Senior News Editor, BBC South West - Plymouth - EXTEND
BBC Local provides a rich mix of content across Online, TV, radio, on demand, social and mobile platforms for audiences across England. Our aims - to reflect society in all its different aspects - providing impartial news and current affairs and showcasing local stories, talent and creativity - are as important today as at any time in our history. There is a really strong appetite for local programmes and content on all our platforms.
Our local TV news programmes are the most watched news programme in the UK, bar none. We are ambitious for the future of BBC Local and now we want to ensure that our multimedia service delivers effectively across the BBC’s mobile portfolio, including BBC Sounds, BBC News and BBC Sport.
The Senior News Editor for BBC South West reports to the regional Head of Production, Stephanie Marshall, and leads the delivery of high quality and engaging journalism across online/mobile, tv and radio.
Main Responsibilities
The Senior News Editor is responsible for an integrated, multi-media news operation spanning multiple local bases. You will set the standard when it comes to promoting and embracing a collaborative team culture focused on delivering value to all audiences across our platforms.
In this role, you will ensure the delivery of outstanding, distinctive journalism when and where the audience wants it - across online/mobile, on demand, tv, radio and social. We want the BBC to serve new and existing audiences and grow new habits across live and on-demand services. You will lead a process of organisational and continuous change to establish and embed a ‘digital first’ news operation where all news teams work together as one for the benefit of our audiences.
You will manage and motivate production teams across multiple sites to deliver creative and innovative content, ensuring that programmes and content meet their audience objectives whilst driving improvements in the diversity of the workforce to ensure the full diversity of local life and communities is reflected on air.
You will work closely with the Head of Production, other Senior News Editors and the Executive Editors as part of a multi-media leadership team within the region and act as an ambassador for the BBC. You will collaborate with peers and the regional Head of Production to develop and deliver shared programmes that engage local audiences across multiple local broadcast areas, striving to ensure that the audio and news teams work effectively together in partnership.
You will ensure audience data and insights are at the heart of story choices and treatment and that innovation and visual storytelling help shape the output on a daily basis.
Are you the right candidate?
To succeed in this role, you will need the ability to adapt to ongoing business change and help others to do so with the capability to provide inspirational leadership, support career development and talent retention and act as a role model to your teams and colleagues.
You should have experience of creative production and complex editorial decision-making with the ability to look ahead and to continue to develop creative content in response to changing audience consumption patterns.
We are looking for a leader with a track record of establishing a positive, engaged and supportive culture within teams and a demonstrable ability to collaborate and build strong relationships. You will have excellent communication and influencing skills with experience in managing complex relationships and ensuring outcomes are met through a culture of collaboration, dialogue and engagement across all levels.
You should be able to demonstrate first rate editorial judgement with experience of supporting the delivery of high impact and original journalism, taking challenging editorial decisions and dealing with matters of legal sensitivity under pressure.