KCBX Central Coast Public Radio is looking for a strong and encouraging leader to be our News Director. Join one of the most respected media outlets on California’s beautiful Central Coast. Need is immediate. Salary $45,000-50,000 DOE.
Basic Function
The KCBX News Director (ND) leads the planning, production and presentation—both broadcast and digital—of all local news coverage of the Central Coast. The ND supervises news staff, freelancers and volunteer contributors, and manages the station’s news internship program as established, primarily with Cal Poly’s Journalism Department, while actively mentoring interns.
The ND also serves a community engagement function to connect with and inform the KCBX audience.
The ND reports to the program director and works in cooperation with station staff to support the station’s on-and off-air community information efforts. The ND assists with news programming decisions and news operations.
The ND has responsibility and understanding of news planning, reporting, editing and production on all station platforms. The ND helps define and maintain ethical, editorial, artistic, and technical standards for news content.
Duties
News Content Preparation & Presentation (65%): The ND plans, reports, produces and presents local news content on a regular basis and stays abreast of local news stories from Salinas to Santa Barbara. The ND typically produces a feature and several quick turn-around reports in an average week, as well as selecting stories to air from partner stations such as Capital Public Radio and KQED. The ND assigns and edits reporter stories and edits all other newsroom content pre-broadcast. The ND anchors local newscasts during All Things Considered. The ND serves as the executive editor of—and produces content for—a weekly one-hour news and issues-based radio program. The ND posts all stories to the station’s website and serves as digital editor of all locally-produced news content. The ND also seeks and cultivates diverse sources.
Department Management and Advancement (20%): The ND engages in strategic planning, budget management, personnel management (including news interns), hiring, training, record keeping, self-development and the proactive cultivation of professional partnerships and liaisons.
Community Issue Engagement (10%): The ND has daily presence in the digital identity of KCBX – on social media platforms and the station website. The ND uses all platforms to advance a community conversation around the important issues affecting the region. This occasionally includes in-person appearances that engage the community.
General Station Duties (5%): The ND helps fundraise, provides public appearances, and participates in station discussions, meetings, events, and other activities in the general support of the station mission.
Other: The ND adheres to deadlines and makes timely and effective decisions in situations requiring prompt attention. The ND is the primary content manager during times of local crisis.