Illinois Capitol Bureau Chief

Job Description

Illinois Capitol Bureau Chief - WGEM

About WGEM (Bureau):

This bureau serves seven Gray Media, LLC stations with Illinois counties in their DMAs. WGEM in Quincy, WEEK-NBC in Peoria, WEEK-ABC in Peoria, WIFR in Rockford, KWQC in the Quad Cities, KMOV in St. Louis and KFVS in Cape Girardeau.

Known for journalistic excellence, WGEM News has won National Edward R. Murrow Awards, multiple Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, Regional Emmy® Awards, and is the recipient of dozens of state broadcasters' association awards in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri each year.

WGEM is a passionate family of marketers driven only by our clients' success! At WGEM, we love to consult, create and collaborate in our own special way. A free flow of ideas, optimism, solutions and hard work make us who we are.

WGEM-TV is a dominant NBC affiliate, serving west central Illinois, northeast Missouri, and southeast Iowa. As the Tri-States' #1 source for news, information, and entertainment programming, we strive to inform and inspire. WGEM has an unwavering commitment to providing great journalism across multiple platforms. In addition to NBC, WGEM also broadcasts FOX, CW, ME-TV, and a local sports radio station.

Job Summary/Responsibilities:

Illinois Gray Media stations are looking for an aggressive Illinois State Capitol Bureau Chief to team with our established capitol bureau photojournalist. Your work will air on seven Gray stations. You will be live daily. We are looking for a journalist who can tell impactful stories that hold elected officials and state agencies accountable. This journalist must have the ability to show how these stories effect our viewers. You will work from our bureau office in the press room at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. Your work will be distributed across Gray through the facilities of WGEM-TV, which also provides newsroom leadership support for this position.

Duties/Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
* Works with news directors to determine, plan and staff all important stories of state-wide politics
* Collaborates with all stations daily to communicate coverage plans and newscast goals
* Must be able to go live when necessary
* Must have excellent news judgment and journalism ethics
* Must have strong writing, storytelling and reporting skills
* Must have ability to shoot and edit your own stories, when necessary
* Must be able to develop and maintain a network of sources and experts at all state agencies and with all political parties
* Must have ability, during election years, to travel throughout the state with candidates for races selected in collaboration with the supervising news director
* Understand open records and FOIA laws and the ability to file regular requests (at least weekly), as well as manage and oversee them
* Must be organized and well-versed in keeping track of legislation and quickly be able to summarize and explain it to viewers in a conversational manner
* Be able to enterprise daily story ideas with state-wide interest even when lawmakers aren't in session.
* Must have ability to be a digital first MMJ. Be able to stream news conferences for all involved stations, report on breaking news, quickly turn web and social stories daily; duties will include a weekly digital program.
* Duties include supervision of at least one other employee in the bureau
* Duties will also include supervision of an in-session Public Affair Reporting intern
* While primarily a dayside Monday-Friday position, must be willing to work longer hours and different days based on legislative sessions and breaking news
* Follow all clothing and appearance guidelines as set by the news director
* Perform other job duties as assigned

Qualifications/Requirements:
* Must be 18 years-old or older
* Bachelor's or master's degree in journalism or related field
* Minimum of 2 years' experience in on-air television news reporting including in-depth long-form reporting, investigations and/or political reporting
* Basic experience with newsroom computer systems is preferred (ENPS)
* Candidates must successfully complete an MVR check
* Must have unrestricted work authorization in the United States
* Candidates must submit a resume, reel and references

Interested applicants can, go to https://gray.tv/careers#currentopenings, you may type in the job title, station call letters, or click on ''apply now'', upload your cover letter, resume, and references (upload/attach demo reel)

WGEM-TV/Gray Television Group, Inc. is a drug-free company

(Current employees that are interested in this position can apply through the Gray-TV UltiPro employee portal)

WGEM-TV/Gray Television Group, Inc. is a drug-free company

Gray Television encourages all new employees to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus virus prior to or by the first workday.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-r067wm-18-191-46-36-42 in your application.