Bloomberg News, one of the world’s most influential financial and business news organisations, is recruiting a Breaking News Editor for its Johannesburg bureau—placing the successful candidate at the nerve centre of real-time coverage across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The role is designed for an editor who thrives in a high-velocity newsroom, where minutes matter and judgment is tested continuously.
From scanning company earnings and regulatory filings to tracking policymaker speeches and monitoring emails, websites, and even WhatsApp groups, the editor will determine—often within seconds—what moves markets and deserves immediate attention.
Owning the first 15 minutes of breaking news
At Bloomberg, the first 15 minutes of a breaking story define its global impact.
The Johannesburg-based editor will own that critical window—from writing sharp, market-moving headlines to rapidly adding context that helps investors, policymakers, and executives understand why a development matters.
This includes:
Interpreting corporate disclosures, government gazettes, and regulatory announcements in real time
Making fast, sound editorial calls under pressure
Ensuring accuracy and clarity while maintaining Bloomberg’s reputation for speed
A newsroom shaped by data and AI
Beyond traditional breaking-news instincts, Bloomberg is seeking an editor who understands how artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping journalism.
The role involves exploring smarter news monitoring, optimising headline delivery, and improving workflow efficiency—ensuring Bloomberg stays ahead in a competitive, data-driven media environment.
Comfort with numbers, analytics, and emerging newsroom technologies is therefore essential, particularly in a region where financial, economic, and political developments are increasingly interconnected.
Collaboration across a global newsroom
The Johannesburg editor will work closely with reporters and editors across Bloomberg’s worldwide bureaus, contributing to a seamless global news operation.
Collaboration is central: stories broken in Johannesburg often ripple across terminals and platforms used by decision-makers in London, New York, Dubai, and beyond.
What Bloomberg is looking for
Required:
Experience in a fast-paced financial or business news environment
Strong editorial judgment and the ability to write and edit concise, high-impact headlines
Calm decision-making under pressure
Desirable
Fluency in another language
Curiosity and initiative in applying AI and automation to newsroom workflows
Life at Bloomberg
Bloomberg describes its culture as demanding but deeply collaborative.
Employees operate in a diverse, global environment, supported by competitive compensation, comprehensive healthcare, and long-term benefits such as parental leave and retirement savings plans—designed to support staff through different life stages.
For journalists eager to shape how Sub-Saharan Africa’s financial story is told to the world, the Johannesburg Breaking News Editor role offers both responsibility and reach—placing the editor at the forefront of market-moving journalism.
