"So, what does an audience engagement editor do, anyway? Post stuff to Facebook?" The first time I encountered that question - and I still do - the adrenaline rush that accompanied accepting a new role on the audience team at Twin Cities PBS, and promptly announcing it on social media, crashed.
Amid a flurry of way-to-gos and so-happy-for-yous, that was all my friend was able to think to ask me regarding my next major career move.
Turns out, he wasn't wrong.
Checking Facebook throughout the workday isn't just obligatory now. It's second nature. Some of the time, I don't even know I'm checking it. Instagram too, plus Twitter, and someday soon, maybe TikTok.
I write social copy, I schedule posts, I monitor and respond to comments. I do the standard stuff non-audience people think audience people do.
On my first day, though, my boss informed me that my job was a "unicorn job," and eight months later, I understand why. I've never held such a unique position and I don't know that I ever will.
In Twin Cities PBS Digital Publishing Unit (DPU), I'm not an audience engagement specialist or an audience engagement associate - and there are lots of them out there, doing great work. I'm an audience engagement editor, and that distinction, for me, is crucial.
It means I get to bring my experience as a writer and editor to both Next Avenue and Rewire, the national, digital publications my department produces for PBS.
Summoning the fast-paced, deadline-driven energy I cultivated straight out of college at a small community radio station, and the long-form writing and editing skills I honed at an international nonprofit a few years later, I'm responsible for bringing a hyperconnected perspective to the DPU's editorial work, collaborating with editors from both publications to better understand our readers.
Here are some of my major takeaways as a PBS YoPro from being in this role:
Don't just 'stay in your lane.' And by that, I don't mean shirking assigned responsibilities or taking on too many new tasks. What I mean is that we're young(ish) professionals, and what better excuse than youth to keep exploring the kind of work that fulfills us? Maybe you're already in a role you want to be in for the rest of your working life. Chances are, you're not. What you're doing now could bring you closer. So, let it.
Try to collaborate with the colleagues doing work that inspires you. Use professional development opportunities to sharpen the skills you wish you had time to cultivate. Ask to take on new projects that align with what you're passionate about (the last time I did, I got to interview my favorite PBS television personality, Rick Steves). It won't always be possible, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't try.
Pursue Multigenerational Connection. Next Avenue is geared toward older adults. Rewire's target audience is people in their 20's and 30's. So, one moment I'm rewriting the headline for an article on little-known facts about social security, and the next, I'm promoting a story about when to get back in touch with an ex. That may seem comical, but for me, it's a welcome challenge. Getting to understand and inhabit two completely different voices serving two completely different groups of people is something that strengthens and appeals to my versatility as a writer.
I've never belonged to such an age-diverse working environment. My Rewire colleagues motivate me to keep up with how younger generations interact with social media and the incredible ways they use it to create change (they also inspire me with their meme-making - it's tough to make a good meme). The Next Avenue team keeps me attuned to just how pervasive and destructive discrimination against older adults can be, and brings me closer to many of the issues I'll likely face one day - when I'm fortunate enough, hopefully, to reach older adulthood.
Listen. Everyone always says, in reference to online articles, "Don't read the comments." But reading the comments is my job. Sometimes it's demoralizing. Sometimes it's weird. But it's always the most illuminating part of what I do. For instance, I didn't quite grasp the weight of the coronavirus pandemic's human toll, or the extent to which it affected our audience, until I compiled comments from readers about their experiences into an article, a story told almost exclusively in their own voices. It also taught me how meaningful it was for Next Avenue's readers to feel heard. "I think I've hit every emotion reading these," someone replied. "Thank you for connecting us in our own special ways."
I'm continuing to improve my listening skills with courses in Design Thinking, which is so much more than a buzzy phrase floating through our industry; it's an indispensable way of thinking and working that emphasizes centering people in your solutions, initiatives, or storytelling. I'm also discovering that it's work I can't really do on my own, or with a small team or a single department. No one in this media profession gets to opt out of putting people and their needs first. As public media professionals, we should all feel compelled to find better ways to listen right now.
So, what does an audience engagement editor do, anyway? Posts stuff to Facebook, sure. A lot. But it's a role that's still emerging across media organizations, still taking shape and still looks different wherever you find it - particularly at PBS. In a lot of ways, this work is uncharted. That's also the beauty of it. That's. why I'm here.
Looking to connect with Sabrina Crews to learn more about her experience or obtain additional career advice? Email her today at: sabrinacrews@tpt.org.
