
Night Editor, Politics
thenewyorktimes • New York, NY
Posted: July 8, 2026
Job Description
The New York Times Politics desk is seeking a Senior Staff Editor to anchor our evening operation, editing news, features and live stories across our platforms. This essential role requires an essential quality: excellent news judgment.
You will edit a wide range of copy including major enterprise pieces and breaking news. You will launch reporters on breaking stories and start live blogs with speed and good judgement when the news rises. You'll handle first reads — comprehensive edits for structure, framing and balance – and second reads – close-in edits for grammar, spelling and New York Times style.
You are curious and passionate about meeting our audience needs. You are excited to collaborate with departments across the newsroom, experimenting with different storytelling formats to find the best ways to connect our journalism with audiences around the world. This is a collaborative desk; you must be able to navigate input from colleagues across the newsroom and develop superb relationships with the news desk, live, audience, video, photo and print teams, among other collaborators.
You are currently expected to work weekdays, from afternoon through evening, and must be capable of stepping in at all stages of the editing process, from a story’s conception through its publication.
This is an in-office position, based in New York and includes regular attendance in the office four days each week. There may be some flexibility to work remotely per your departmental guidance. This role is represented by the NewsGuild of NY.
Responsibilities:
- You will supervise and work with reporters on shaping stories and lifting copy.
- You will drive coverage of breaking news stories, including live blogs
- You will generate story ideas that demonstrate solid news judgment and knowledge of a subject area.
- You will coordinate and maintain strong relationships and communication with colleagues on visuals, audience, news desk and more.
- You will stay current on and willing to work with new story forms, visual formats and digital innovations in the newsroom
- You will monitor sources for breaking news, coordinating with other editors on deployment decisions and launching reporters as needed.
- You will edit a vast range of material from the reader’s perspective for accuracy, grammar, comprehension and readability.
- You will provide first and second edits for a variety of stories and topics across the desk
- Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.
- You will report to a Politics Editor.
Basic Qualifications:
- 5+ years editing experience at a journalism or media company
- Experience working independently in high-pressure, deadline-driven newsrooms -- including coverage and workflow, as an editor
- Writing/editing skills that demonstrate mastery of journalistic style and standards, including ethical and superb news judgment
- Experience working independently and setting priorities when breaking news demands attention
- Proficiency in all aspects of digital production
Preferred Qualifications:
- A willingness to be flexible as the newsroom’s needs evolve
- Experience covering American politics
- Experience supervising reporters
This position is represented by the NewsGuild of NY.
REQ-020353
Additional Content
The New York Times Politics desk is seeking a Senior Staff Editor to anchor our evening operation, editing news, features and live stories across our platforms. This essential role requires an essential quality: excellent news judgment.
You will edit a wide range of copy including major enterprise pieces and breaking news. You will launch reporters on breaking stories and start live blogs with speed and good judgement when the news rises. You'll handle first reads — comprehensive edits for structure, framing and balance – and second reads – close-in edits for grammar, spelling and New York Times style.
You are curious and passionate about meeting our audience needs. You are excited to collaborate with departments across the newsroom, experimenting with different storytelling formats to find the best ways to connect our journalism with audiences around the world. This is a collaborative desk; you must be able to navigate input from colleagues across the newsroom and develop superb relationships with the news desk, live, audience, video, photo and print teams, among other collaborators.
You are currently expected to work weekdays, from afternoon through evening, and must be capable of stepping in at all stages of the editing process, from a story’s conception through its publication.
This is an in-office position, based in New York and includes regular attendance in the office four days each week. There may be some flexibility to work remotely per your departmental guidance. This role is represented by the NewsGuild of NY.
Responsibilities:
- You will supervise and work with reporters on shaping stories and lifting copy.
- You will drive coverage of breaking news stories, including live blogs
- You will generate story ideas that demonstrate solid news judgment and knowledge of a subject area.
- You will coordinate and maintain strong relationships and communication with colleagues on visuals, audience, news desk and more.
- You will stay current on and willing to work with new story forms, visual formats and digital innovations in the newsroom
- You will monitor sources for breaking news, coordinating with other editors on deployment decisions and launching reporters as needed.
- You will edit a vast range of material from the reader’s perspective for accuracy, grammar, comprehension and readability.
- You will provide first and second edits for a variety of stories and topics across the desk
- Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.
- You will report to a Politics Editor.
Basic Qualifications:
- 5+ years editing experience at a journalism or media company
- Experience working independently in high-pressure, deadline-driven newsrooms -- including coverage and workflow, as an editor
- Writing/editing skills that demonstrate mastery of journalistic style and standards, including ethical and superb news judgment
- Experience working independently and setting priorities when breaking news demands attention
- Proficiency in all aspects of digital production
Preferred Qualifications:
- A willingness to be flexible as the newsroom’s needs evolve
- Experience covering American politics
- Experience supervising reporters
This position is represented by the NewsGuild of NY.
REQ-020353