Announcement

DM is Hiring: Audience Development Manager

JOB TITLE
Audience Development Manager

REPORTS TO
The Audience Development Manager will report to Editor-in-Chief and Chief Executive Officer.

JOB OVERVIEW
The new role of Audience Development Manager will lead all efforts to understand, engage with and grow Daily Maverick’s audience in line with its strategic goals.

Daily Maverick relies on its community of loyal readers. Without them, and the 16,000-strong group of Insider members that support public interest journalism, we cannot report on the topics that shape the future of South Africa. Without them, we cannot expose Marikana, the SARS wars and the #GuptaLeaks and keep these exposés free for everyone to read. Without them, we cannot write the next chapter of Maverick’s story. These loyal readers are our lifeblood.

We view our readers as an essential ally in our work and we want to ensure the right people are involved in our journalism at all times.

They will act as the voice of the reader in the newsroom and ensure an audience-centric approach sits at the heart of DM’s editorial, product and commercial strategy.

Working with teams across Daily Maverick, including the Editor-in-Chief, Chief Executive Officer and the General Manager, the role will help deepen relationships with audiences and surface fresh opportunities, using data, surveys and other audience insights to get there.

The right candidate should care deeply about digital journalism, the future of South Africa and what citizens need from the media in order to live full and meaningful lives. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply.

This role is full-time and fully remote with the option to work from Cape Town or Johannesburg offices as needed.

“It isn’t chasing clicks, it’s making people loyal…” 

You can read more about what audience development is here.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

– Devise and execute experiments and strategies to grow and engage DM’s audience, particularly among hard-to-reach audience demographics. 

– Analyse audience data to identify trends and insights that positively impact DM’s journalism and fulfil its mission. 

– Communicate insights to staff in daily editorial meetings, stand-ups and town halls and acting as a champion for journalism that centres DM’s audience. 

– Work with developers to create and maintain dashboards in Rev Engine, DM’s custom-built data insights tool, and monitor key metrics to ensure strategic objectives are being met. 

– Train DM staff on audience-centric best practices and work with them in close quarters to better understand their readers. 

– Assist editorial team with planning the coverage of major news events to ensure DM readers’ needs are met. 

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES 

– Comfortable reviewing data analytics, including Google Analytics, Hearken and other audience engagement tools 

– A passion for public service journalism and an understanding of DM’s vision and mission 

– Familiar with technicalities of newsletters, social media, reader comments and SEO (both technical and editorial) 

– Able to get people on board with your vision and executing on that vision – Effective internal communication and presentation skills 

– Able to manage tactical, quick-turnaround tasks and longer-term, strategic projects – Previous experience working in a strategic, data-focused role is a bonus – Experience of working in a newsroom in either journalist or editor role preferable 

MEASURES OF SUCCESS 

If executed well, the following KPIs and key results will be improved: 

– total engaged time for content 

– number of highly engaged users in a given month 

– number of registered users + newsletter subscribers 

– number of reader engagements and feedback received 

– editorial units achieving their strategic goals 

WHAT THIS ROLE ISN’T 

– A full-time reporter or writer role (or a route into a role like that) 

– A trainee or graduate role 

– A social media producer focusing on short-form video 

REFERENCES 

Please include 2-3 references from previous employers

SALARY 

Market-related and dependent on experience. 

Please email your CV and cover letter to [email protected] 

Announcement

Mid-Level Marketing Coordinator Job Description

JOB TITLE:
Marketing Coordinator

REPORTS TO:
The Marketing Coordinator will report to the Marketing Manager.

JOB OVERVIEW:
The primary objective of Daily Maverick Marketing is to grow (brand and audience), and to communicate and engage with our readers. With growth and engagement at the core of all the business areas marketing serves, it is critical to align marketing efforts across divisions and to consolidate them to achieve brand resonance and prominence locally and internationally.

The role of Marketing Coordinator is essential in the day-to-day execution of Marketing and Business outputs, working closely with the Daily Maverick Business Team to achieve overall strategic objectives and key results. Reporting to the Marketing Manager, the Marketing Coordinator will provide support in marketing copywriting, management of marketing channels, and the coordination of efforts across the Business Team. As Daily Maverick continues its expansion and pursuit of cross-disciplinary collaboration, the Marketing Coordinator will be a key component to that continued growth.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES: 

• Assist in the coordination and execution of long- and short-term marketing strategies related to the internal and external marketing of:
  • Maverick Insider (Daily Maverick membership community)
  • Live Journalism Webinars
  • Podcasts
  • Maverick 451 (Daily Maverick book publishing division)
  • Daily Maverick Shop
  • Daily Maverick 168 newspaper
  • Various Newsletters across the Daily Maverick newsletter suite
• Assist with writing copy for Marketing and Business Division efforts
• Drive the execution of marketing initiatives for events, newsletter, webinar, podcast, shop and newspaper marketing
• Ensure the Daily Maverick brand and corporate identity are strongly represented in all communications
• Assist with the coordination of the social media strategy across all platforms for all Daily Maverick editorial and commercial products
• Explore new opportunities to promote the brand across various touchpoints
• Analyse, evaluate and report on marketing campaigns and activities
• Coordinate the preparation of marketing and advertising promotional material in collaboration with designers and stakeholders where relevant
• Ability to represent the brand in various online and offline settings

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

• Bachelor’s Degree in Media, Journalism, Communication or related field
• Min 3+ years experience with mid-level copywriting and marketing coordinating.
• Excellent writing, communication and presentation skills
• Knowledge of traditional and digital marketing, content marketing, and social media marketing
• Analytical skills and strong attention to detail to synthesize and interpret marketing data
• Have experience with, and knowledge of, a wide range of marketing functions including communications, branding, digital marketing and social media
• Strong prioritization and time-management skills
• Commercially-minded making decisions with positive real-world impact
• Solutions orientated, with an ability to approach problems logically and with structured thinking
• Work well independently and across the diverse teams at Daily Maverick
• Enthusiastic team member with the interpersonal skills to build and nurture relationships within the company and with external partners.

REFERENCES
Please include 2-3 references from previous employers

SALARY
Market related and dependent on experience.

Please email your CV and cover letter to [email protected]

Announcement

Daily Maverick DM168 Slow Down to Catch Up Competition

Competition details: 

Share your weekend reading ritual with us and stand a chance to win a 2-night stay* at the One&Only Cape Town. Over the next four weeks, get each new edition of DM168 and snap a photo of how you’re slowing down to catch up. Post to social media each week with the tag #DM168catchup. The reader with the most collective likes for their photos wins!

*Terms and conditions apply.

Announcement

Mid-level Cross Disciplinary Designer

Role:
Mid-level Cross Disciplinary Designer (Minimum 3-5 years experience)
Permanent
Cape Town

We are looking for a creative genius designer with an interest/experience in motion design, GIFs and HTML. The ideal candidate will be driven to push the boundaries of design whilst working closely with Daily Maverick’s award-winning marketing team to deliver high impact campaigns and projects. You will have the opportunity to work across divisions in a fast paced environment with a collaborative team. This role is the perfect opportunity for a designer who would like to see their work have a meaningful impact: the support and success of quality, independent journalism.

Requirements:
Tertiary education within design essential
Will be working in both digital(primarily) and print.
Able to design quickly at a high level.
A basic understanding of HTML.
Adaptable and eager to learn.

Proficient in:
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign

Not essential but definitely a plus:
Adobe After Effects
HTML

Extra credit:
Adobe Premiere Pro

Attributes:
Great team-player with a can-do attitude
Organised and efficient
Enjoys multi-tasking
Innovative
Enthusiastic
Ambitious and self-driven

References
Please include 2-3 references from previous employers

CV/ Portfolio
Show us what you’ve done! Include any awards you’ve received, innovative projects you’ve worked on and examples of your work.

Salary
Market related and dependent on experience.

Please email your CV, cover letter and portfolio to [email protected]

Announcement

MAVERICK451 BOOK PUBLISHER

Daily Maverick is on the hunt for a great self-starter blessed with common sense, a great work ethic and a maverick mindset to run our book publishing division, Maverick451. We’re looking for someone who thrives on innovation and who isn’t afraid to approach book publishing from a new perspective.

Reporting to the CEO and General Manager.

Remuneration: Dependent on experience (mid-senior level position)

Starting date: ASAP

Detailed tasks: 

• Identifying and securing new books that align with the Daily Maverick brand 
• Coordination of the entire production process from initial pitch to delivery from printers
• Budget management 
• Liaise with the marketing team on marketing and PR campaigns 
• Liaise and coordinate with the event team on book launches and other opportunities
• Liaise with third-party suppliers and sales consultants
• Stock management 
• Rights negotiation and coordination

SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES 

• Commercially minded, adept at cost control, strong negotiation skills
• Innovative – the ideal candidate will be inspired by the prospect of approaching book publishing from new and unique angles
• Enthusiastic team member with the interpersonal skills to build and nurture relationships within the company and with external writers and partners
• Strong prioritization and time-management skills
• Flexibility and Adaptability
• Solutions orientated, with an ability to approach problems logically and with structured thinking.
• Solid Writing/Editing ability an advantage 
• Multi-tasker who is not afraid to get their hands dirty and go above and beyond to ensure the completion of a project. 
• Ideal candidate will love working with people as much as working with manuscripts. 

Interested candidates please send your CV and cover letter to [email protected]

Announcement

Daily Maverick 168 pilot edition launch a success

Daily Maverick has successfully defied the odds, piloting its weekly print edition with 8,800 copies in the hands of South African readers. Copies were distributed across 20 Pick n Pay stores, in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The newspaper is free to customers who swiped their Pick n Pay Smart Shopper cards, with a cover price of R20.00 per copy.

Previously a digital-only publisher, Daily Maverick raised eyebrows with its announcement about the venture into print when media titles around the globe face enormous pressure after a decade of disruption and the impact of COVID-19.

The pilot edition was overwhelmingly well-received by readers. Over 6,200 copies, or 70%, were taken up in the 20 stores with 96% of readers swiping their Smart Shopper cards to access the benefit of a free copy.

The pilot was designed to test the production, printing, distribution, marketing and content mix ahead of the official launch, and to establish reader demand levels. The results will also help determine volumes, and launch stores across the country, using the more than 17,000 votes submitted by Daily Maverick readers for their preferred Pick n Pay store.

“It’s fantastic to see Daily Maverick 168 challenging conventional wisdom and customers responding with so much enthusiasm. We had as many as 1 in 8 customers collecting the newspaper in some pilot stores, which is extraordinary. We were excited to give our Smart Shoppers another programme benefit, and to see how this develops into a key part of their weekend routines,” John Bradshaw, retail executive: marketing at Pick n Pay.

Daily Maverick CEO, Styli Charalambous, reflected on a hugely successful pilot weekend. “We had a few important things we needed to test, but foremost was the question of whether we could successfully leverage our highly regarded online publication into a special weekend print edition, and whether readers still wanted a tangible news product in their hands. The answer was a resounding yes!

We had reports of readers waiting for stores to open to get a copy, and we received hugely supportive feedback on social media and through our own direct channels. 95% of survey respondents said they intended to become regular readers and gave the content mix the high rating scores. We’re excited for the official launch of our print edition on 26 September across 100 Pick n Pay stores nationwide, and already seeing how demand could grow to multiples of our 25,000 launch circulation quite quickly.”

For press queries and interview requests with the Maverick Insider team, please contact Phumlani Malinga.

Email: [email protected]

Daily Maverick is hiring: Photographic Editor

Daily Maverick is looking to hire a Photographic Editor to take overall responsibility for the photographic aspects of the organisation’s editorial offerings, across a range of publishing platforms.

Role details:
Salary Range: Dependent on experience (min 3yrs exp)
Employment equity preferred: Yes

Location: Preferably Johannesburg
Work from home and/or our Johannesburg office

Est. Hours: 11am-8pm
Days: Monday to Friday

Overview

The successful candidate will work closely with editors to conceive of visuals to accompany and enhance stories to be published on Daily Maverick platforms. Develop and manage a freelance team of photographers to meet the needs of the organisation.

Job Description

• • Source pictures for all online section heads and the newspaper from wire services and stock pictures we subscribe to.
  • Help section editors visualise stories
  • Identify and source photo essays that add to the content mix of Daily Maverick products
  • Manage, renew and update photographic wire services to serve Daily Maverick’s publishing platforms
  • Assign freelance photographers within budget to photograph stories as decided by the diary meeting, and section editors
  • Assist in selecting and editing photos for publications platform
  • Able to work with layout designers to achieve high-impact visual language

Experience

• • At least three years experience in a similar role
  • Previous print and online experience preferable
  • Expert knowledge of Adobe Photoshop suite

Send your application with short motivation via email, with “Photographic Editor Application” in the subject header by 27 July 2020.

Daily Maverick is hiring: Production Editor

Daily Maverick is looking to hire a Production Editor to take responsibility for the production processes of the organisation’s editorial offerings. It is a hands-on, multi-faceted job in a tight operation so all-round news editing and meticulous production experience are essential. Patience, open-mindedness and access to a meditation app are highly recommended.

Role Details:

Starting date: ASAP
Location: Ideally Jo’burg or Cape Town-based. Good, reliable internet access a necessity
Estimated work from home: 90%

Salary Range: Dependent on experience (min 5yrs exp)
Employment equity preferred: Yes

Approx Work Schedule: 4pm -12pm
Days: Monday to Friday

Overview:
The production editor would devise a production workflow with strict deadlines for particular pages to enable designers, graphic artists and copy sub-editors enough time to craft the best possible product. 

Manage a team of sub-editors, both internal and freelance, to ensure proper subbing capacity to meet the different needs of the organisation.

Job description

• • Co-ordinate publishing cycle for publishing on multiple platforms
  • Manage and assign stories to sub-editors
  • Manage a sub-editors roster
  • Manage deadlines and copy flow for all platforms
  • Load pages online
  • Work with pictures desk and multimedia journalist to ensure best possible images for online
  • Edit copy
  • Add to the existing DM style guide for Daily Maverick products
  • Proofread and sign off final pages 
  • Write catchy headlines and blurbs
  • Ensure the publication’s standards are met
  • Managing the production flow of DM online by overseeing layout and finding ways to streamline and improve the production process.
  • Ensuring adherence to DM style, tone and ethics
  • Prioritising the news list on the front page in discussion with Editor 
  • Archiving and other backend production processes

Experience

• • At least five years experience in a similar role
  • Previous print and online experience preferable
  • Knowledge of production and design systems including WordPress 

Apply with short motivation email and C.V to this address with “Production Editor Application” as the subject, before 27 July 2020.

Maverick Citizen is recruiting

In September 2019, Daily Maverick will launch Maverick Citizen, a news section focusing on human rights and social justice and the people who fight for it – in South Africa, Africa and the world. We are looking to hire two journalists to join our team but not just any journalists!

If you are a journalist who is called to tell the stories of our country’s people, to tell stories that could play a role in changing these and other facts; if you believe the people who work towards a better life for all need to be reported on with the same rigour as the reporting on politics and business, then please apply. If you believe journalism is a force for good and involves engaging with audiences and readers rather than just broadcasting. If you wake up in the morning with a fire in your belly. If you are a journalist with a passion for reporting on social justice issues and the people who are affected, then send your CV.

If you believe that all news is equal but often it seems that some news is more equal than other news. If you believe that we need journalists who try to rectify this imbalance by telling stories that should count, then consider joining Maverick Citizen.

We are looking for journalists who will tell the stories of individuals and organisations that swim against the stream, and in many different ways, visible and invisible, try and realize the constitutional vision of social justice in South Africa.

We are looking for journalists who want to find those people who make and shape the news, but usually don’t get into the news until there’s a court case or a crisis or a tragedy. We are looking for journalists who believe our country is also about the people and organisations whose efforts hold our society together and often prevent despair. We are looking for journalists who want to listen to the people of South Africa and tell the stories of people who invoke their and others’ constitutional right to campaign for a cause, the unseen participants in our participatory democracy.

If reading this advert makes your heart beat a little faster, then we would like to hear from you.

Skills and attributes required include experience as a journalist or high-level communicator in the social justice field, a readiness to travel our country to tell its stories, critical, independent thinking, experience in, and appreciation for investigative stories, global and national political insight and understanding, multimedia skills, social media skills, ability to work under pressure, to multitask and retain high quality, work weekends, evenings and early mornings.

Criteria

We are recruiting for 1 x senior level journalist and 1 x mid-senior level. Remuneration is dependent upon experience and employment equity candidates are preferred.

Your application should include a 500-word article telling us why this advertisement spurred you to apply for the job (We aim to Maverick Citizens in Cape Town and Johannesburg.) Also include references – at least three, including their full contact detail – a CV and links to examples of your work. Please send applications to [email protected] by
28 August 2019.

Announcement

Award-Winning Journalist Sikonathi Mantshantsha joins Daily Maverick

Award-winning financial journalist Sikonathi Mantshantsha has joined Scorpio, the Investigative Unit of Daily Maverick, as of 1 July 2019. In addition, Mantshantsha will contribute to Business Maverick, one of the latest additions to Daily Maverick’s growing stable, which focuses on the business stories driving South African economic landscape. 

Since 2016, Mantshantsha held the position of Deputy Editor at the Financial Mail. One of his many accolades includes the 2017 Sanlam Journalist of the Year Award.

Says Mantshantsha:

“It’s a great opportunity to be joining a start-up that has played a great part in SA journalism in the relatively short time it has been around. Daily Maverick has really punched above its weight, particularly exposing the many shenanigans of State Capture. I am privileged to be joining such an ambitious team.”

Business Maverick Editor Tim Cohen looks forward to working with Mantshantsha who will be a valuable member of the team. 

Says Cohen: 

“I’m delighted that Sikonathi will be joining the team, primarily as a member of the Scorpio team but helping out too on Business Maverick on an ad hoc basis. Sikonathi is widely recognised as an astute journalist and a bold voice in business journalism, and we at Business Maverick will be honoured to publish his work.

Since its launch in late 2009, Daily Maverick has seen steady growth in readership and influence. This year alone has seen the launch of two important divisions, Business Maverick and Maverick Life. Co-Founder Branko Brkic says their growth is attributed to Daily Maverick’s uncompromising approach to journalism.

Says Brkic:

Our mission is to Defend Truth in these difficult and testing times for our young democracy, with no fear or favour. Sikonathi is universally respected as a great journalist and fearless man and I personally very much look forward to working with him.

Daily Maverick’s innovative approach to media and their stance on defending the truth, no matter the cost, has gained them much respect among politicians, business leaders and the general public. It is this reputation that will continue to attract quality journalists within the media industry.