The Los Angeles Local News Initiative is a nonprofit startup dedicated to revitalizing local journalism in Los Angeles. We're building a new model for community-focused news that connects neighborhood-level reporting with broader regional issues. Our approach combines dedicated community newsrooms with a central hub that amplifies local stories, identifies cross-community trends, and produces region-wide coverage that matters to all Angelenos.
Free, Independent Local Press: We believe all Angelenos deserve to have a source of unbiased information that equips them to thrive in their daily lives. Our work will meet high journalism standards, be independent, non-partisan, and free to access. We’ll prioritize reaching as many Angelenos as possible, in the most effective ways possible.
Community-first: We center the needs of local communities, with an ultimate goal to strengthen communities and make LA work better for Angelenos. Journalism should be focused on serving people most affected by the subject matter, and equipping them to take action.
Equity & Inclusion: We need a representative, equitable, and inclusive local press. Newsrooms should be representative of the communities they cover, shift narratives to be centered on community perspectives, and provide pathways into newsgathering for residents.
Trust: We believe that building trust must be a core principle of our journalism. As a baseline, the journalism we support must be accurate, independent, unbiased, non-partisan, and a trusted source of shared facts by the communities we serve.
We're seeking a dynamic Community, Culture and Arts Editor to capture the pulse of Los Angeles, a city where global cultures converge and creative movements are born. You'll be our cultural compass, guiding Angelenos beyond their familiar neighborhoods to discover the artists, flavors, and experiences that make LA unlike anywhere else on earth. Coverage may span arts, food, religion, wellness, community identity, and sports.
The ideal candidate has an instinct for spotting tomorrow's trends today-whether it's a new wave of Salvadoran-Korean fusion cuisine or a street art movement that could only flourish under LA's endless sunshine. This is more than cultural reporting; it's about revealing how LA's unique geography, history, and demographic tapestry foster a creative ecosystem that exists nowhere else.
The editor will build up a strong network of freelance reporters, commission and edit stories across a range of topics, from profiles of emerging artists and new exhibitions, to reviews of the local theater scene. While the stories will be grounded at the neighborhood level, they will speak to residents across the region who view the city’s diversity as our largest asset.
We’re looking for an experienced journalist who is wired into the local community, arts and culture scene and understands how to reach people where they are at, whether online, on social media, or in person. The editor will have specialized support in multimedia production, social media strategy, and other centralized functions to bring these stories to life.
The annual salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications, ranging from $110,000 to $120,000. Salaries reflect our compensation philosophy of market competitiveness and pay equity. All candidates receive a first and best offer in line with our market, recognizing their education, training, years of experience, and level of expertise.
We are committed to providing employees with a comprehensive benefits package that ensures staff have access to quality and affordable healthcare, can save for the future, and can find time to recharge.
The following benefits are provided to all full-time staff. We consider full-time to be 35 or more hours per week.
Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance: We cover 100% of the premium associated with individual health, dental, and vision plans (employee only) and 50% of the premium for dependents.
Paid Vacation: 16 days of Vacation for your first year, which will accrue throughout the year, and one day of Vacation added each year up to 20 days upon your fifth anniversary.
Paid Sick Leave: 9 days of Sick Leave per year, which will accrue throughout the year.
Paid Holidays: 13 paid holidays per year (New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, resident’s Day, Cesar Chavez Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Indigenous People’s Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day).
401(k) Match: We provide eligible employees with traditional and Roth 401(k) plans. We
will match up to the first 5% contributed to the plan by an employee. All employee contributions and employer matching funds are immediately vested.
FSA & HSA: We provide Flexible Spending Accounts (for eligible commuter transportation, medical, and child care expenses) and Health Savings Accounts, and we will cover the administrative management fees on these offerings.
Cellphone and wifi reimbursement: We will provide $80 each month to help cover the costs of cellphone and wifi usage.
Disability and Life Insurance: We cover short-term pre-disability earnings up to $1,500 per week and long-term disability up to $5,000 per month. We will also offer basic life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance at 1x the employee’s salary, up to $100,000.
One Medical: Employees and their dependents get free membership to the national leader in technology-enabled, on-demand primary care.
Teladoc: Employees receive access to 24/7/365 quality medical care via video, phone, or mobile app.
Health Advocate: Employees have an advocate in their health care from negotiating down medical bills, to speaking with a trained counsel for mental health support, to much more.
We’re committed to building an inclusive organization that represents the people and communities we serve. We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, Black, Latinx, Asian American, and Indigenous people, veterans, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities. The Los Angeles Local News Initiative is dedicated to equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. We encourage people of all races, colors, national origins, ancestries, creeds, religions, genders, ages, disabilities, veteran status, sexual orientations, and marital statuses to apply.
