Television News Director

Position Summary

Lead the news coverage for 150,000 residents in Illinois’ third-largest city.

Naperville Community Television (NCTV17) is seeking an experienced journalist to set the editorial agenda, guide daily news coverage, and lead a small independent nonprofit newsroom serving Naperville.

This is a senior leadership role for a reporter or producer who believes local journalism builds trust, strengthens communities, and keeps residents informed on the issues that shape their daily lives.

You’ll oversee coverage of local government, education, and community life – while mentoring a team of journalists and ensuring every story is accurate, unbiased, and timely.

This role is ideal for a seasoned print, digital, radio, or video news reporter or producer ready to lead a newsroom and shape how a community stays informed.

Key Responsibilities

Editorial Leadership & Story Planning

• Lead daily and long-term planning of news coverage
• Set story priorities and assign coverage that informs and connects the community
• Identify gaps and opportunities to strengthen local reporting

Newsroom Leadership

• Manage and support a small news team with clear direction and expectations
• Oversee workflow, scheduling, and timely delivery of content
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and growth-oriented newsroom culture

Breaking News & Daily Execution

• Guide the team through breaking news situations, from initial reporting to publishing updates
• Ensure accurate, timely coverage across platforms under daily deadlines

Reporting & Storytelling

• Contribute original reporting, including writing and producing news stories
• Support daily content needs, including web articles and occasional on-air contributions
• Bring strong news judgment and storytelling skills to all content

Editorial Standards & Oversight

• Review and refine scripts and stories for accuracy, fairness, clarity, and tone
• Uphold journalistic standards and editorial independence across all coverage

Digital Publishing & Performance

• Oversee publishing on NCTV17.org with a focus on clarity, timeliness, and consistency
• Use analytics to evaluate story performance and inform coverage decisions
• Push out stories across all social media platforms

Production Quality (Multi-Platform)

• Provide guidance to ensure strong visual and audio quality
• Collaborate with team members on best practices for storytelling across formats

Community Engagement

• Build and maintain relationships with local schools, organizations, and government sources
• Stay connected to the community to inform relevant, responsive coverage

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communications, or Broadcast Media
• Minimum of 7 years (post-college) of professional experience in news as either a reporter or producer for a network affiliate, newspaper, radio, or digital platform
• Proficient in writing and storytelling
• Demonstrated leadership in a newsroom setting
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Proofreading skills essential
• Experience in video editing and camera operation is preferred, but not required
• Valid Illinois Class D driver’s license

Compensation

• Salary ($65,000 – $69,000 based on experience)
• Single-person health, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance
• 12 days PTO plus 5 sick days, 2 personal days, and 10 company holidays
• Simple IRA with a company match up to 3%

Local candidates are preferred. No relocation funds are available.

Apply

Interested parties should submit a resume, cover letter, and demo link to: work@nctv17.org. Please put the job title in the subject line. NO phone calls.