At this time, all positions are remote, part-time, and unpaid. Our vision is eventually to have a paper managed by a few part-time editors who are compensated for their time, paid through a combination of subscriptions and grants.
Read below about our staff, and what positions have yet to be filled.
Executive Editor – Lissa Lucas (she/her)
Lissa Lucas
Lissa has more than 15 years of communications experience, including time as a journalist, as PR Manager for a national manufacturer, as Director of Communications at a small university, Blog Manager for an e-retailer, Website Curation Manager for a pro-democracy non-profit, Webmaster for a congressional campaign, Project Manager for a website developer, and as Comms Director for both a gubernatorial and a U.S. senate campaign. Then there was the time she was removed from a public hearing in front of the WV House Judiciary Committee for using her allotted time to read aloud the delegates’ campaign donors.
“What we need is a collection of real voices from working people in Appalachia, voices that include those of vulnerable and minority populations, to counter one of the worst lies that our purchased politicians tell: ‘I’m just doing what my voters want.’ If that were true, of course we’d have higher wages, clean drinking water, maintained roads, functioning sewer, broadband across the state, legalized cannabis, and more,” Lissa said. “They’re doing what their donors want and what will benefit them personally, not what voters want.”
Lissa’s been involved in pro-democracy work for some years, including volunteering time to develop websites for grassroots candidates running for house of delegates, and promoting anti-corruption reforms like nonpartisan redistributing commissions and public funding of elections. She serves on the board of WV Can’t Wait Votes.
But it’s not all pro democracy work: she also loves to cook, brew beer, garden, play D&D, kayak, and hike with her dog. She’s currently renovating a vintage RV, and wrote a book about keeping pet chickens in 2014 (published by Rodale Press). She paints, reads, crochets, and generally has way too many hobbies.
Branding Manager – Alan Smith (he/him)
Alan Smith
Alan is a professional graphic designer with more than a quarter of a century of design experience, both in-house and in an agency… and is Lissa’s husband. Alan enjoys target practice, brewing beer, playing chess, and nerdy games. (It’s a perfect match with Lissa!)
“I don’t want to give you a quote, make something up,” said Alan.
He’s volunteering—or has been volunteered?—to produce many of the graphic elements for the paper.
Legislative Editor – Open
Write about what our legislators are doing, what they’re saying, whether they’re being honest, and by whom they’re being funded. Manage legislative beat contributors and submissions.
Rural editor – Open
Write about important issues in rural Appalachia, and manage rural beat contributors and submissions.
Labor editor – Open
Write about labor issues in Appalachia, and manage labor beat contributors and submissions.
Poverty editor – Open
Write about poverty issues in Appalachia, and manage poverty beat contributors and submissions.
Communications and Fulfillment Coordinator – Open
Manage subscriptions, printing, and distribution.
Apply:
To apply, please contact us. Your cover letter should let us know what position you’re interested in, why that job is something you’re good at, and something you’d love. Include links to your online resume and at least one writing sample. Or, if you don’t have an online resume, please paste your resume into the body of the text.
The Appalachian Oracle 