ProPublica’s post for social media editor a few hours ago (full text below) includes this useful notable perspective:

“Extensive social media experience is required, but candidates will foremost be excellent journalists.” [emphasis added]

It also mentions:

“You will be expected to implement projects using HTML and CSS, and be familiar with web analytics, basic project management, and Photoshop.”

Plus, ProPublica’s new social media editor, interviewed on 10,000 Words blog

EZ: How does one land a gig as a social media editor? What are the must-have skills that someone aspiring to be a social media editor needs?

DV: Most importantly, you should think of yourself as a journalist first, and a social media nerd a very distant second.

Social Media Producer
ProPublica is seeking a Social Media Producer who can design and implement social efforts to deepen and advance ProPublica’s reporting. Responsibilities include growing our Facebook presence, day-to-day oversight of @ProPublica and #MuckReads, and the integration of social into our data features (here’s an example).

Extensive social media experience is required, but candidates will foremost be excellent journalists. Through our #MuckReads curation feature, you must demonstrate the ability to quickly evaluate news stories and sources. Our Twitter and Facebook use will challenge your ability to spot the crucial or buried bits of news stories, and present them in a clickable and shareable manner. You will likely write some stories, including our explainers (see examples from our series on presidential candidates). You will also contribute to call-outs for sources.

We intend that to be the foundation of your work, with the rest filled in by your ideas. We’ll ask you to keep ProPublica current on the latest social tools and trends, and you will be encouraged to pitch your own fresh initiatives.

You will be expected to implement projects using HTML and CSS, and be familiar with web analytics, basic project management, and Photoshop.

This is a full-time position with benefits. The social media producer will work out of ProPublica’s Manhattan office and report to Daniel Victor, ProPublica’s social media editor.

Please send a cover letter to Daniel.Victor@propublica.org explaining how you would approach social at ProPublica, examples of a new feature or strategy you’d undertake, and links to your previous work.