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 WDBJ:
WDBJ7, WZBJ, and WDBJ7.com are a Gray-owned dominant CBS-affiliated media powerhouse in beautiful Roanoke, Virginia. Known as “Your Hometown Station®”, WDBJ7 and WZBJ serve 26 counties across the Blue Ridge Mountain region and produce 58 hours of award-winning local news coverage, more than any of its competitors in the Roanoke/Lynchburg market.
For more than 69 years, WDBJ7 has been the number one station of choice for viewers from Roanoke to Lynchburg and across the New River Valley.
Job Summary/Description:
The News Director supervises all news programming and personnel, and establishes policies for standards and practices within the News department. Provides long-term strategic vision for the News department and protects the integrity of the station's journalists.
Duties/Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):
- Supervise news coverage and the production of newscasts and special news programming on all platforms
- Set and disseminate standards and expectations for news and operations employees
- Work in conjunction with other department managers to accomplish the overall station mission and goals.
- Review daily newscasts to ensure quality control and well-balanced newscasts
- Oversee the planning for news coverage
- Prepare and control news budget for operating and capital expenditures
- Create and implement strategic plans for audience growth
- Analyze and respond to trends affecting the industry and DMA
- Take a lead role in research and marketing strategy,
- Build and maintain key relationships to foster a positive news image within the community
- Approve all newsroom and operations personnel decisions
- Responsible for building, training, and empowering an effective newsroom management team and staff
- Perform performance reviews for direct reports and ensure that other news/operations managers conduct performance reviews
- Responsible for effectively communicating departmental goals and plans, and ensuring those plans are carried out by managers and staff
- Maintain a high level of confidentiality
- Protect and defend the journalist's integrity of the news product.
- Effectively promote and execute collaborative efforts between other Gray properties
- Perform other job-related duties as assigned
Qualifications/Requirements:
- Proficient in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
- Ability to write and edit for conversational news delivery
- Demonstrated ability to coach for excellent performance
- Strong knowledge of current events
- Strong knowledge of standards of journalism, television, and digital news production
- Ability to communicate clearly to employees and to the general public
- Broad knowledge of newsroom operations and equipment
- Working knowledge of journalistic ethics, libel, and privacy laws
- Ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
- Ability to plan and maintain operational budget
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with multiple tasks and deadlines.
- Strong leadership skills; addresses conflicts quickly and directly, and encourages open dialogue
- Ability to adapt to current and emerging technology
- Must have strong problem-solving skills
- Must have good organizational and time management skills
- Ability to work independently with little supervision
- Strong initiative and attention to detail required
- Ability to remain positive and foster a positive work environment
- Must be willing to work flexible hours
- Ability to get along with others and communicate effectively with employees at all levels of the organization.
- Ability to represent the station in public in a positive and professional manner.
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 (upload reel/demo of your work)
(Current employees who are interested in this position can apply through the Gray-TV UltiPro self-service portal)
WDBJ-TV/Gray Media is a drug-free company
Additional Info:
Gray Media provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Gray Media complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Gray Media expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Gray’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.