Position Summary:
A managing editor at KQED helps lead a large team of professional journalists, in setting editorial priorities on coverage across platforms. A managing editor guides coverage that always aims to get beneath individual events to examine the patterns, policies, power structures and thought habits driving those events.
Managing editors work closely with the news leaders across the state, including other managing editors, editors, reporters and producers. This opportunity calls for a journalist with a deep understanding of journalism and storytelling done in service of audiences and the audiences we wish to attract. The editor’s primary responsibility is to direct strategy and management of journalists across the state, as well as to generate story ideas and execute edits.
KQED is focused on recruiting and retaining a diverse group of talented journalists and media makers, who reflect and represent the communities we serve. The journalist in this managing editor role will help to create an inclusive culture and ensure that journalists of color are able to inject their unique perspectives into the ideas and the workflow of KQED’s journalism.
Managing Editor, California Newsroom Addendum
This managing editor plays a unique role, working with KQED and reporting to the VP of News for KQED, but spanning public media and nonprofit newsrooms across the state as part of the collaborative partnership of the California Newsroom. This role works with NPR and member stations in California through a regional “news hub” built on collaboration, with a focus on investigations and enhancing breaking news coverage. This managing editor (A) develops the regional news hub’s editorial vision for new ways for stations to work together and with other partners to cover the state for local, regional and national audiences, (B) manages and leads a team of investigative journalists working independently and with member stations to produce accountability journalism for local, state, regional and national audiences, and (C) leads statewide coordination of breaking news coverage, along with feature stories, digital and enterprise journalism.
A managing editor is expected to focus on and help grow audience reach across partner affiliates (with a particular emphasis on new audiences), build processes to streamline workflows so that we reduce the amount of resources we're all expending (election content sharing), and coordinate and create impactful work. The governance committee will be responsible for assessing the performance related to these goals.
This managing editor is a highly organized manager who collaborates and communicates well with a wide range of stakeholders. This is also a hands-on role, so the managing editor must be able to edit audio and digital work, coach reporters, and make quick decisions about breaking news. The managing editor will be an employee of KQED in San Francisco, but could choose to make their home base at one of the other partner stations: CapRadio in Sacramento, LAist in Pasadena, KCRW in Santa Monica or KPBS in San Diego. NPR and CalMatters are also managing partners of the California Newsroom.
KQED envisions a public media organization with a culture that centers on human dignity, equity, and belonging. This will enable us to better serve and reflect the Bay Area through diverse and inclusive storytelling.
We value the contributions of marginalized people in society — including Black, Indigenous, and all people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people — and we believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do, and we strongly encourage members of these communities to apply.
KQED Code of Ethics https://www.kqed.org/about/code-ethics
The mission that drives us:
KQED provide citizens of Northern California with a community-supported alternative to commercial media. We provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone and engage audiences to share their stories. We help students and teachers thrive in 21st-century classrooms, and take people of all ages on journeys of exploration- exposing them to new people, places and ideas.
This role will work hybrid between working in KQED's newly renovated headquarters and working remotely. KQED requires employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Salary Information: $148,000-$185,000 Annually
Essential Functions:
-
Manage a team of editors, senior editors, and other journalists, as a supervisor and in production of both shorter-term and ongoing editorial projects. Provide clear guidance, feedback and supervision to staff. Assess performance of staff by establishing standards and working to encourage professional development.
-
Set daily and long-term news strategy and production deadlines, through participation in meetings and ongoing conversations with peers, partners and direct reports. Tracks and collects data to indicate outcomes and impacts of the Hub and its work.
-
Lead blue-sky brainstorming for collaborative project work for teams.
-
Assist in recruiting and hiring new team members.
-
Communicate continuously, collaboratively and effectively with senior leadership.
-
Specifically produce and distribute weekly updates, to stakeholders including editorial partners, on hub editorial reach, including how many audience members were reached through hub work and whether we are serving new or existing audiences.
-
Performs other essential duties as required.
-
Assess editorial skills among partners, facilitate training/professional development sessions and be available for 1:1 coaching and mentoring
-
Leads the planning of statewide special coverage on issues that impact all of California, including (but not limited to) election content.
-
Focuses coordination efforts on work that features and helps showcase the unique perspectives from all Hub partners.
-
Works to produce and maximize efficiencies of working together, as opposed to duplicating similar coverage efforts.
Knowledge/Experience Required:
-
Bachelor’s degree or higher, or equivalent experience
-
Mastery of audio and digital production and editing.
-
Proficiency in audience data and able to incorporate analysis of that data into editorial
-
Exemplary communication and collaboration skills
-
Passion for mentoring, coaching and developing journalistic talent in a newsroom organization. Ability to identify on the job learning opportunities
-
Ability to work inclusively with a diverse staff
-
Strong writing, producing and editing skills