Wanted: Part-time reporter for KCBX News
This position has been filled
KCBX News is an award-winning, small market public radio newsroom covering Salinas to Santa Barbara on California’s Central Coast. KCBX is the NPR affiliate for our region.
Position Summary: This is a great opportunity for a rookie but committed audio journalist to build clips and experience, or for a veteran reporter to continue working in the field and still have some time to devote to freelance or other work. You will serve as a part-time, general assignment reporter (25 hours/week), filing daily news reports and features for broadcast and web. Your stories will cover all beats—government, education, environment, business, arts & culture, science, health, etc.—and you will have the freedom to pursue investigative and enterprise stories that excite and challenge you. You will work under the supervision of, assist, and fill in for the News Director. Regular hours will be Monday through Friday with occasional work after hours or on weekends. The starting hourly pay rate for this part-time position is $20/hr.
Responsibilities:
- Writes and prepares news stories for the evening and morning local news broadcasts and for the station website
- Covers breaking and daily-turn news as well as enterprise and long form reporting. We want a reporter who can uncover and break news.
- Fills in for News Director as needed, planning, reporting and presenting news during NPR's All Things Considered and Morning Edition.
- Edits audio and text for others, including News Director, interns, and freelancers
- Posts news stories to social media daily
- Participates actively in on-air fundraising campaigns, including occasional weekend hours
Required Qualifications:
- Minimum one year of professional experience writing/reporting news for broadcast
- Ability to build diverse sourcing to uncover the topics and trends that shape the distinct cities and areas of the Central Coast.
- Strong writing and editing skills, knowledge of AP style, and experience with digital and long-form storytelling
- Strong interviewing skills
- Excellent audio gathering, editing and production skills, and proficiency with photography
- Strong on-air skills, including confident and conversational delivery. Minimum one year of experience announcing live broadcast.
- Rapid decision-making and troubleshooting skills. Ability to deal with breaking news as it emerges, and to think quickly in times of local crisis.
- Familiarity and experience creating web and social media content
- Must understand the fundamentals of fair and accurate reporting, and strictly adhere to the NPR Ethics Handbook
- Proven record of punctuality, reliability and ability to produce quality work on strict deadlines
- Effective time management, critical thinking, teamwork and interpersonal communication skills
Preferred Qualifications:
- Four-year degree in broadcasting, journalism or equivalent
- Knowledge of the mission of public radio, and a track record of appreciation and dedication to that mission
- Experience reporting on government and political news
KCBX is a community licensed public radio station located in San Luis Obispo, CA, and serves three counties on the Central Coast. KCBX is committed to an effective EEO program, and abides by the following nondiscrimination policy:
KCBX provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, color, religion or any characteristic protected by law.
Qualified applicants may submit cover letter, resume and audio & web samples of your reporting and on-air work to jobs@kcbx.org with the subject line, "Part Time Reporter". Position open until filled.