How to apply for Video & Social Media Producer, Criminal

About Vox Media

Vox Media is a major digital media company with brands across news, tech, sports, and culture. Criminal Productions is one of its podcast properties, known for the true-crime show Criminal. This role is a chance to work on a well-known podcast brand and help grow its video and social presence.

About the role

You will produce video and social content for Criminal Productions, from long-form YouTube interviews to short-form clips for YouTube Shorts and other platforms. You will also upload archival episodes, create thumbnails and copy, and work with podcast producers and marketing to promote new episodes and initiatives. This is a temporary full-time remote position based in the US.

A typical day

A typical day might involve reviewing podcast footage, making editorial cuts for a YouTube video, and coordinating with a video editor on revisions. You might also create short-form clips for social media, design thumbnails, and meet with producers to plan promotion for an upcoming episode. Since this is remote, you would communicate with the team via video calls and messaging apps.

Who Vox Media is looking for

• Has experience producing video content end-to-end, including coordinating recording, making editorial cuts, and publishing final versions.
• Can translate podcast audio into compelling short-form video for YouTube Shorts and social platforms.
• Is skilled at creating thumbnails, titles, and caption copy that drive engagement.
• Has experience developing social content like image assets, GIFs, stories/reels, and motion graphics.
• Works well with podcast producers and marketing teams to execute a social media plan.

Tips for this application

• Include a portfolio or reel that shows both long-form and short-form video work, especially anything related to podcasts or interview content.
• In your application, mention specific examples of how you have repurposed long-form content into short-form social clips.
• Show that you understand the Criminal podcast brand and its tone by referencing episodes or its style in your materials.
• Highlight any experience with YouTube channel management, including uploading, thumbnails, and metadata.
• Since this is a temporary role, be clear about your availability and ability to work full-time remotely in the US.

What to cover in your cover letter

Explain why you want to work on Criminal specifically, not just any podcast. Describe your process for turning podcast moments into visual stories for social media. Give examples of thumbnails or titles you have created that performed well. Mention your ability to collaborate with producers and marketing on a social plan.

Research before applying

• Listen to several episodes of Criminal and note the tone, themes, and recurring segments.
• Review Criminal's YouTube channel and social media accounts to see what content they already produce and how it performs.
• Look up Vox Media's other podcast properties to understand the broader content ecosystem.
• Check recent news about Criminal Productions or Vox Media to see if there are any new initiatives or changes.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you approach producing a long-form video interview for Criminal's YouTube channel?
• Can you walk us through your process for creating a short-form video from a podcast episode?
• What makes a good YouTube thumbnail and title for a true-crime podcast?
• How would you plan social media promotion for a new Criminal episode across platforms?
• Describe a time you had to collaborate with producers or marketing to execute a content plan.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Submitting a generic reel that does not include podcast or interview-based content.
• Ignoring the temporary nature of the role and not addressing availability.
• Failing to show familiarity with Criminal's brand or true-crime audience.
• Focusing only on video editing and not mentioning social media strategy or content creation.