News Producer – Chicago Public Media – Chicago, IL

About Chicago Public Media

To nourish the public conversation by telling the stories that matter—stories that provoke thought, entertain, capture emotion and inspire action.

Chicago Public Media Mission Statement

Who is Chicago Public Media?

Chicago Public Media is one of the largest, most decorated, aggressively creative, and journalistically ambitious public radio organizations in the nation. We are home to WBEZ, Chicago’s NPR news station, celebrating our 75th year anniversary broadcasting at 91.5 FM, and Vocalo Radio, Chicago’s Urban Alternative music station at 91.1 FM. We are the birthplace of such celebrated programs as This American Life, Wait,Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, Sound Opinions, Curious City and most recently, a growing portfolio of podcasts that include Serial, the “Making” series, including Making Obama and Making Oprah, and The Trouble with Shannon Cason. WBEZ’s award-winning newsroom is growing in order to tackle the stories that matter most to our community. As an essential source of news and context, we are a powerful connector across lines of difference.

An opportunity to make an impact

At Chicago Public Media, we believe independent journalism is essential to a well-functioning democracy and access to fact-based, objective news and information a right of every citizen. We serve the public interest by creating diverse, compelling content that informs, inspires and enriches. We connect diverse audiences and help make a difference in our communities, our region and our world. If you are inspired by our mission and want to belong to an organization that inspires you, supports you, and challenges you, we encourage you to apply.

About The Role

The news producer is a vital part of WBEZ’s newsroom, working weekdays in support of WBEZ’s daily news coverage. This position is part of the multiplatform news team, which is comprised of editors, reporters, and producers focusing on broadcast, digital and engagement work. This position is one of three producers primary focused on local audio news production within Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

The audio producer shifts are:

• Morning Producer: 4:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Midday Producer: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Afternoon Producer 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The midday producer is the primary fill-in for the morning and afternoon shifts. Duties include writing, editing and updating news copy; tracking down primary sources; recording and producing interviews for anchors; voicing stories; and following major news stories that are of interest to a diverse audience in a metropolitan region of 9.5 million people.

The ideal candidate will have experience working in a fast-paced news environment and will have excellent news judgement, a thirst for accurate, timely and insightful reporting, and the ability to write quickly and compellingly for broadcast. Our ideal candidate will be resourceful and resilient, with an appetite for adventure and fun, a healthy competitive spirit, and a passion for growth and innovation in a time of dynamic change. They thrive in a daily news setting and love building collaborative relationships with colleagues across the newsroom. They will have the highest ethical standards and a deep commitment to the mission of public media.

This is a mission-driven, creative endeavor in which WBEZ seeks to reflect and shape the diverse public conversation in the eight county Chicago region and beyond.

We believe in empowering journalists to do impactful, editorially ambitious work. We believe in a collaborative culture of editorial rigor, craft and creativity. We are looking for someone who would thrive in such an environment.

This position is based in Chicago. This is a SAG-AFTRA covered position.

Responsibilities:

• As part of the multiplatform news team, ensures maximum relevance, accuracy and clarity of WBEZ’s news programming.
• Write, edit and prepare news copy for newscasts
• Record and edit audio efficiently and effectively for broadcast
• Closely monitor local and national news sources for updates and insights
• Conduct research, gather tape and make calls to gather and advance news
• Support anchors with timely editorial and production needs during live broadcasts
• Book, research, produce and edit live/taped interviews with anchors
• Edit copy for accuracy, relevance and clarity
• Pitch, produce, write, report and voice content – including newscast items, stories, reports and interviews for air and web
• Other tasks and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications:

• BA or equivalent training and experience
• Demonstrated experience and skill in writing broadcast copy, working with anchors, and producing audio for news programs.
• Ability to write and report quickly with a high degree of accuracy in a fast paced news environment
• Ability to consistently meet deadlines
• Demonstrated thirst for news, strong editorial judgment and ability to generate creative story ideas and to take initiative
• Team player with high emotional intelligence and ability to collaborate effectively
• Passion for grappling with ideas critically – your own and those of others
• Ability to craft creative approaches to covering major news stories, issues and ideas, while also executing the many small details and tasks involved in production
• Maintain high journalistic and ethical standards and ensure accuracy and fairness
• Experience producing content for digital platforms and using social media to engage audiences
• Knowledge of Chicago and Illinois is a plus, but not required

Working at Chicago Public Media

At Chicago Public Media, we care deeply about our employees as we know attracting, developing and growing talent is key to our success and enhancing our impact. Our culture is one where collaboration, ideas, and innovation are encouraged. We value colleagues who will enhance our culture by bringing new ideas, diverse experiences and talents to our dynamic workplace.

Chicago Public Media’s dedication to promoting diversity, and inclusion is reflective across our brands, WBEZ 91.5 FM and Vocalo 91.1 FM, in our staff and in our work. We are fully focused on equality of opportunity and believe deeply in diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, experience and all other fascinating characteristics that make us different.

At Chicago Public Media we believe dedication to a great workplace includes supporting our employees and their families. As a result, we provide a broad and generous benefits package for you at hire and in the years to come. Our benefits include:

• 6 weeks fully paid family leave
• 12 weeks paid maternity leave
• High quality Medical, Dental, and Vision plans at an affordable cost
• A 403(b)retirement plan with a company match
• Generous paid time off, including starting with 3 weeks’ vacation and 4 personal days