Mill Media is launching a new title. It will be based in Leeds, and cover West Yorkshire. We’ve already had over 500 locals pledge financial support to get our title off the ground, showing how much of an appetite there is for something new in the local news scene.

We’re now looking for two writers to join our new team, which will be overseen by Senior Editor, Daniel Timms.

We are looking for one member of staff to take on the role of local editor at some stage. That isn’t the same level as an overall editor, but includes helping manage the schedule and overseeing some of the admin involved.

Role details

• Location: Leeds/West Yorkshire (we need someone who lives full-time in the region, or is willing to relocate)
• Salary: Dependent on experience (circa. £30k-35k) with an opportunity for pay to increase next year.
• Basis: Full-time (including some out-of-hours work)
• Office/remote: Three days per week in our city centre office in Leeds (exact location TBC)
• Start date: May/June 2026 
• Deadline: Sunday 29 March. Scroll down for details on how to apply.

About us

We’re Mill Media. Since being founded in June 2020, has become a new force in British journalism, publishing high quality local journalism in six UK cities. The company has been described as “one of the most interesting and impressive media startups of the last decade,” by the FT’s John Burn-Murdoch, and as “very, very impressive” by the Wall Street Journal’s editor Emma Tucker.

Our financial backers include Sir Mark Thompson, the chief executive of CNN and former boss of the New York Times and BBC, who said he was investing because of the “exceptional quality” of our work. In the past year, our stories have led to political resignations, questions in parliament and have even prompted a police investigation into fraud at a university. The Observer wrote that we are “shaking up local news.”

We’re now launching a new newspaper. It will be based in Leeds, and cover stories in the city and across West Yorkshire. We’re looking for two great writers to get us going.

What we’re looking for

This role requires at least three years of experience in journalism. It’s a job for a journalist who believes in our mission, loves the kind of reporting we do and is passionate about applying our brand of journalism to many more stories in the years ahead. We need someone who has a natural flair for writing — who will deliver the kind of stories our readers look forward to when they open our newsletters.

This role also requires the kind of person who relishes trying to get hold of people on the phone and enjoys chasing stories even if they seem like dead ends; who likes getting to grips with complex issues and can explain those issues clearly to readers.

You will be working closely alongside another writer, including sometimes collaborating on stories, and you will have a lot of contact with the editors and writers from the wider Mill Media team. You will also be expected to pitch in with various non-writing tasks, like helping with our social media and liaising with freelancers.

Crucially, this is a role for someone who likes working really hard. This job isn’t easy and doesn’t always fit into the normal working day. We give some of the most rigorous and intense training and development in British journalism, which means that you will grow very fast by working with us. But we need people who are incredibly committed and energised by the task.

Key responsibilities

• Producing consistently high-quality writing for us that informs and delights our readers and makes us stand out.
• Generating lots of highly original story ideas every month, both for you and for our other staff and freelance writers, ranging from culture to crime, food to local politics.
• Developing exceptional contacts within West Yorkshire’s political, cultural and business worlds so that we can break big stories.
• Helping to grow the new title by posting on social media, assisting with our marketing and fostering strong bonds with our community of members.
• Working pattern: This is a full-time role. You will work at least three days a week in an office in Leeds, and remotely the rest of the time. You will make regular visits to the company’s office in Manchester. 

Attributes required

• Superb writing: Someone who can write stories that our readers don’t just like but love, whether it’s a colour piece, an interview or a newsier feature. A key part of this is being able to write with clarity and distil complex issues for readers.
• Reporting flair: Someone with an unusual talent for unearthing information, including huge energy when pursuing a story, a knack for getting hold of people on the phone and the ability to develop contacts over time. 
• Independence: Someone capable of working independently without lots of supervision from editors — that means being exceptionally organised, very communicative with colleagues and self-motivated when working on stories. 
• Growth mindset: Someone with an entrepreneurial spirit who is motivated by growth as well as our journalism and will enjoy growing our social media accounts and spreading our brand.
• Our values: Someone who is committed to our key editorial values: accuracy, nuance, thoughtfulness, fairness to sources and giving readers the context they need to understand what is going on.

How to apply

To apply for this role, email hiring@millmediaco.uk by Sunday 29 March at the latest, with an explanation (in the body of the email) about why you are interested in working with us and why you think you might be a good fit for this role. 

Please also include a few links to some of your favourite work you’ve done and please attach your CV or link to your LinkedIn. Feel free to include story ideas you have that you would like to work on if you joined us.

If we are considering you for the role, we will send you a writing test.

If you have any questions, just get in touch via the same email. Given the amazing diversity of this city, we are keen to reach applicants from as many communities as possible, so we would be grateful if you could share this job ad with your networks.