John Kell

This is a big deal that affects how many small communities get local news, from coverage of school boards and city councils, to public safety and maybe more importantly stories about events and activities that help connect people and keep them engaged. Not to mention local high school sports. While I’ve read a few of these papers have found buyers, many haven’t. And for those where a buyer has stepped up, running a local paper that truly supports the community they are supposed to serve requires time, investment and expertise that if often lacking and the result is often nothing more than a glorified shopper with contributed photos and volunteer submissions. It’s sad to see this continued decline of local news here in Iowa.

2

I started a new role this month at The Philadelphia Inquirer: I'm now the senior editor for newsroom analysis. I formally am moving over to the newsroom, whereas for the past four years I've lived on the Data & Insights team within the Product department. While I already worked with the newsroom a fair bit in my old role, I'm excited to get to dive in even deeper, and to have more time to help editors refine, test and learn from their ideas. The job description is great (I didn't write it, credit goes to the managing editor for content strategy), and I hope other newsrooms see the value in this kind of role. Pasting the first part of the job description below, but feel free to reach out to see the whole thing if you're at an org considering a similar kind of role. ---- Senior Editor, Newsroom Analysis The Senior Editor, Newsroom Analysis is the newsroom’s chief analyst and a newsroom-wide strategy leader who helps turn audience and performance insight into clearer priorities and better decisions. This role is responsible for the analysis that desk leaders and newsroom leadership rely on to understand what’s working, what’s changing, and where we should focus next. This position is also the Managing Editor, Content Strategy’s right hand on strategic planning, supporting that work with goal development ROI analyses, and data-informed recommendations on tools, initiatives, and staffing approaches. The role works closely with our Data & Insights partners and with editors across the newsroom to translate complex analysis into practical guidance. This editor works in close, daily collaboration with the Senior Editor, Content Strategy, frequently tag-teaming projects and responsibilities. - Lead newsroom analytics and data visibility. Present insights in clear, practical ways that help desks improve performance. - Support and inform content strategy development across the newsroom. - Serve as the primary editorial analytics partner: Act as a primary point of contact for editorial-facing data questions; coordinate with the Data & Insights team on methodologies, definitions, and best practices to ensure consistency and trust in reporting. - Translate data into strategy and execution: Engage with editors, reporters, and digital leadership to discuss performance trends, publishing insights, and actionable takeaways that inform content strategy and audience growth. - Run audience-focused experiments with desks: Partner with desks to set goals, identify opportunities, design experiments, and measure impact. - Own deeper analysis beyond dashboards: Diagnose performance shifts, evaluate pilots, and conduct analyses that clarify what is working, what isn’t, and what to do next. - Support strategic budgeting, forecasting, and investment decisions. - Teach and enable analytics use in the newsroom. - Support newsroom-wide initiatives and planning: Act as a key deputy on newsroom-wide initiatives led by the Managing Editor, Content Strategy.

194

28 Comments