NEWS PRODUCER (ASSO) - WDBJ
Gray Media is a growing multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and the nation’s largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets. The portfolio includes 117 full-power television stations reaching approximately 37% of U.S. television households, with 80 markets featuring the top-rated station and 100 markets ranking first or second in average all-day ratings. Gray also owns the largest Telemundo Affiliate group (46 markets), Gray Digital Media (a full-service digital agency), video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios.
WDBJ7, WZBJ24, and WDBJ7.com are Gray-owned media properties serving 26 counties in the Blue Ridge Mountain region of Virginia. As “Your Hometown Station®,” WDBJ7 and WZBJ24 produce over 55 hours of award-winning local news weekly—more than any competitor in the Roanoke-Lynchburg market—and have been the number-one station for 70 years.
About the role
A producer is one of the most crucial positions at a television station. The role requires a strong leader who is an excellent communicator, organized, and passionate about news.
Responsibilities
- Prioritize, organize, and produce newscasts
- Maintain working knowledge of current events, community issues, and local contacts
- Search wire services, network feeds, websites, and other sources to find relevant material for newscasts
- Work with news management to determine which stories to air during newscasts
- Coordinate story assignments with news management
- Collaborate with operations staff to build graphics
- Act as leader in facilitating teamwork of staff members
- Accurately edit video with an eye for visual elements that make stories understandable to the viewer
- Work with directors and anchors on presentation of stories
- Write news stories
- Monitor competition’s shows and website for missed leads
- Assist producers in formatting other newscasts
- Assist reporters on story development, story expectations, and accurately gathering information under pressure
- Write creative headlines and teases
- Research and brainstorm story ideas, present ideas in editorial meetings
- Generate promotable story ideas daily
- Post and update stories and video to station website and social media sites, engage viewers
- Work with the web staff during breaking news and alert users on all platforms
- Perform other job-related duties as assigned
Requirements
- 1–3 years of producing experience in broadcast news with a Bachelor’s degree
- Clear, concise, and conversational writing skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Demonstrate solid news judgment
- Maintain strong journalistic ethics
- Strong initiative and attention to details
- Be creative and create compelling and memorable newscasts
- Knowledge of newsroom software and of web posting software
- Edit video and audio on industry-standard equipment
- Build graphics and use them effectively in shows
- Handle and adjust to last-minute changes
- Make quick, accurate decisions and work well under pressure
- Strong research skills, including online research using various search engines
- Ability to stay current with national and local news/weather
- Intermediate level knowledge of social media
- Ability to meet tight deadlines and work well under pressure
- Ability to work independently with little supervision
- Demonstrate leadership through training and mentoring less experienced staff members; guide others to get the desired outcome
- Ability to remain positive and foster a positive work environment; work well with co-workers