News Director

Position Number: S-3158

Type of Recruitment: External

Position Summary:

The News Director is the leader of WCMU's newsroom, overseeing news staff and news output on radio and digital platforms. WCMU covers 48 of Michigan's 83 counties, and we report on a wide range of issues, including local and state government, education, climate and the environment, the economy and more. Primary functions of this position include:

News Strategy: Sets strategic priorities and goals for our news department, including topics and beats, distribution platform, and geographic coverage priorities. Develops and implements coverage plans for WCMU's daily news programs.

Editor: Assigns and edits reporters on a daily basis, from spots and breaking news to features and series. Ensures all WCMU news content is accurate, engaging, ethical, and produced to the highest standards of professional journalism.

Newsroom Leader: Possesses strong leadership skills, including the ability to lead an effective team by teaching, training, and developing the skills of newsroom journalists, including students and interns. The news director must effectively communicate, be an active listener, be committed to cultivating and advancing diversity and inclusion, develop and manage partnerships and achieve data-driven results.

Community Engagement: Works with station leadership on developing and executing regular, meaningful and engaging ways to hear from our listeners, viewers and readers about issues of concern. Leads live broadcasts and coverage of breaking news events, and assist with the production of community events such as town hall meetings, community forums, listening sessions etc.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in broadcasting, journalism or related field, or 4 years equivalent combination of broadcast news experience and education.

Demonstrated advanced broadcast and digital copy writing, editing, and reporting skills.

Four years of professional experience in reporting situations, field news gathering and/or remote recording situations.

Ability to operate radio equipment, including knowledge of non-linear digital editing systems.

Advanced announcing skills.

Demonstrated ability to maintain positive interpersonal relationships, i.e., faculty, students, visitors, partners, co-workers and/or supervisors.

Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and project a positive image.

Ability to perform the essential functions and requirements of the job, with or without accommodation.

Preferred Qualifications

Understanding of the purpose and mission of public broadcasting.

Six years of successful, peer recognized experience in on-air and field recording/news gathering, with increasing responsibilities.

Advanced capabilities in digital multi-track editing.

Demonstrated ability to successfully produce digital-first content.

Demonstrated ability to successfully develop program segments and concepts.

Demonstrated ability to successfully formulate interview segments and questions.

Extensive experience as local host of NPR news magazines.

Experience in television news gathering and presentation.

Regular filing of stories with NPR news magazines.

Content collaboration experience.

Duties & Responsibilities

Coaches and mentors an award-winning team of broadcast journalists, encouraging professional development.

Switches seamlessly between editing radio and web copy on a daily basis, ensuring that advice is consistent among reporters while maintaining standards of ethics as well as journalistic and technical quality.

Provides constructive, clear edits with "writing for the ear" top of mind for radio stories; prioritize a conversational tone for radio copy; and give feedback on all stories in a ti