The Multimedia Director will be a critical part of the Los Angeles Local News Initiative’s newsroom, working alongside reporters, editors and the director of audience to ensure that we’re making local news compelling and accessible, especially to those disconnected from traditional media. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of digital and print media production, a passion for visual journalism, and the ability to translate complex stories into compelling visual narratives.

This role will be an opportunity to strategize and experiment with new ways to reach audiences where they are in a newsroom that is dedicated to and focused on making its journalism maximally accessible to Angelenos. The Multimedia Director will work with editors and reporters to develop a visual strategy that enhances our reporting and reflects the diversity of L.A’s neighborhoods.

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.

Key responsibilities

• Work with the Head of Audience and Managing Editors to create and define our visual identity across editorial products (website, newsletters, social media), designing innovative approaches that make local news compelling to diverse audiences
• Develop distinct editorial approaches for each community, reflecting local information needs and priorities
• Stay ahead of industry trends and platform changes, conducting research to inform content strategy and multimedia approaches

• Collaborate with reporters and editors to identify stories suitable for audiovisual formats, enhancing existing content or creating entirely multimedia-driven pieces
• Create dynamic, accessible audiovisual content for digital platforms that resonates with Los Angeles residents
• Produce engaging written content across platforms, including articles, social media copy, captions, and scripts, following SEO best practices
• Capture or source high-quality photos and videos to enhance storytelling

• Serve as the newsroom's resource on multimedia formats most effective for social media platforms
• Create eye-catching social media graphics, reels, and other visual content optimized for each platform
• Maintain expertise in various media platforms and their unique requirements for maximum impact

• Cultivate a network of local artists to develop original multimedia content for news distribution
• Build and maintain a library of visual assets for articles, social media, and other content
• Conduct interviews with diverse sources to gather compelling multimedia elements

• Train and mentor reporters, Documenters, student journalists, and others in multimedia journalism production
• Share platform expertise and best practices across the newsroom

Required skills and experience

• 5-7 years of experience in visual journalism, multimedia storytelling, design, or related fields
• Strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in digital design, photography, video production, and social media content
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator) and other NLEs (Avid Media Composer)
• Experience with digital publishing tools and web design principles
• Strong editorial judgment and ability to coach reporters and editors
• Skilled writer capable of crafting engaging stories, scripts, and social media copy that adhere to SEO and journalism best practices
• Ability to produce captivating social media graphics, reels, and videos with compelling captions
• Experience leading creative teams and managing visual projects
• Excellent project management and communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, startup environment
• Experience working under tight deadlines
• Understanding of journalistic ethics and standards

Preferred skills and experience

• Experience in a newsroom setting
• Experience launching new products or publications
• Strong understanding of data visualization and information design
• Familiarity with emerging technologies in visual storytelling (AR, VR, etc.)
• Understanding of Los Angeles communities and their distinct characteristics
• Knowledge of LA's cultural landscape
• Multilingual, especially Spanish, Korean, or other languages commonly spoken in LA

The annual salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications, ranging from $100,000 to $110,000. 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 Time Off: 15 days of paid time off (PTO) per year for vacation and personal time, which will accrue throughout the year.

Paid Holidays: 12 paid holidays per year (New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day,  resident’s 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 4% 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 $50 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.

Equal Employment Opportunity

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.