Story Desk Manager

TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) helps people thrive in their local communities by providing trusted local news and services. With 64 television stations in 51 U.S. markets, TEGNA reaches over 100 million people monthly across web, mobile, streaming, and linear television. WNEP-TV, TEGNA’s ABC affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pa., is seeking a Story Desk Manager to lead its Story Management Desk (SMD), a unified desk replacing legacy assignment and digital desks for streamlined planning, production, and story curation across platforms.

About the role

The Story Desk Manager oversees daily news editorial decisions and sets strategic goals for the newsroom. This role guides content creators in story discovery and presentation with a digital-first approach, manages breaking news coverage, and directs digital strategy for WNEP’s CTV app, mobile app, and social media. The position involves analyzing data to inform editorial decisions, ensuring competitive and impactful content, and collaborating with other departments to monetize digital success.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily coverage decisions and reporter assignments to compete across platforms and own the big story daily.
• Determine the best format for each story, how it should be presented on different platforms, and establish delivery timelines.
• Partner with the news director to optimize programming for the CTV app.
• Plan coverage for upcoming news cycles and lead regular story check-ins throughout the day.
• Analyze and use data and metrics to inform editorial and strategic decisions, creating accountability for results.
• Ensure competitive, engaging, and impactful content for all platforms, including digital (website, mobile app, streaming).
• Collaborate with other departments to monetize digital platform success.
• Provide editorial support for multimedia journalists (MSJs), producers, and photojournalists, reviewing scripts, videos, and content for accuracy, grammar, AP style, digital best practices, fairness, and ethical considerations.
• Lead and communicate newsroom coverage during breaking news, ensuring accuracy, urgency, and balance.
• Uphold TEGNA’s journalistic standards and values across all platforms.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or at least 5 years of journalism experience in a local newsroom, digital production, or related role.
• Superior news judgment and ability to make fast, sound editorial decisions under pressure.
• Proven record of success handling breaking news.
• Experience managing a team of journalists.
• Demonstrated knowledge of content desk operations.
• Experience analyzing audience data and identifying behavioral trends (Google Analytics experience is a bonus).
• Experience helping transform and manage news-gathering systems.
• Impeccable organizational skills with a keen eye for detail.
• Demonstrated success as both a team leader and a team player.
• Strong written and verbal communication, conflict resolution, and interpersonal skills.
• Familiarity with the market is a plus.
• Ability to work a variety of shifts, including nights, early mornings, weekends, overtime, and breaking news situations as needed.
• Knowledge of AP Style is a plus.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage (two medical plan options via Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas).
• Fertility, surrogacy, and adoption assistance.
• Disability and life insurance.
• 401(k) program with 100% company match on contributions up to 4% of pay (100% vested from day one).
• Nine free virtual doctor’s appointments annually via Teladoc for all employees and eligible family members.
• Twelve free annual therapy sessions via Spring Health for all employees and eligible family members.
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and nine paid holidays per year.
• Note: Some benefits may vary for employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement.