What are the responsibilities and job description for the News Director position at KAKE?
KAKE and KAKE.com, Wichita’s legacy ABC affiliate, has an immediate opening for a News Director to lead a dedicated team of journalists and photojournalists in one of America’s most livable cities.
KAKE produces 50 hours of local television news each week and embraces a screen-agnostic approach to coverage through our web site, two mobile apps, streaming video channels, broadcast television stations, and social media platforms and, as a result, enjoys a leadership position in the market with digital audience engagement.
The successful candidate will have a proven track record of audience growth and will understand how to best utilize our social media and digital platforms to that end.
We are committed to excellence in journalism. The primary responsibility of the News Director is to oversee all aspects of our news operation and ensure all KAKE journalists are timely, accurate, and unbiased in their reporting on all platforms. We seek someone who shares that expectation of excellence and can demonstrate their ability to lead strong teams.
You’ll lead efforts to build, train, inspire and retain a top-notch staff of diverse, competitive, driven high-performers. You’ll need to be aggressive in adjusting resources to meet the demand of a shifting local news marketplace.
Responsibilities:
o Work with station and corporate management to set content and brand strategy with a focus on audience growth
o Inspire a team of journalists and production staff to meet a high standard of excellence in a highly competitive marketplace
o Embrace local news delivery through all available platforms
o Lead employee recruitment and retention efforts
o Analyze audience data and be willing to shift resources to address customer demands
o Develop strategies to improve the communities we serve through journalism and outreach
Requirements:
o Minimum 4 years of News Director experience or 7 years in news management/executive producer experience of increasing responsibility
o Degree in Journalism, English, Mass Communications or other applicable discipline required
o Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills with an emphasis on collaboration, setting expectations, accountability, managing conflict, decision-making, coaching & delegation
o Strong broadcast and AP style writing skills for all platforms
o Strong command of journalism ethics and the tenets of professional journalism
o Competency with Microsoft Office applications, newsroom software, social media, camera equipment, and editing systems
Interested candidates can apply to:
Mark Kurtz
Corporate Director of News
Lockwood Broadcast Group
mkurtz@lockwoodbroadcast.com
No telephone calls please
Lockwood Broadcast Group and KAKE provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Pre-employment drug test is required along with a background screen as allowed by federal, state, and local laws and regulations.