Editor: Health, News & Politics
KCUR 89.3, NPR in Kansas City
Kansas City
,
MO
Application Deadline: Friday, Sep 09, 2022
Description
KCUR 89.3 seeks an editor to lead our coverage of health, Missouri politics, investigations and other news, ideally with an eye on legal and business affairs as well.
We seek a colleague who can find stories where no one else sees them, who can inspire reporters at all stages of their careers, who is passionate about working collaboratively with talented reporters producing top-notch journalism and committed to our mission of fostering a diverse, inclusive and welcoming culture.
This editor will oversee reporters on our health, politics and investigative beats, as well as other reporters depending on the editor’s areas of strength and interest. The editor should be comfortable working quickly on the news of the day with veteran reporters as well as those at the earliest stages of their careers, including interns, across all of our platforms — radio, digital, social media and podcasts.
KCUR editors work closely with each other as well as the producers of Up to Date, our weekday public affairs program, and the producers of our Kansas City Today daily news podcast. They also collaborate daily with the investigative team at NPR’s four-state Midwest Newsroom; the editor overseeing rural and agricultural issues in six states with Harvest Public Media; and the editor in the statewide Kansas News Service. This editor reports to the director of content-journalism.
Our new colleague should possess a keen understanding of what makes public media journalism special, but also have ambitions to help drive public media forward.
Characteristic duties
- Generates, assigns and edits daily and longer-range stories by reporters covering health, politics, investigations and other beats, including spot radio stories and written stories for the web.
- Ensures an efficient approach to news gathering and reporting that produces in-depth coverage of distinction, including breaking news situations.
- Participates with other editors on daily news budget calls and a weekly meeting with the station’s editorial leadership to create an integrated approach to the team’s work.
- Ensures reporters are tracking sources for all stories.
- Reports for radio and web as needed.
- Serves as a resource for talk shows and podcasts, including identifying sources and opportunities for additional coverage, conducting two-ways and interviews, and appearing as a guest.
- Oversees the work of interns at times.
- Participates in assigned fund-raising and outreach activities, on air and off.
- Other duties as assigned.
Minimum qualifications
A Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least four years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary.
Preferred qualifications
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in journalism, communications or a related field.
- Demonstrated ability as a newsroom leader.
- Three years of management experience or daily reporting experience in a public media or news organization.
- Experience in operating a variety of broadcast equipment including digital editing systems (e.g. Adobe Audition), field recording units and other production equipment.
- Ability and willingness to work a varied schedule.
- Excellent writing skills, proven news judgment, and journalistic integrity.
- Ability to cover breaking news as well as report through long-form, innovative storytelling.
- Strong interpersonal, oral and written communication skills with both internal and external audiences.
- Ability to work on diverse projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment.
- Demonstrated ability to take direction and work collaboratively with various personalities.
- Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines.
- Enthusiasm for the role of public media in a changing journalism environment.
Salary
Up to $65,000, based on experience, education and internal equity.
How to Apply
KCUR 89.3 is the NPR affiliate in Kansas City and is an editorially independent community service of the University of Missouri – Kansas City. Please apply online at UMKC’s website: https://info.umkc.edu/hr/careers/ Select “Staff Position,” then “View Jobs,” then “View All Jobs.” This posting will remain open until filled; review of applications to begin August 22, 2022.