Gulf States Newsroom
Job Details
Job Location
Position Type
Salary Range
Birmingham, AL
Full-Time
$63,875 – $90,000
About the Gulf States Newsroom
The Gulf States Newsroom is a partnership among WBHM in Birmingham, Alabama; WWNO in New Orleans and WRKF in Baton Rouge; Mississippi Public Broadcasting in Jackson, and NPR. It’s one of several regional newsrooms that are part of NPR’s Collaborative Journalism Network, an initiative designed to connect NPR with local member stations to tell the story of the whole country from everywhere in the country.
Description
The managing editor sets the editorial vision, provides direction and feedback to direct reports and works to build a strong team culture among the partner stations in the three states. You’ll lead an awesome team of beat reporters covering health equity, criminal justice, economic mobility, environmental justice and sports and culture. You’ll work with a great pair of editors to set coverage priorities and experiment with new ways of storytelling in an ever-changing media landscape.
The managing editor also serves as the lead brand ambassador for the newsroom — recruiting and developing talent and elevating awareness about the regional newsroom within and beyond the collaboration.
Core Responsibilities
Leadership & Vision
Determine the direction of beats and team roles in collaboration with the partner stations and newsrooms
Manage a team of nine (6 reporters, 2 editors and 1 producer) across three states
Work to maintain a positive team culture among a remote team
Set expectations and workflow for team members
Editorial
Work with the deputy managing editor and digital editor on coverage planning
Maintain current platforms for content and develop new initiatives
Develop and implement systems for organization of content and distribution
Serve as the central point of contact for editorial leaders at the stations and at NPR, and often as a connector and facilitator of collaboration
Continue to expand community engagement and social media efforts
Provide hands-on editing of radio or digital stories as needed
Business
Work with the business manager to set budget priorities and spending expectations
Work with stakeholders on hiring new positions as needed
Work with development director to share newsroom vision with funders
Position Qualifications:
Minimum requirements:
At least five years of journalism experience
Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communications, or a related field
Desired skills:
A proven track record of editing original, enterprise stories
Experience managing individuals
Excellent writing, communication and organizational skills
Ability to handle multiple complex projects simultaneously and to adapt to changing priorities/conditions