News Director

The Aspen Public Radio News Director is the leader and chief editor of Aspen Public Radio’s newsroom, overseeing news staff and output of news on all platforms. Coverage areas include local governments, arts & culture, education, climate and the environment, public lands, the resort economy, affordable housing, equity and the wealth gap, immigration, and so much more.

We seek a sharp, curious, hard-working, team-oriented person who is excited by new media ideas and the power of radio, ready to lead the growth of an evolving organization.

See below for more information about Aspen Public Radio's history and current news strategy.

Primary Functions

News Strategy: Sets strategic priorities and goals for the local news operation to serve the public, including topics and beats, distribution platform, and geographic coverage priorities. Ensures all Aspen Public Radio news content is accurate, engaging, ethical, and produced with the highest standards of professional journalism.

Editor: Assigns and edits reporters daily, overseeing the quality of news content from features and series to spots and breaking news; works with this team of broadcast journalists to develop coverage plans; serves as the final say over what story ideas should be pursued.

Management: Possesses strong leadership skills, including the ability to lead an effective team by teaching, training, and developing the skills of newsroom journalists, as well as executing the vision for the news department. The news director will effectively communicate, be an active listener who can readily adapt to and champion change, with a commitment to cultivate and advance diversity and inclusion, develop and manage collaborative partnerships, set goals, hold team members responsible, and achieve data-driven results.

Community Engagement: Works with station leadership on developing and executing regular, meaningful, and engaging ways to hear from our listeners and others throughout our listening area about issues of concern; demonstrates curiosity about the diverse communities of the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys and has a willingness to pursue stories that elevate community voices; leads live broadcasts, coverage of breaking news events, participates in emergency preparedness efforts and works on the production of community events such as town hall meetings, debates, community forums, listening sessions, etc.

Duties

Coach and mentor an award-winning team of broadcast journalists, encouraging professional development
Switch seamlessly between editing radio and web copy daily, ensuring that advice is consistent among reporters while maintaining standards of ethics as well as journalistic and technical quality
Provide constructive, clear edits with “writing for the ear” top of mind for radio stories; prioritize live reads and conversational tone for radio copy and give feedback on all stories in a timely fashion before broadcast or digital publication
Create, maintain, and execute coverage plans for developing and breaking news
Take initiative and demonstrate leadership on special reporting series and projects from idea to execution with a collaborative vision
Develop and oversee the editorial focus of the newsroom in collaboration with the news team, demonstrating respect and curiosity for the diverse story opportunities of the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys
Participate in rotating production shifts, including evenings and weekends
Develop (with station leadership) and oversee the execution of a content distribution strategy to include broadcast, digital, podcast, and social media, addressing local, regional, and national audiences
Support the news team as they regularly pitch and execute stories for regional and national reach; cultivate relationships with relevant editors and producers
Strategize with partners such as the Mountain West News Bureau, KUNC’s Water Desk, Rocky Mountain Community Radio, and Aspen Journalism to pursue collaborative projects and stories with a wider reach
Attend major station events, regularly participate in on-air membership drives, and support grant writing/reporting as needed
Represent the news team at board meetings and author presentations, as needed
Serve as a substitute anchor on Morning Edition and All Things Considered, as needed
Manage freelancers and interns, as needed
Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

At least two years of team management and editorial experience
At least two years of audio news production and reporting
Leadership, management, training, and collaboration skills
Strong news-gathering skills and in-depth knowledge of journalism ethics and practices
Strong time management skills
Demonstrated ability to collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds and commitment to advancing equity and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Deep understanding of the purpose and mission of public broadcasting
On-air radio experience, preferably in public media
Spanish language skills
Knowledge of Colorado’s Western Slope and issues in the Mountain West
Content collaboration experience
Understanding of and use of metrics in decision-making