Our Lunchtime Espresso newsletter brings up to date news and analysis to more than 110,000 inboxes every weekday. It’s a collaborative effort, using every resource available at The Spectator, and providing insight into the biggest stories across current affairs, news and the economy from Britain’s best writers, as well as detailing the bigger picture abroad.
Now we’re looking to hire a part-time newsletter assistant – an extra pair of hands in the morning to compile Lunchtime Espresso and help our newsletter editor Hannah Tomes, who will be covering for a colleague on maternity leave. This position will be required for a period of at least six months. We’re after someone who…
Has a sub-editing background (highly preferred).
Has a strong attention to detail. These newsletters go out to a large number of people, so mistakes will be noticed by our readers.
Can manage their time effectively and has the ability to juggle a few things at once.
Has a good understanding of The Spectator – these newsletters are a continuation of the website and the magazine, both in tone and quality.
Has a strong news sense. Time spent in a newsroom would be ideal.
Enjoys working with multiple people – it’s a very collaborative job.
Is happy to learn new tech – the software we use isn’t that difficult, but it can be fiddly.
Your main responsibility for Lunchtime Espresso will be picking a lead story (or two) that you think will last the day. What will lead the 6 p.m. news? It should be agenda-setting rather than copying what’s in the papers or morning newsletters. You’ll usually be commissioning a writer for the lead – we’re looking for something fresh, a new angle on a big story. Occasionally, if it’s more newsy, you’ll write the lead.
You’ll also be in charge of fact-checking, editing and (often) cutting down both the lead and the news, world and economy bullet points which are written early in the morning by one of our freelancers. You’ll need to understand word economy – telling the reader something interesting, but succinctly. We also have a team of fact-checkers to help, but you must take responsibility for the overall accuracy of the newsletter. You should constantly be checking the news throughout the morning to update and change the bullets to make sure that the product we send (usually around 1:30 p.m.) is as up to date as it can be.
It is then read by one of our sub-editors, to make sure there’s nothing that’s been missed – it’s easy to read over a mistake when you’ve been looking at the copy all morning! You’ll then be responsible for sending it out and making any final changes to the copy beforehand.
To apply, please submit this Google form.
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