News Director

WTOP is looking for a forward-thinking individual to help oversee day-to-day operations of our newsroom. The News Director is responsible for ensuring WTOP’s radio content is compelling and impactful, and resonates with our target audience. The news director helps ensure WTOP’s content meets our high journalistic standards to secure our position, today and in the future, as the dominant trusted source for news that matters to people in the D.C. region.
Job Responsibilities

*Oversee quality control of WTOP’s radio product. Work directly with producers, reporters and other newsroom leaders and staff to ensure story choice, writing and production are of the highest quality and meet WTOP’s compelling content standards.

*Develop story ideas that meet WTOP’s stated goals and target audience

*Assign stories and events for reporters to cover

*Continually identify programming that can be used as benchmark material on WTOP to drive listening. This new programming can appear on an hourly, daily or weekly basis.

*Help oversee newsroom decision making during breaking news situations

*Supervise 20-25 direct reports, ensuring individual growth of staff members, approving timecards, conducting air checks and annual reviews, overseeing training, creating schedules, handling sick calls and approving expense reports. Provide regular feedback to direct reports.

*Work with Digital News Director and Director of Marketing to help ensure cohesion of news products across platforms

*Coordinate weather coverage with external partner

*Coordinate coverage for large-scale special events such as elections and reporter series

*Create, update and maintain training guides to ensure quality control and mission are met. Oversee onboarding and training of new employees.

*Be insightful, knowledgeable and open-minded to assist in writing news policy, subject guidelines for staff

*Develop new and innovative content

*Collaborate with sales team to optimize revenue opportunities