Director of News and Public Information

Job Description

Summary:

The Director of News and Public Information at MCM is responsible for overseeing the editorial process and distribution of multi-platform news and public information programming. This role involves managing reporters, ensuring fair and balanced news coverage, and setting the strategic direction for the department. The director collaborates with other departments to enhance audience engagement, develops and maintains an effective department infrastructure, and manages the department’s budget. The position requires strong leadership, editorial oversight, and a commitment to delivering high-quality, community-focused journalism.

This position offers a hybrid work environment, allowing for a combination of onsite and remote work as needed. The role requires onsite presence for key leadership meetings, team collaboration, and coverage of local events, while also providing flexibility for remote work to manage content oversight, and administrative tasks. The ideal candidate should be adaptable and comfortable working in both in-person and virtual settings to ensure effective communication, leadership, and execution of department objectives.

Creative Duties and Responsibilities:

· Create compelling, accurate, and engaging content across multiple platforms. This role involves researching, writing, and producing podcasts and news stories, ensuring timely and high-quality coverage of relevant topics.

· Work closely with reporters and other staff/contractors to generate story ideas, identify newsworthy topics, and develop coverage plans for community programming, breaking news, feature stories, and investigative reports.

· Provide quality control check enforcing editorial standards for accuracy, grammar, fairness, and journalistic integrity.

· Adapt to trends in news/community media, technological advancements, and changes in audience behavior to adapt the news content strategy as needed.

· Work with the Production, Development and Communications, and Education and Community Engagement departments to coordinate efforts to ensure a cohesive editorial and visual implementation of community stories and programs.

Managerial and Administrative Duties and Responsibilities:

· Provide leadership and manage reporters and journalism interns. Assign and approve stories, provide feedback, and ensure that deadlines are met.

· Responsible for budgeting and department resource allocation for staff, freelancers, and other resources.

· Plan editorial calendars and schedules, determining what topics will be covered and when.

· Provide quick decisions about coverage and messaging in event of a major news event.

· Outreach and placement of interns to provide them with valuable learning opportunities, support their professional development, and contribute to MCM’s talent pipeline.

· Perform other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

Skills Required:

· A bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, English, or a related field.

· 10+ years of experience in professional journalism; strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills with an eye for detail, excellent grammar and punctuation skills, and the ability to ensure accuracy and clarity in content.

· Proven leadership and management skills, including direct responsibility for a diverse skilled and creative staff. Ability to inspire and motivate team members, provide direction, and lead by example.

· Strong project management experience overseeing multiple projects simultaneously, optimizing resource utilization, and ensuring successful project outcomes.

· Excellent news judgment and editorial instincts to identify newsworthy topics, angles, and story ideas. Ability to prioritize stories, assign resources effectively, and make decisions quickly and decisively in fast-paced news environments.

· Familiar with multimedia storytelling formats, including online articles, videos, podcasts, and social media content. Experience with digital publishing platforms, content management systems, and social media platforms.

· Experience in producing content for broadcast TV and/or podcasts is preferred but not mandatory.

The salary range for this position is $85,000 to $90,000.

Please submit resumes to hiring@mymcmedia.org by 5pm ET on Friday, April 25, 2025.

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