanded. Over time, the publication has grown into a unique hybrid of engaging and informative aggregation and wholly original content. But the two forms are increasingly commingling and are both influenced by the LAist "voice" that makes our aggregation trenchant and entertaining.

The Writer/Editor's responsibilities will include:

• On a daily basis, reporting on breaking news, writing engaging blog posts, and aggregating stories.
• Checking facts and elaborating on others' reporting as necessary.
• Coming up with interesting longer-term story ideas and working together with other staffers to bring them to fruition.
• Occasionally editorializing on subjects of local interest in a smart, sometimes light-hearted way.

The ideal candidate should be as comfortable with writing aggregated blog posts from multiple news sources as he, she, or they is adept at covering breaking news, digging up untold tales, and writing stories assigned by editors. The writer/editor reports directly to LAist's Editor-in-Chief.Requirements: At least two years of full-time blogging, reporting or equivalent experience, an instinct for what's newsworthy and the skills to report it out, a ferocious drive and piercing wit, a working knowledge of and desire to learn more about the big issues facing Los Angeles, and the stamina to create five well-written posts per day.

If you're interested, send a brief email with a summary of your experience and writing clips to jobs@laist.com, subject "LAist Writer/Editor." No need to follow up: if we're interested, you'll hear from us. No attachments, please.

Gothamist LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.