Assistant Editor

Work at Cabin Radio

Cabin Radio is a growing, independent northern broadcaster, entirely owned and operated in Yellowknife, NWT. Our small team produces high-quality journalism and authentically northern audio and video entertainment.

Current vacancies: Assistant Editor (position open until filled)

First, a little about us.

We welcome applications from all candidates with appropriate qualifications, regardless of their background or circumstances. Cabin Radio’s recruitment is governed by our hiring policy and human resources policy, which set out our commitment to fair and equitable hiring.

Candidates in northern communities, who may not have had access to the education and training opportunities necessary to secure appropriate professional qualifications, are welcome to apply for all roles. These applications will be considered on their own merits. Candidates without recognized qualifications should set out efforts they have made to develop relevant skills.

Cabin Radio strives to offer a supportive and welcoming work environment. Our priority is ensuring the mental and physical well-being of our staff.

We take pride in the service we provide for Northwest Territories residents and we expect our employees to work hard; in return, our employees should expect us to support them, offer regular opportunities for meaningful training and development, and take reasonable steps to accommodate their needs as individuals.

We offer four weeks’ paid vacation, benefits, flexible working, all statutory holidays, and a bonus fifth week of paid on-call leave between Christmas and New Year each winter.

We’re an exciting and innovative place to work. We look forward to your application.

Current Vacancies

ASSISTANT EDITOR – OPEN UNTIL FILLED

Cabin Radio is hiring an assistant editor to help lead our newsroom’s coverage of the Northwest Territories.

Join the NWT’s leading independent newsroom and help us bring high-quality journalism to the North every day. If you care about how the news looks and feels, how it resonates and how rigorous it is, we’d love for you to apply.

This role focuses on our written journalism with some opportunities to work on our broadcast journalism.

Questions the successful candidate will be asking in our newsroom daily are: Is this the right story? Are voices missing? Could our presentation be better? Should I assign a follow-up? Is this a story I can take myself? Do we need graphics for this? Could this be a podcast? Is this legally sound? How should we treat this on air?

This is a role that suits an experienced journalist motivated by a newsroom that’s cherished by its audience and strives to be the last word in reliable daily news for an entire territory.

It’s also a role that suits a developing journalist looking to advance their career by taking on more responsibility for the day-to-day operations of a small newsroom while under the supervision of an experienced newsroom editor.

If you have questions, ask our editor, who’ll be glad to set up a time to talk before you apply.

Key skills:

– Newsroom leadership

Alongside our editor, you’ll be supervising and editing the journalism of a small team. Important qualities include the ability to apply a style guide, preserve our newsroom’s voice in written copy, ensure the consistency and reliability of our coverage, and guide less experienced reporters working on complex stories.

Your eye for editing must be exceptional – you’ll be relied on to ensure your colleagues’ reporting meets our editorial standards (and makes sense!) before publication.

– Written journalism

You’ll be responsible for some of our newsroom’s breaking news coverage, delivering accurate, robust reporting when every second counts. You’ll also be able to pursue some longer-form journalism.

– Communication and collaboration

You’ll be a key link between our team members, helping to run newsroom meetings, assign stories, and join up our reporting so it forms a coherent whole to our audience.

– Audience engagement

We’re in constant contact with our audience, taking in story tips and suggestions alongside feedback and more general enquiries. You’ll be a public-facing ambassador for the newsroom, helping to make sure our readers and listeners are heard.

Helpful assets:

– Northern knowledge

A demonstrated understanding of the Northwest Territories as a news environment, including its peoples, politics and economy.

– Editing experience

The ability to quickly, consistently and constructively shape and guide the work of others.

– Multimedia newsroom know-how

At Cabin Radio, written journalism co-exists with audio and video production. You’ll have the opportunity to work across platforms and experience doing so will help.

About the role:

– Structure

Usually a Monday-to-Friday daytime role, with occasional changes to allow for coverage of major events. Reporting to the editor and helping to lead a team of three to five.

– Location

The newsroom of our downtown Yellowknife studios.

– Pay and benefits

This role has a salary bracket of $70,000-$80,000 annually and comes with Cabin Radio’s employee health benefits package plus free gym membership, four weeks’ paid annual vacation and all stat holidays (though some stats may involve on-call status).

About Cabin Radio:

– Formed in 2017 by five Yellowknife residents. Entirely locally owned and operated. No distant ownership or invisible bosses.

– Winner of the Canadian Association of Journalists’ national Daily Excellence award and the Michener Awards Foundation’s inaugural Norman Webster Fellowship for ambitious local news.

– Valued by our audience, who donate monthly, buy our merch and expect us to inform, entertain and enhance the lives of NWT residents.

To apply:

Email your cover letter, résumé and two references to Ollie Williams. Your cover letter should set out your interest in the role and how you meet the criteria set out under “Key Skills” and “Helpful Assets” above.