What are the responsibilities and job description for the EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER - WDBJ position at Gray Local Media, Inc?
About Gray Media:
Gray Media, or Gray, is a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, formally known as Gray Television, Inc. The company is the nation's largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets serving 113 television markets that collectively reach approximately 36 percent of US television households. The portfolio includes 77 markets with the top-rated television station and 100 markets with the first and/or second-highest-rated television station, as well as the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 43 markets totaling nearly 1.5 million Hispanic TV Households. The company also owns Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services. Gray's additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios.
About WDBJ:
WDBJ7, WZBJ, and WDBJ7.com are a Gray-owned dominant CBS-affiliated media powerhouse in beautiful Roanoke, Virginia. Known as “Your Hometown Station®”, WDBJ7 and WZBJ serve 26 counties across the Blue Ridge Mountain region and produce 58 hours of award-winning local news coverage, more than any of its competitors in the Roanoke/Lynchburg market.
For 70 years, WDBJ7 has been the number one station of choice for viewers from Roanoke to Lynchburg and across the New River Valley.
Job Summary/Description:
The Executive Producer (EP) oversees the content and flow of daily newscasts and other platforms. This individual mentors, leads, and coaches producers to help them grow. The EP helps coordinate severe weather and breaking news coverage, ensures the product is accurate, and promotes the image of the station.
Duties/Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):
- Lead editorial meetings along with news managers
- Work with producers to prioritize and organize newscasts following station brand and goals.
- Oversee the content and flow of daily newscasts
- Ensures copy is written clearly, concisely, and conversationally by reporters, anchors, and producers
- Must maintain a working knowledge of current events, community issues, and a list of local contacts
- Research and brainstorm story ideas, and articulate the ideas so that others understand your vision
- Plan special and breaking news coverage and coverage for sweeps periods
- Act as a leader in facilitating teamwork among staff members working on the newscasts
- Accurately and calmly handles decision-making during the on-air process.
- Manage a team of producers, including evaluations and scheduling
- Post TV & web assignments for the team
- Send out text alerts from breaking stories
- Oversee topical promotion
- Create and approve graphics from inception to on-air
- Capable of accurate video editing with an eye for visual elements and graphics that make stories understandable to the viewer
- Fill in for assignment managers & producers
- Communicate with the necessary staff during breaking news
- Post content to the website each day
- Engage viewers using social media
- Perform other job-related duties as assigned
- Work mornings, dayside, evenings, weekends, and holidays as assigned.
Qualifications/Requirements:
- Able to manage, mentor, and lead a team of producers
- Able to edit video and audio on industry-standard equipment
- Basic computer skills, including internet usage and word processing applications
- Ability to write clearly and accurately
- Able to be creative and create compelling and memorable newscasts
- Willingness to work flexible hours and possess the ability to work well with co-workers
- Works effectively with other departments to achieve efficiency and consistency
- Possesses a broad working knowledge of the market - issues, people, and places important to making informed news decisions
- Strong news judgment
- Strong research skills, including conducting online research using various search engines
- Ability to handle and adjust accordingly to last-minute changes
- Ability to make quick decisions and work well under pressure
- Advanced knowledge of newsroom software
- Web publishing/posting skills, photo editing, and limited HTML skills
- Strong initiative and attention to detail are required
- Excellent multi-tasker, strong organizational skills
- Ability to work with limited supervision is a must
- Ability to keep up with national and local news/weather is required
- Knowledge of how social media outlets work; experience with web
- Understanding of and ability to follow and enforce the journalistic code of ethics
- Maintains professional and ethical conduct at the station and in the community
- Remains positive and fosters a positive work environment
If you feel you’re qualified and want to work with a great group of people, go to https://gray.tv/careers#currentopenings, you may type in the job title, station call letters, or click on "apply now", upload your resume, cover letter, and references
(Current employees who are interested in this position can apply through the Gray-TV UltiPro self-service portal)
WDBJ-TV/Gray Media is a drug-free company
Additional Info:
Gray Media provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Gray Media complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Gray Media expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Gray’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.
