Weekend Editor at Hearst Communications Inc. in San Francisco, California

Job Description:

Weekend Editor  

The San Francisco Chronicle is looking for an energetic, resourceful editor to direct breaking news coverage on Saturdays and Sundays. This is a chance to elevate digitally focused reporting on the biggest stories in Northern California while leading and developing your own franchise 

This editor should be a self-starter who thrives by uncovering exclusive stories and leading the conversation. Working with a team of journalists, the editor will be responsible for planning weekend assignments, responding to spot news, including disasters and wildfires, and developing sharp enterprise stories that illuminate and explain the news and hold the powerful to account. 

The weekend editor will likely work four 10-hour shifts, from Thursday to Sunday. During weekday shifts, the editor will prepare a coverage plan for the weekend while performing additional editing duties, including filling in for other editors. Speed, accuracy, clear editing, creativity, decisiveness and commitment to growing the digital audience are essential.  

We are looking for a strong, positive communicator who loves to help journalists come up with ideas, work with them at every step of the reporting and writing process, make savvy decisions about how stories should be presented, and partner with photographers, artists, designers and others to make stories captivate and resonate. 

A successful candidate will embrace a collaborative environment. The person should have the drive to deliver best-in-class coverage of a competitive story, often on tight deadlines, as well as the curiosity to ask what worthy stories remain untold. Strict devotion to accuracy, fairness and inclusiveness in coverage is a must.  

What you will do:

• Monitor breaking news, make reporting and photo assignments, and edit and post stories online with strong headlines.


• Make sure The Chronicle is out front on the stories our readers care about.


• Work with other editors during major stories to send reporters into the field and develop a comprehensive coverage plan.


• Find local angles to major national news stories breaking on the weekend.


• Develop and edit quick-turn enterprise stories.


• On Thursdays and Fridays, provide additional editing, reading stories by staffers and freelancers and sometimes filling in for editors who are away.


• Work closely with other departments – photo, digital, graphics, data – to develop and enhance online story packages. 

What it will take to be successful:

• Experience at a daily newspaper, magazine or web publication, or the equivalent. Experience editing and managing reporters is preferred. 


• Strong news judgment, competitive drive and attention to detail.


• Ability to work with reporters to develop, report, write and polish stories.


• Ability to grow digital audience by considering story selection, timing, headline writing, social promotion and metrics.


• Strong organizational skills in a fast-moving news environment. 

As part of its continued efforts to maintain a safe workplace for employees, Hearst Newspapers requires that all employees who receive a written offer of employment on or after November 11, 2021, be fully vaccinated (as defined by the CDC) against the coronavirus by the first day of employment as a condition of employment, to the extent permitted by applicable law. Hearst Newspapers will consider requests for reasonable accommodations on an individual basis in accordance with applicable legal requirements

About The San Francisco Chronicle & SFChronicle.com:  

The San Francisco Chronicle is world-class journalism. With name-brand voices and a keen editorial eye, The Chronicle is an authority that still surprises. The Chronicle, one of the largest news organizations in the West, has been named California’s best large newsroom in four of the past six years.  

SFChronicle.com is home to the Bay Area’s best journalism and has been recognized as the best large newspaper website in California. It is the Bay Area’s authoritative online news source, focused on San Francisco but inclusive of all California and Western news that reflects the unique Bay Area experience.  

Join our team of world-class journalists.