Summary

The News Director is the strategic leader and chief editor of WHRO/Vs local and regional journalism operation, overseeing news staff, production, and output of local and regional journalism on all platforms.

Primary Functions

• News Strategy
  • Works with Chief Content Officer (CCO) and news staff to set strategic priorities and goals for WHRO/Vs news operation, including platform and programming priorities, focus topics and beats, and geographic coverage priorities.
  • Implements the strategic plan for news content.
• Editorial Integrity and Quality Standards Control
  • Serves as the primary keeper and champion of WHRO/Vs editorial integrity and independence standards, ensures related documents are regularly reviewed and updated and that the standards are regularly discussed, widely understood, and upheld throughout all WHRO/V departments.
  • Serves as primary news editor, with responsibility for ensuring all WHRO/V news content is accurate, ethical, engaging, and in line with the highest standards of professional journalism.
  • Works with Program Director to provide coaching and feedback for on-air news staff.
• Coverage Planning & Implementation
  • Sets WHRO/Vs news agenda. Plans daily and long-range news coverage on all platforms.
  • Oversees WHRO/Vs local news and public affairs programs.
  • Creates and maintains plans for coverage of crises and breaking news, working with the CCO and other station departments as appropriate.
  • Makes reporting and producing assignments.
• Community Engagement
  • Works with the Director of Community Engagement, and other relevant staff to solicit and reflect community input on news coverage priorities.
  • Creates opportunities for the community to engage with news content, virtually and in person.
• Collaboration
  • Works with staff in all relevant WHRO/V departments, including Community Engagement, Digital Strategies, Television Production, WHRO Classical, Marketing, and Development to leverage existing staff skills and to coordinate with station projects.
  • Works with relevant staff to identify and build news-related partnerships and collaborations with other media and/or with community organizations. Oversees and/or directly manages WHRO/Vs participation in such collaborations.
  • Collaborates with NPR and other national public media outlets on news coverage as appropriate.
• Management and Administration
  • Manages news department staff, including providing regular feedback and performance reviews.
  • Recruits for news positions and makes recommendations to CCO on personnel decisions including hiring and firing.
  • Works with CCO to create news department budget; manages budget throughout the year.
• Other Duties
  • Fills in for hosts and other news department staff as needed.
  • Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• At least seven years of professional journalism experience and deep knowledge of the ethics and practices of journalism.
• At least five years of editorial experience, with at least three years in news management or applicable expertise.
• Experience editing enterprise, in-depth, long-form journalism on radio and digital platforms
• Deep understanding of the purposes and mission of public media; public media journalism experience highly desirable
• Understanding of digital platforms as crucial and coequal with broadcast platforms
• Familiarity with trends in emerging media and community engagement as they relate to journalism
• Experience working across department lines in an organization
   
  Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Virginia/Eastern Virginia community and issues
• Experience in digital journalism content creation
• Experience and/or knowledge of video production
• Experience with news-related community engagement initiatives
• Experience with news-related live events
• Experience leading organizational culture change
   
  Competencies

• Strong, ethical news judgement
• Excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration skills
• Organizational and problem-solving skills