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 WSAW:

WSAW is Wausau's first TV station, debuting 71 years ago in 1954. Together, WSAW/WZAW produce more than 30 hours of news each week. We work hard and celebrate our wins. In 2025, the news team was recognized as the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association “News Operation of the Year” and also small market “Station of the Year” (for coverage airing in 2024). Also in 2025, WSAW’s podcast— Forgotten: Wisconsin Cold Cases—was honored with a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for the second-straight year.

North central Wisconsin is known as the "Crossroads of Commerce.” Wausau is centrally located within 3 hours or less of Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Green Bay; and is just a two-hour drive from Madison, the state’s capital city. In Wausau, you will live and work where thousands of people come to vacation each year. Whether you're skiing down the slopes of Granite Peak, boating on Lake Du Bay, or enjoying Concerts on the Square or a show at The Grand Theater in downtown Wausau, there's something for everyone and you will enjoy the community we serve.

Job Summary/Description:                       

WSAW/WZAW, the Gray Media-owned CBS and FOX affiliate in north central Wisconsin, seeks its next News Director to lead our award-winning team. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of newsroom leadership, including the development of effective processes and protocols that drive employee growth and enhance digital and broadcast content, and support sound editorial decision-making.

Duties/Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

WSAW/WZAW, the Gray Media-owned CBS and FOX affiliate in north central Wisconsin, seeks its next News Director to lead our award-winning team. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of newsroom leadership, including the development of effective processes and protocols that drive employee growth and enhance digital and broadcast content, and support sound editorial decision-making.

Our next News Director will be transformational— elevating the urgency within the newsroom, owning breaking news and winning the story of the day. You will shape our strategies and ensure the team is executing our brand, Live. Local. First. You will set new expectations to elevate First Alert Weather and a digital first philosophy. As our news leader, you will mentor and inspire excellence, and be willing to hold the team accountable.

Within the community, you will be an ambassador of the station-- representing the station professionally and responsibly at a number of events and championing major station initiatives, including our annual Share Your Holidays campaign benefiting local food pantries and the NewsChannel 7 Diaper Drive.

This role requires exceptional news judgment, strategic planning skills, and the ability to manage all aspects of content operations, including financial, technical, and human resources.

The person we hire must make a daily, noticable impact on our product. Our next News Director will also ensure our newsroom is using all corporate resources and adopting best practices to become a leader within the company and our industry. You have a passion for the job and promoting a positive, collaborative and inclusive newsroom culture. You are committed to this vision of success. As the old saying goes, we “lead by example.”

Duties/Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Manage and oversee the News Department with integrity.
- Work closely with the news team to produce high-quality, relevant, local digital/broadcast news content that sets the station apart from competitors.
- Prioritize collaboration of the News Department with Marketing and Operations.
- Interact daily with all department heads in a mutual effort to achieve station goals, extend our brand, develop long-range plans, and implement station initiatives.
- Consistently recruit, coach, and develop talent.
- Maintain a strong connection with the corporate recruiting team while also developing your own local connections with local and regional colleges/universities.
- Communicate often and have a passion for providing consistent, constructive feedback.
- Skillfully use social media and digital tools to research, discover, and distribute content.
- Lead a culture that owns enterprise, investigative and data-driven reporting, embodies storytelling, and is nimble during breaking news.
- Ensure story selection, development and placement in newscast fits our both our brand and newsroom standards.
- Understand our DMA, key target audiences and where they live.
- Be a motivator who creates an inspiring and engaging environment.
- Celebrate creative storytelling on all platforms.
- Is willing to evolve and try new things. The way we’ve always done things, no longer cuts it.
- Perform other duties, as assigned, to drive and fulfill the mission while abiding by the values of this organization.

Qualifications/Requirements:

- Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Mass Communications, or related field.
- 2 years of previous experience in newsroom leadership is required. Candidates will have a proven track record of success as an Executive Producer, Assistant News Director, or News Director in a professional broadcast news outlet.
- Experience leading and teaching a team, using multi-media digital assets, and maximizing how news is covered and distributed.
- Experience developing a strategic and/or news content development plan for digital and broadcast news.
- Strong analytical skills, capable of processing research and ratings data to inform and refine content, coverage, and distribution strategies.
- Strong management, communication, and people skills required to supervise and interact daily with staff and the community.
- Must be able to demonstrate a strong working knowledge of community issues, as well as an unwavering commitment to journalistic ethics and standards.

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

(Current employees who are interested in this position can apply through the Gray-TV UltiPro self-service portal)

WSAW-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.