News Director

ASPEN PUBLIC RADIO: NEWS DIRECTOR 

Join a solid, growing, public media organization in one of the most awe-inspiring and world-renowned culturally rich areas of the country - the heart of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. Home to many organizations and internationally known festivals such as The Aspen Institute, Ideas Festival, Aspen Music Festival, and School, Aspen Film Festival, Rocky Mountain Institute, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, and The Wheeler Opera House. The area features gourmet dining, art galleries, an airport, and hundreds of miles of hiking, biking, camping, climbing, skiing, kayaking, rafting, and world-class fly fishing, as well as one of the most photographed parts of the country; The Maroon Bells mountain peaks. Our service area is Aspen to Glenwood Springs; Rifle to Eagle. 

The News Director is the leader and chief editor of Aspen Public Radio’s newsroom, overseeing news staff, production, and output of news on all platforms. We seek a sharp, curious, hard-working, team-oriented person who is excited by new media ideas, experimenting, and helping to design and grow an evolving organization. 

Primary Functions 

News Strategy: Sets strategic priorities and goals for the news operation to serve the public, including platform, topics and beats, 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 on a daily basis, overseeing the quality of news content from features and series to spots and breaking news; serves as the ultimate gatekeeper and “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 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, develop and manage collaborative partnerships, set goals, hold team members responsible, and achieve results. 

Community Engagement: Works with the development and community engagement manager and program manager on developing and executing regular, meaningful, and engaging news events throughout our listening area such as town hall meetings, debates, community forums, listening sessions, etc. 

Duties: 

• Design and implement story editing processes, quality standards and other aspects related to the allocation of story production and priority 
• Manage and coach a team of three staff reporters; manage occasional interns and freelancers
• Edit the news staff on a daily basis
• Assign reporting and producing tasks including special series and projects
• Responsible for producing their own regular reporting as time allows, but editing is the main priority
• Assist in developing, and ultimately overseeing the implementation of the editorial focus, process, and design
• Develop (with the program manager) and oversee the execution of a content distribution strategy to include broadcast, podcast, digital content, and social media
• Work with the news team and regional NPR editors to consistently participate in nationalizing a local story
• Create, maintain and execute coverage plans for developing and breaking news
• Attend major donor and public events, regularly participate in on-air fundraising and grant writing/reporting as needed
• Represent the news division as required at board meetings and other presentations
• Occasional host fill-in work
• Other duties as assigned