About Albany Scanner

Albany Scanner is a new, community-funded news site focused on Albany, California, which has been without dedicated local journalism for too long. Our mission is to provide thoughtful, comprehensive coverage of community life, including politics, schools, public safety, housing, culture and the environment.

Founded by Emilie Raguso (The Berkeley Scanner, Albany Patch, Berkeleyside) and supported by the all-volunteer Albany News Project, Albany Scanner has raised more than $65,000 from the community to make this launch possible. With 280 paying members and counting, we are now hiring our first contract editor to bring engaging, timely news coverage back to Albany.

This contract position is a ground-floor opportunity to shape the editorial voice and news agenda of a community-supported outlet with a demonstrated, dedicated audience.

Role Overview

Albany Scanner is seeking a self-employed editorial professional with significant experience to provide independent journalistic services on a project or deliverable basis during the site’s early-stage development. You will independently source, report, write, photograph and publish original news coverage about Albany, while also editing periodic community contributions and producing a simple weekly newsletter.

This is an independent contractor position. The contractor will set their own schedule but is generally expected to publish on at least four of the five weekdays and attend public meetings and events as needed.

Key DeliverablesContent Production (4-7 items per week)

Report and write 4-7 original news items per week, including:
News briefs (approx. 250-350 words)
Short news stories (400-750 words)
At least one longer profile or news feature (800-1,500 words)
Content types include breaking news, meeting advances, profile pieces, photo galleries and community follow-ups
All stories must be well-researched, accurate, original and written in AP Style
Edit your own work and up to 2 community submissions per week

Newsletter & Alerts

Produce the “Albany Today” email newsletter 1-2 times per week, including a brief intro for readers and links to new and recent stories
Send infrequent breaking news email alerts as needed

Event & Meeting Coverage

Regularly attend Albany City Council meetings, school board meetings and other key public events (1-3 per week) as relevant to current stories
Alert the publisher when additional reporting resources are needed

Photography

Take original, high-resolution photographs for stories or source from subjects, community partners, or Creative Commons/stock repositories (e.g. Unsplash)
Provide 1-3 usable photos per story (more for longer pieces)
Follow AP Style best practices for photo captions and credits

Social Media

Create social media posts to promote stories and engage the Albany community on Instagram, Reddit, X (Twitter), Facebook and Bluesky

Editorial Coordination

Participate in weekly editorial call with the publisher
Seek editorial guidance on complex or potentially controversial stories before publication
Publish breaking news within 2 hours when possible; alert publisher promptly if unavailable

QualificationsRequired

Demonstrated experience in local news reporting and editing
Strong news judgment and ability to independently identify and develop story ideas
Excellent writing, editing and fact-checking skills
Proficiency with AP Style
Ability to attend evening public meetings and community events
Strong photography skills and access to a camera or high-quality smartphone
Comfortable working independently and managing a weekly production schedule
Familiarity with email newsletter platforms and social media

Preferred

Experience covering local government, schools and community affairs in the East Bay
Existing relationships with Albany community sources
Experience with Ghost CMS or similar publishing platforms
Experience with community-supported journalism

AI Policy

Albany Scanner supports the responsible use of AI tools to help journalists work more efficiently.

AI may be used for transcription, research or light language editing
All facts must be verified independently of AI
Sensitive or confidential source information must never be shared with AI tools
All stories must feature original, human-sourced reporting

AI is a tool to help you do your job better — not perform the essential work of journalism.

Work Product & Rights

All content produced under this contract — including articles, photographs, newsletters and social media posts — is work made for hire and the sole property of Albany Scanner. Contractors retain the right to reference their work for portfolio purposes but may not republish or redistribute content without prior written consent.

All work must be created and managed through the Scanner’s Ghost and Google Workspace platforms and tools assigned by Albany Scanner.

Compensation

Compensation is negotiated based on experience and structured as a flat monthly fee ($4,000-$6,000), as agreed upon in the Statement of Work. Payment is issued monthly upon receipt of an itemized invoice submitted by the 10th of each month.

How to Apply

To apply, please send the following to Emilie Raguso, Albany Scanner publisher:

A cover letter describing your interest in the role and connection to Albany
Links to 3-5 recent clips that demonstrate your local news reporting
Your resume or CV
Your availability and rate expectations

Send materials to: jobs@albanyscanner.com with the subject line “Editor/Reporter Application.”

Albany Scanner is committed to building a newsroom that reflects the diversity of the Albany community. We strongly encourage applications from journalists of all backgrounds.

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