East Lansing Info (ELi) Begins Search for Managing Editor

The East Lansing Info Board of Directors has begun a search for its next Managing Editor. The search begins after a recommendation from a recently launched special task force to research and make recommendations aimed at setting up the organization for a successful and sustainable future. 

While the full report from the task force is not scheduled to be completed and sent to ELi’s Board of Directors until early August, the Task Force has made this early recommendation for an immediate search for a Managing Editor so that ELi will be able to relaunch news reporting about East Lansing as soon as possible. 

The new position will be half-time (20 hours per week) with a core focus on managing ELi’s news reporting team. The Board agreed to the recommendation that spreading responsibilities previously assigned to the Managing Editor among several staff members will be more sustainable for the future success of the organization. The new Managing Editor will handle the story budget (upcoming stories to cover), oversee reporting assignments, edit or assign editing duties for all reporting, publish material to ELi’s WordPress site (including managing choice of photo, headline, summary composition); and decide on publication schedule.

This newly reformed position will no longer be responsible for posting to social media, regularly searching and onboarding new reporters, personally reporting and writing stories, or primarily managing public communication that originates with the contact page at the website. These tasks will be completed by other designated staff members. 

Additionally, the Task Force has recommended that an Editorial Board be formed to work with and support the Managing Editor. The responsibilities of the Editorial Board would include collaboratively identifying topics for reporting, assisting with editing, helping to shape the publication schedule, giving feedback on matters of concern, approaching potential contributors, and so forth.

The job description for the managing editor position can be viewed here. Interested candidates are encouraged to send a letter of interest and a resume to jobs@eastlansinginfo.news as soon as possible. Questions can be submitted via our contact page.

Nathan Andrus is a member of the ELi Task Force and has worked as a data analyst and FOIA coordinator for ELi.