Community Matters Media, the independent company behind Southwark News, Bermondsey Biscuit and Rotherhithe Docker magazine and South Londoner Magazine is looking for a talented new lifestyle journalist to join our team.

This is the first time in a number of years that an in-house, full time and permanent lifestyle journalism role has become available at Community Matters Media. This position is central to the strategic growth of our business, and provides a fantastic opportunity for an enthusiastic self-starter to immerse themselves in the best that south London has to offer.

Location: London-based, hybrid role with minimum 3 days in our London Bridge office.

Salary: £27,200 per annum.

Contract: Permanent, full-time with 20 days’ holiday per year, not including bank holidays, with your birthday as a holiday if on a working day, and an extra day for every year of employment up to five extra days. Some weekends and evenings required.

Start date: April 2025.

Application deadline: March 20^th 2025.

Interview dates: End of March.

Benefits & perks: Regular in-house training opportunities, office in the heart of Southwark’s trendy Bermondsey Street area, flexible working.

The Role

Working across digital, print and social media – with a focus on vertical video – the lifestyle journalist will cover everything outside the hard news remit. From food and drink, to theatre and the arts, inspirational stories and history and nostalgia, you’ll get stuck into limitless stories from our core areas of Southwark, Lambeth, Lewisham and Greenwich.

Your work will appear in print and online, in our weekly titles Southwark News (One million views a month), South London Weekly, Greenwich & Lewisham Weekender and in our print magazines Bermondsey Biscuit and Rotherhithe Docker and The South Londoner – as well as on our social media channels.

The successful candidate will be expected to self-manage, hit deadlines, and lead the growth of their section. However, they will also be expected to work closely with all colleagues, take on board feedback, and meet agreed targets.

The role reports directly to the Group Editor and does not currently have line management responsibilities, but will be expected to delegate work to junior staff as well as work experience and internship colleagues, and manage trainees in future.

What we’re looking for

We are ideally looking for someone with at least three years’ experience in journalism, but will consider strong applications from journalists in the early stages of their career.

Our perfect fit:

• Highly motivated with a true passion for local journalism and south London
• Flair for telling a great story and the ability to adapt your style across print, digital, video and other formats
• Rock solid understanding of media law and the IPSO code
• Extremely organised with excellent communication and people skills. This role involves multiple deadlines, working collaboratively with senior editors, junior colleagues, and freelancers, as well as building strong relationships and contacts in person as well as over the phone
• Confident and calm under pressure, positive can-do attitude with problem solving skills
• Willingness to learn, take feedback, and work as part of a team
• Business minded. This role plays a key part in generating income and building our brand
• Strategic thinker. You will understand our business aims and how your role and the wider team work together to achieve key targets for growth
• At least basic video editing and photography skills. InDesign and other graphic skills are always a bonus.

Who we are

Community Matters Media is an independently owned small business co-owned and run by managing directors Chris Mullany and Kevin Quinn. We are a growing business with big plans. We’re known for high-quality, original and independent journalism, and breaking stories that get picked up nationally and internationally.  We are the go-to source for south London news and we are proud of our reputation and the esteem we are held in within the industry and – more importantly – by our readers.

As well as routinely pulling in a million views a month, and running a lauded TikTok account, last year we launched a premium section, and now have hundreds of paying subscribers for our long-form content. We are raising the bar for local news, with a thriving print and online presence focused on the stories our readers want and need, whether they were born and raised in south London or have moved here and made it their new home.

• Southwark News – London’s only independent, paid-for newspaper.
• News At Den – Exclusive insight and analysis from the only paper with a dedicated Millwall reporter
• Greenwich & Lewisham Weekender – covering community news, arts and people every week
• South London Weekly – A new quality paper for south London
• The South Londoner magazine – your guide to unmissable south London
• Bermondsey Biscuit and Rotherhithe Docker magazine – the people and places that make Bermondsey and Rotherhithe
• CM Media – Our new media agency and home to our talented team of content creators and PR experts.

How to apply

Please email managing director Chris Mullany, chris@cm-media.co.uk. In the body of the email explain why you want this job and what makes you the perfect fit. Attach a CV or link to your LinkedIn profile.

Please include examples of your previous work. We are always particularly impressed if applicants come to us with story ideas, and feedback on how they would do things differently.