Basic Function
The KCBX News Director (ND) leads the planning, development, production and presentation — both broadcast and digital — of all KCBX News coverage of California’s Central Coast. The ND supervises news staff, freelancers and volunteer contributors, and manages the station’s news internship program while actively mentoring interns.
The ND also serves a community engagement function to connect with and inform the KCBX audience. This includes collaborating with other California public media newsrooms and working with a consortium of public stations around the state.
The ND reports to the program director and leads news staff to create a cooperative work environment and support the station’s on- and off-air community information efforts. The ND collaborates with the program director on 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.
Responsibilities
News Content Development, Preparation & Presentation: The ND plans, develops, 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 several news spots in an average week with minimal oversight, as well as regular features, and selects 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 and before online publication. 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: The ND engages in strategic planning, budget management, personnel management (including interns), hiring, training, record keeping, self-development and the proactive cultivation of professional partnerships and liaisons. The ND assists in writing news grants, and spearheads fulfilling those grants through careful planning and management. The ND is responsible for ensuring adherence to deadlines and uses independent discretion and judgment to make timely and effective decisions in situations requiring prompt attention. The ND is the primary content manager during news emergencies and times of local crisis, including after hours, on weekends and holidays, as needed.
Community Issue Engagement and Representation of KCBX: The ND has a daily presence in the on-air and digital identity of KCBX — including on social media and podcast platforms, and on the station website. The ND exercises independent discretion and judgment on behalf of KCBX in using all platforms to advance a community conversation around the important issues affecting the region. This occasionally includes in-person engagement activities in the community.
General Station Duties: The ND helps fundraise, provides public appearances, and participates in station discussions, meetings, events, and other activities in general support of the station mission.
Qualifications
- A four-year degree in journalism — or equivalent — required. Minimum three years full-time professional experience in journalism — preferably radio news.
- News director experience is strongly preferred. Management experience is required. Must have strong leadership skills and the ability to manage, train and encourage team members.
- Must possess effective communication and interpersonal skills, effective news judgment and self-discipline.
- Familiarity with public media news programming standards and values required.
- The successful candidate will possess broad knowledge of local and regional issues, and have the ability to work within a live program environment and under tight time constraints.
- Must have training and experience in multimedia production, news writing and editing, and on-air presentation.
- Must have demonstrated experience in developing and producing both short- and long-form radio news content.
- Required technical skills include superior knowledge of Google’s suite of apps, audio editing software (Adobe Audition preferred), and website management software (knowledge of NPR’s Grove is preferred). The ideal candidate will be savvy with various social media platforms.
- Ability to independently set and meet daily and long-term deadlines (for self and subordinate staff, interns, freelancers, etc.) while dealing effectively with multiple tasks simultaneously is key.
