The Jackson Association of Neighborhoods (JAN) content creator is a community-focused education and engagement effort funded by Community Foundation for Mississippi through the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. This project seeks to keep Jackson residents informed about issues affecting their daily lives and equipped to participate in collaborative solutions.
Currently, the project is working to create community information systems to help residents connect with their neighborhoods and the greater city, particularly during times of crisis. This work will include connecting residents to timely information, creating mechanisms for local mobilization during emergencies, and communicating effectively, allowing residents to network at the neighborhood level.
This digital storyteller will develop, draft, and publish fact-based multimedia news and human-interest stories, collaborating with neighbors to humanize complex issues and collect oral histories. Housed at the Jackson Association of Neighborhoods, the content creator will also support the related programs of the JAN Board of Trustees and its committees. This role will use the constructive journalism model, requiring a deep understanding and thoughtful application of digital content (e.g., text, photos, and video) across multiple channels and platforms.
Key Responsibilities:
- Generate creative storytelling concepts and ideas to inform and engage a diverse group of residents and business owners in the City of Jackson
- Create compelling copy, photos, and videos for a website and social channels
- Proofread copy and captions before submission or posting
- Communicate with residents, business owners, elected officials, and other stakeholders to identify, develop, and curate stories.
- Conduct research to identify topics of interest and relevance to residents and business owners
- Schedule, conduct, and edit interviews for use online
- Monitor news stories and develop content and stories that “fill the gaps” and “dig deeper” into breaking news and ongoing stories
- Draft social media content to support story publication on social media channels
- Produce surveys and email newsletters for targeted audiences
- Assist JAN with mapping projects, visualizing communities for the JAN website
- Organize and edit written content to support readability, accessibility consistency, clarity, and equity
- Write stories from a constructive journalism lens
- Build relationships in the community and take advantage of in-person opportunities to get to know people from different backgrounds
- Responsible for grant reporting and outcome tracking, including recommendations for program sustainability
Preferred Skill and Experience:
- Journalism or integrated marketing communications background and training is preferred
- Experience in graphic design, photography, multimedia content creation and social media writing and management preferred
- Knowledge of AP style
- Self-motivated, curious, and a willingness to learn
- Experience setting up and conducting virtual and in-person interviews
- Excellent writing and communication skills
- Knowledge of video and audio editing
- Knowledge of mapping software
- Willing to participate in anti-bias and ethics training, and mindful of the lived experiences and cultural lens of Jackson, Mississippi as content is created
This position is a contract position funded by a two-year grant. To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and a portfolio with three writing samples, three social media posts, and two other samples of your choice (preferably photos or videos). Email materials to Sophie McNeil Wolf at sophie@formississippi.org no later than 11:59 p.m. on September 22, 2023 with the subject line “JAN Content Creator.”