TEGNA hiring News Director in Midland-Odessa Area | LinkedIn (2024)

KWES, the TEGNA station in Midland-Odessa, Texas is seeking an innovative, passionate News Director with experience leading teams and growing talent.

At KWES, we have our eyes firmly fixed on the future, always looking for new ways to engage, educate and inform our audiences. We are looking for a leader who embraces creative storytelling and investigative journalism as key components of newscasts, as well as digital, streaming and social platforms.

The News Director oversees all content operations and is a leader in the strategic vision for station growth. The ideal candidate has excellent news judgment and strong management skills to own the big story each day.

Most importantly, this News Director should be a motivator who fosters an inspiring and inclusive culture.

NewsWest 9 and TEGNA are re-imagining local news in the digital age – thinking big and being bold to deliver content to our audience on multiple platforms. The ideal News Director can deliver impactful journalism and develop a digital-first road map in line with the strategic vision of our company.

Our Editorial Mission StatementNewsWest 9 produces accurate, relevant content across multiple platforms, empowering people to make informed decisions for themselves and their families. NewsWest 9 encourages our journalists to pursue their purpose, find and tell truths, listen and amplify diverse voices, and filter out disinformation to create understanding, accountability, enlightenment, and empathy.

Responsibilities

• Strategically lead, inspire and manage the news department.
• Oversee on-air and digital news content.
• Work closely with the news team to produce high-quality, relevant, local content that sets the station apart from competitors.
• Prioritize collaboration between television and digital content teams, along with marketing, to create original programming and breaking news coverage for all platforms.
• Foster, encourage and reward out-of-the-box thinking that leads to differentiation and success.
• Emphasize the importance of solid research to build credibility.
• Use consumer analytics to determine content.
• Skillfully use social media and digital tools to research, discover and distribute content.
• Lead a culture that owns enterprise reporting and breaking news across all content platforms. 
• Inspire and coach superior, unique and engaging storytelling.
• Interact daily with all department heads in a mutual effort to achieve station goals and extend our brand.
• Perform other duties, as assigned, to drive and fulfill the mission while abiding by the values of this organization.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and news leadership experience.
• At least 5 years of content experience, including generation of original content and coaching other journalists.
• Successful innovative leadership, along with staff and product development skills. 
• Top notch communication skills are an absolute must.
• Solid journalistic judgement and a news philosophy that emphasizes accurate, fair and unique local content, along with community engagement. 
• Understanding of the tenets of professional journalism.
• Skills in producing engaging, content-driven newscasts and digital content.
• Strong social media skills, including an active news hound presence on Twitter and Facebook. 
• Organizational skills and the ability to work under time pressure deadlines.
• Ability to calmly handle live, breaking news situations and changing events. 

#JM1

BenefitsTEGNA offers comprehensive benefits designed to safeguard the physical, mental and financial health of our employees and their families. TEGNA offers two medical plan options for full and part-time employees through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, as well as access to dental and eye care coverage; fertility, surrogacy and adoption assistance; disability and life insurance.

Our 401(k) program offers full, part-time and temporary employees the opportunity to contribute 1% - 80% of their pay on a pre-tax basis to TEGNA’s 401(k). Contributions made up to the first 4% of pay are eligible for a 100% match from the company and are 100% vested from day one.

Regardless of participation in TEGNA medical plans, ALL employees receive nine free virtual doctor’s appointments with a physician through Teladoc, and 12 annual therapy sessions with a licensed clinician for themselves and each of their family members through Spring Health.

TEGNA’s Paid Time Off (PTO) program begins with 15 days of PTO for full-time employees, and nine paid holidays.

• Union employees should refer to their collective bargaining agreement for details specific to their benefits.

About TEGNATEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) is an innovative media company that serves the greater good of our communities. Across platforms, TEGNA tells empowering stories, conducts impactful investigations and delivers innovative marketing solutions. With 64 television stations in 51 U.S. markets, TEGNA is the largest owner of top 4 network affiliates in the top 25 markets among independent station groups, reaching approximately 39 percent of all television households nationwide. TEGNA also owns leading multicast networks True Crime Network and Quest. TEGNA Marketing Solutions (TMS) offers innovative solutions to help businesses reach consumers across television, digital and over-the-top (OTT) platforms, including Premion, TEGNA’s OTT advertising service. For more information, visit www.TEGNA.com.

EEO StatementTEGNA Inc. is a proud equal opportunity employer. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, hiring and developing individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences to add to our collaborative culture. We value and consider applications from all qualified candidates without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, disability, medical condition, enrollment in college or vocational school, political affiliation, military or veteran status, citizenship status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law. TEGNA will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law. If you are in need of an accommodation in order to submit your application, please email askhr@tegna.com

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