Regional Managing Editor, Gulf States Newsroom

The Gulf States Newsroom is seeking an innovative leader to guide our public media collaboration to new heights. The managing editor will oversee day-to-day operations of a nationally-recognized, award-winning team of reporters and editors and bring a vision for creating outstanding journalism and engaging new audiences. This is an incredible opportunity for someone who is passionate about local news and cares deeply about people and communities in the Deep South.

Position open until filled, review of applications begins December 6th, 2024.

Since it was founded in 2020, the Gulf States Newsroom - a collaboration among public radio stations in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, plus NPR - has established itself as a team that illuminates issues and amplifies underrepresented voices. We track shifts in the region, from the expansion of dollar stores, to the rise of collegiate women's wrestling, and efforts to train a new generation of Black farmers. We follow up with communities to shed light on widely-relevant issues like disaster recovery and high utility bills. We've brought in our share of awards, including a National Edward R. Murrow award for Investigative Reporting in the Large Market Radio category. The team launched a podcast called Gulf States Gumbo in October 2024 as a way to package content for an on-demand audience.

The managing editor sets the editorial vision, provides direction and feedback to direct reports and works to build a strong team culture among the partner stations in the three states. You'll lead an awesome team of beat reporters covering health equity, criminal justice, economic mobility, environmental justice and sports and culture across the three states. You'll work with a great pair of editors to set coverage priorities and experiment with new ways of storytelling in an ever changing media landscape.The managing editor also serves as the lead brand ambassador for the newsroom - recruiting and developing talent and elevating the awareness about the regional newsroom within and beyond the collaboration.

Core Responsibilities

Leadership & Vision

• Determine the direction of beats and team roles in collaboration with the partner stations and newsrooms
• Manage a team of nine (6 reporters, 2 editors and 1 producer) across three states
• Work to maintain a positive team culture among a remote team
• Set expectations and workflow for team members

Editorial

• Work with the deputy managing editor and digital editor on coverage planning
• Maintain current platforms for content and develop new initiatives
• Develop and implement systems for organization of content and distribution
• Serve as the central point of contact for editorial leaders at the stations and at NPR, and often as a connector and facilitator of collaboration
• Continue to expand community engagement and social media efforts
• Provide hands-on editing of radio or digital stories as needed

Business

• Work with the business manager to set budget priorities and spending expectations
• Work stakeholders on hiring new positions as needed
• Work with development director to share newsroom vision with funders

Employment Details

The managing editor is employed by WBHM, the lead station of the collaborative based at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and this role is eligible for university benefits. The position reports directly to the executive director of WBHM with additional oversight by the partner station executives.

The Gulf States Newsroom is a partnership among WBHM in Birmingham, Alabama; WWNO in New Orleans and WRKF in Baton Rouge; Mississippi Public Broadcasting in Jackson, and NPR. It's one of several regional newsrooms that are part of NPR's Collaborative Journalism Network, an initiative designed to connect NPR with local member stations to tell the story of the whole country from everywhere in the country. Check out our stories here. For behind-the-scenes insights from our editors and reporters, check out the Gulf States Newsroom Medium.

Minimum requirements:

• At least five years of journalism experience
• Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, or a related field

Desired Skills

• A proven track record of editing original, enterprise stories
• Experience managing individuals
• Excellent writing, communication and organizational skills
• Ability to handle multiple complex projects simultaneously and to adapt to changing priorities/conditions