Media and Public Relations Manager

Responsibilities

• Media Strategy
• Support day-to-day media relations strategy to maximize visibility and reach among core and new audiences
• Manage incoming media requests from journalists and news outlets seeking comment and interviews, coordinating with internal staff as necessary
• Proactively pitch newsworthy blog posts, legal filings, op-eds, and interviews with Reporters Committee spokespeople to secure coverage on Reporters Committee's work and impact
• Monitor the media environment and respond rapidly to breaking news, coordinating strategy with leadership
• Draft and distribute press releases and media statements
• Build and maintain relationships with journalists, editors, and producers across relevant beats (media, national news, national security, legal, Supreme Court/DOJ, local news)
• Prepare leadership and spokespeople for interviews, public appearances, and speaking engagements, including drafting quotes, comments, and talking points for attorneys as needed
• Assist in designing communications plans for major program initiatives, research reports, policy initiatives, events, and public announcements
• Track communications performance and recommend strategies to expand audience engagement and influence

Requirements

• Deep commitment to press freedom and the First Amendment
• 4+ years of communications/media relations experience
• Demonstrated success securing coverage and managing relationships with top-tier, trade, and local media
• Sound news judgment and a comprehensive grasp of diverse media platforms
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple competing deadlines under pressure
• Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, a deep commitment to accuracy, and a rigorous attention to detail
• Ability to engage and influence senior leadership, with strong presentation skills
• Strong collaborator across legal, program, policy, development, and operations teams
• Comfort working with executive leaders and legal experts, including experience preparing spokespeople for public appearances
• Deep familiarity with media research/contact databases (e.g., MuckRack, Cision)

Preferred

• Prior agency, nonprofit, law firm, or policy communications experience
• Experience managing websites via content management systems and familiarity with web publishing best practices
• Familiarity with email marketing platforms (e.g., Mailchimp) and CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce)

Benefits

• Compensation: Reporters Committee is committed to offering competitive pay and generous benefits, including group medical insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, retirement benefits, health-reimbursement accounts, and paid family leave.