West Coast Media Jobs - 7/1/20
A Q&A with Medium's Jada Gomez, plus open roles at the LA Times, the Pulitzer Center & more!
Hey everyone,
It’s been quite a week in California, as well as many other states where COVID-19 cases are rapidly rising. Hope you are all staying safe.
For this week’s newsletter, I asked Jada Gomez, Senior Platform Editor at Medium, to share her wisdom with us. Read her letter from the editor on Momentum, Medium’s blog about anti-Black racism.
I was lucky enough to work under Jada’s leadership when she was Bustle’s Executive Editor. Additionally, she has worked at Interactive One, Time, People, Latina, and more.
She is a smart, dedicated, and kind leader—and now, a friend I am blessed to have. You may have noticed on Twitter that we meet up in Animal Crossing every Sunday—a wonderful thing to come out of this quarantine period!
Read on for more on Jada’s unique editorial role at Medium, her advice for journalists during this pandemic, and, of course, a little about Animal Crossing, too.
Q&A With Jada Gomez, Senior Platform Editor at Medium
As Senior Platform Editor, what are your main responsibilities at Medium?
My role at Medium is entirely different from anything I’ve ever done, and that’s what makes it feel exciting! I discover new voices and storytellers already on Medium and help get them paid for their work through our Partner Program. I’ve been at the company since November, and it’s really thrilling to see some of the writers who have grown editorially since we started working together. In addition to discovering new writers, I am also one of the lead editors on Momentum, Medium’s blog about anti-Black racism. The conversations around anti-Blackness are long overdue, and we’re committed to keeping it going after the current news cycle has waned.
What has it been like to lead Level and Momentum through these uncertain times?
I feel extremely lucky to be at Level and Momentum in 2020. The leadership is aware of how difficult it is to cover an unrelenting news cycle that disproportionately affects Black and brown people. It’s been great to have not only the resources but the leadership that makes sure we’re not burning out. On the flip side, the amount of Black and brown writers joining Medium to share their stories has been incredible. After the first Friday of protests around the death of George Floyd, my inbox had ten times the number of pitches I’d typically see over the weekend. I’m thankful to be able to help them tell their stories.
What advice do you have for journalists whose careers are currently on pause due to the pandemic?
Before I give advice, I want to give them empathy. I’ve been laid off three times over the years, and I can’t even imagine what it would be like to try to find work during a pandemic when you can’t even go into an office for a traditional interview. I am rooting for all of you and can’t wait to see where you land. And to those sharing their stories about harassment and discrimination in media, you are stronger than you know, and you’re making it better for others. My advice would be to keep going, and that may look a little different these days. Perhaps it’s having time to finally write that book you’ve always wanted to write, or connecting with journalists outside of your usual beat for opportunities. With everything turned upside down, why not use this time to explore?
We both love Animal Crossing! Who is your favorite villager and why?
Animal Crossing is the best thing to come out of 2020! This is a hard question because I love so many of the villagers, but I love visiting Deli! He’s always willing to make snacks for visitors, he loves presents, and he’s too cute dancing or having a smoothie outside Resident’s Services! He’s the best.
Follow Jada Gomez on Twitter: @JadaGomez.
From the New York Times: ‘A Conflicted Cultural Force’: What It’s Like to Be Black in Publishing
From the National Press Club Institute: The Atlantic’s Ed Yong’s great advice for journalists in this pandemic
From Poynter: Many newsrooms are now capitalizing the B in Black; here are some of the people who made that happen
From the Trans Journalists Association: The organization launched yesterday.
From Twitter: Bizzy Coy’s great thread on applying for copywriting gigs
From Jezebel: ICYMI, Prachi Gupta’s piece on her experiences at Cosmo and racial reckonings and inside the toxic workplace at Remezcla
From The Washington Post: Are the police trying to stop you from taking that cell phone video?
From Study Hall: List of publications that are/are not accepting freelance pitches. This is an essential link for freelancing right now.
Grants to aid freelancers during COVID-19: ICYMI, I’ve got a Twitter thread compiling them — I’m still adding to the thread as I find more.
Office Hours: You can still set up a call with me through Calendly here.
Instagram: West Coast Media Jobs is now on Instagram! You can follow it here.
For levity: There are more videos of @DaniConnorWild’s red baby squirrels! I’m obsessed. Her videos of the squirrels were also featured on BBC Earth this week.
Reminder: Due to the lack of journalism jobs out there, I’ve been included some copywriting, social media marketing, and internal comms jobs to give you the best chance at landing a role.
San Diego Area
Technology Services Industry Association, Senior SEO Content Writer
Orange County
Zuum Transportation, Media Manager/Blog Writer
Los Angeles Area
LA Times is hiring for several roles: Senior Editor for Talent and Culture and Deputy Editor, Data and Graphics
ModCloth, Merchandise Copywriter
NHK, Associate Producer
Vitamin T, Podcast Producer
LA Clippers, Social Media Producer and Digital Editor
Clique Brands, Senior Copy Editor
Pixi, Social Media Coordinator
San Francisco Bay Area
Reveal, Production Manager/Assistant Manager (applications due July 10)
Cityside, Vice President, Development
Media Monks, Digital Producer
Prezi, Associate Content Editor
Apple, Content Strategy Editor, App Store and Sr. (Conversational) Writer - Siri
Seattle Area
KUOW is hiring for several roles, including Morning Edition Senior Producer and Supervising Producer
The Chronicle, General Assignment Reporter
Remote/Many Locations
Pulitzer Center, Copy Editor
Shortform, Non-fiction and Article Summary Writer
Stacker, Assistant Editor
EdSource is hiring for multiple positions, including Investigative Editor and Immigration Education Reporter
Accelerate Change is hiring for several roles, including Digital Editor (Temporary) and Video Producer/Editor (Part-time)
7 For All Mankind, Editorial Content Strategist and Copywriter
Muonic Press, Assistant with Writing Skills
YES Career Coaching & Resume Writing Services, Contract Resume Editor
The Spruce Eats, Freelance Food Photographers
GroCycles, Content Manager
Kirkus Media, Freelance Book Reviewer
ETNT Heath, Freelance Health and Wellness Writer
Casa de Esperanza, Communications and Marketing Coordinator
The List, Women's Lifestyle Feature/News writer
Mashed, Food and Grocery Writer
Nicki Swift, Celeb Gossip News Writer
Internships
NBC News and MSNBC, Fall 2020 internships (remote)
Digital Guruji, Digital Marketing Intern (LA)
Fellowships/Grants
Education Writers Association, Reporting Fellowship (applications due 7/13/20)
Capita and AIR Serenbe, Journalism Fellowships (applications due 7/15/20)
Google News Initiative, Fellowship (applications due 8/1/20)
SEJ, Fund for Environmental Journalism grants (rolling deadline)
Support This Newsletter!
Send along jobs and feedback to hello(at)westcoastmediajobs.com or use this contact form. You can also tag @MalloryCarra & @WestMediaJobs to flag any relevant jobs on Twitter.
Until next week! Stay safe.