News Director

Job Description

News Director

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 WMTV:
WMTV represents one of the finest broadcast facilities in the country. Gray Media's commitment to news excellence can be seen the minute you step foot onto our campus. WMTV is the NBC & CW affiliate in Madison, Wisconsin. WMTV is also the market leader in total news viewership.
Our facility allows our newsroom leaders to secure the finest journalism talent and help them grow into strong content contributors. WMTV has secured the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association ''News Operation of the Year'' four out of five years. In 2022 & 2024, WMTV was awarded the coveted Regional Edward R. Murrow award for Overall Excellence. Eight more Regional Murrow awards brought our station's total to nine. We take great pride in our work ethic and drive to keep our views informed and safe.
Madison is consistently rated one of the best places to live in America. At WMTV, we work hard, but we also enjoy the community we serve. Madison's strong economy, educational system, healthcare, and transportation network (Dane County Regional Airport is the second busiest airport in Wisconsin) provide the perfect blend of Work & Leisure.
Click here to learn more about the Madison market & working at WMTV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7KugIlmEWI
Job Summary/Description:
The ideal candidate will bring a proven track record of newsroom leadership, including the development of effective processes and protocols that drive employee growth, enhance both digital and broadcast content, and support sound editorial decision-making. Our next News Director will be transformational-increasing digital and social media content, embracing investigative journalism, and celebrating creative storytelling. This role requires exceptional news judgment, strategic planning skills, and the ability to manage all aspects of content operations, including financial, technical, and human resources.
Duties/Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):
• Manage and oversee the News Department.
• Work closely with the news team to produce high-quality, relevant, local digital/broadcast news content that sets the station apart from competitors.
• Prioritize collaboration of the News Department with Marketing and Operations
• Consistently recruit, coach, and develop talent.
• Maintain a strong connection with the corporate recruiting team while also developing your own local connections with local and regional colleges/universities
• Communicate often and have a passion for providing consistent, constructive feedback.
• Strong analytical skills, capable of processing research and ratings data to inform and refine content, coverage, and distribution strategies.
• Skillfully use social media and digital tools to research, discover, and distribute content.
• Lead a culture that owns enterprise reporting, embodies storytelling, and is nimble during breaking news.
• Interact daily with all department heads in a mutual effort to achieve station goals, extend our brand, develop long-range plans, and implement station initiatives
• Be a motivator who creates an inspiring and engaging environment.
• Perform other duties, as assigned, to drive and fulfill the mission while abiding by the values of this organization.
Qualifications/Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Mass Communications, or related field.
- 2 years of previous experience in newsroom leadership is required.
- 5 years of previous experience in digital and broadcast news content development.
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)
WMTV-TV/Gray Media is a drug-free company

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Jobcode: Reference SBJ-veenpm-216-73-216-161-42 in your application.