Civic News Company, parent company of the nonprofit newsrooms Chalkbeat, focused on telling the story of education in America; Votebeat, dedicated to in-depth reporting on elections and voting; and Healthbeat, covering public health and health policy both nationally and locally, is seeking a propulsive, collegial leader to join our mission as newly created role of Vice President of Growth and Community. This is an exciting opportunity for a mid-career newsroom leader with a robust background in digital media and journalism to integrate modern audience engagement strategies with community outreach, business development, and organizational growth.

This role reports directly to the editor-in-chief, Civic News Company.

The key responsibilities for this role include:

• Setting the editorial audience strategy, including: 

  • Overseeing a deputy who leads the audience team’s day-to-day work. 

  • Defining and implementing best practices for social media engagement. 

  • Driving newsletter growth and strategy. 

  • Leading efforts in data collection, analysis, and reporting. 

  • Expanding distribution through partnerships and external platforms. 

• Collaborating with executive leadership on organizational goal-setting and strategic direction. 

• Developing and executing an audience acquisition strategy.

• Partnering with editorial leadership across all three Civic News verticals to shape coverage informed by audience needs. 

• Evaluating and expanding our membership program, including:

  • Product and technology development

  • Editorial integration 

  • Pricing strategy and tier design

  • Creation of member-only content and events

• Strengthening community reach and supporting geographic expansion, including: 

  • Deepening engagement with our existing community and ensuring their needs are met. 

  • Expanding our audience through strategic partnerships and impactful events. 

  • Partnering with our geographic growth leadership team to find the next locations for our bureaus

About Gray Media:

Gray Media, or Gray, is a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, formally known as Gray Television, Inc. The company is the nation's largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets serving 113 television markets that collectively reach approximately 36 percent of US television households. The portfolio includes 77 markets with the top-rated television station and 100 markets with the first and/or second-highest-rated television station, as well as the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 43 markets totaling nearly 1.5 million Hispanic TV Households. The company also owns Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services. Gray's additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios.

About WDTV:

WDTV (CBS), WVFX (FOX), EVFX (CW), AND EDTV (MeTV) combine to provide local news and weather to all of North Central West Virginia. CBS and FOX combine to carry a predominant number of games for the local favorite Pittsburgh Steelers, and FOX's Big 12 affiliation brings us our treasured WVU football games. We are the largest TV source for local news and entertainment in our area. Celebrating decades of service, and, as a local news leader, WDTV features a recently upgraded news studio and a news team dedicated to local news. We pride ourselves on breaking news and weather alerts, and digging deep into the issues affecting our communities. We're dedicated to informing the public, utilizing television, social media, and the area's only live-streaming newscast.

Job Summary/Description:  

WDTV is looking for a News Director to lead our news team. We are looking for a dynamic news professional who excels with high expectations, passion, and dedication. The candidate will lead the development of content for WDTV and a powerful group of social platforms. The qualified candidate should possess the skills to successfully lead and teach a diverse staff of journalists who seek to raise the bar of integrity and quality of the products. The News Director is a Department Head position and reports directly to the General Manager.

Duties/Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

- Supervising and coordinating news staff and all efforts leading to quality, relevant content
- Make sure content is delivered to the region across multiple platforms with trusted accuracy and timeliness
- Set and disseminate standards and expectations for news and operations employees
- Work in conjunction with other department managers to accomplish the overall station's mission and goals.
- Review daily newscasts to ensure quality control and well-balanced newscasts
- Oversee the planning for news coverage
- Prepare and control news budget for operating and capital expenditures
- Create and implement strategic plans for audience growth
- Build and maintain key relationships to foster a positive news image within the community
- Approve all newsroom and operations personnel decisions
- Responsible for building, training, and empowering an effective newsroom management team and staff
- Responsible for effectively communicating departmental goals and plans, and ensuring those plans are carried out by staff
- Maintain a high level of confidentiality
- Protect and defend journalists' integrity of the news product.
- Effectively promote and execute collaborative efforts between other Gray properties
- Perform other job-related duties as assigned

Additional Info:

Gray Media provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Gray Media complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Gray Media expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Gray’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.

About Gray Media:

Gray Media, or Gray, is a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, formally known as Gray Television, Inc. The company is the nation's largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets serving 113 television markets that collectively reach approximately 36 percent of US television households. The portfolio includes 77 markets with the top-rated television station and 100 markets with the first and/or second-highest-rated television station, as well as the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 43 markets totaling nearly 1.5 million Hispanic TV Households. The company also owns Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services. Gray's additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios.

About KAIT:

KAIT is the blowtorch station in the region with a proven track record of developing journalists and leaders alike. Jonesboro is a college town and a great place to raise a family, with major metropolitan areas and recreation in the Ozark Mountains’ trails, rivers, and lakes nearby.

Job Summary/Description:

KAIT-TV, the Gray Media-owned ABC/NBC/CW affiliate in Jonesboro, Arkansas, seeks a dynamic News Director with proven ability to lead and mentor fellow journalists. The successful candidate will oversee all aspects of the news department, from content on all platforms to developing the team to the department’s budget.

The news director is responsible for all aspects of the News department, including content on all platforms, leading and developing team members, department budget, and developing long-term goals.

Please note - primary job duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the information listed above 

Additional Info:

Gray Media provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Gray Media complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Gray Media expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Gray’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.

About Gray Media:

Gray Media, or Gray, is a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, formally known as Gray Television, Inc. The company is the nation's largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets serving 113 television markets that collectively reach approximately 36 percent of US television households. The portfolio includes 77 markets with the top-rated television station and 100 markets with the first and/or second-highest-rated television station, as well as the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 43 markets totaling nearly 1.5 million Hispanic TV Households. The company also owns Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services. Gray's additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios.

About KMOV:

First Alert Four in St. Louis is looking for an experienced News Director to join our award-winning team and make a difference in our community. KMOV-TV is the most watched station in Missouri and Southern Illinois, and one of the top CBS affiliates in the country. The news operation has been recognized as the Regional Edward R Murrow Winner for Best Newscast and Overall Excellence in the last two years. In 2023, the RTDNA honored KMOV-TV with the National Edward R Murrow Award for Best Newscast. The station operates out of a brand new, state-of-the-art broadcasting and digital facility in the St. Louis suburb of Maryland Heights. St. Louis is a great metro area with a low cost of living and worldwide recognized professional sports, public parks, and tourist attractions. The Gateway Arch, St. Louis Zoo, Forest Park, St. Louis Cardinals Baseball, Blues Hockey, and CITY STL soccer teams are just a few of the major attractions in the St. Louis community that bring millions to the region each year to live, work, and play.

Job Summary/Description:                       

KMOV, the Gray-owned CBS affiliate in the St. Louis, Missouri market, is seeking a News Director to lead our award-winning News Department. The successful candidate will bring an established record of recruiting, developing, and retaining a Newsroom team rooted in strong journalism and innovation. 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, has excellent news judgment, and provides strategic direction for the daily news and long-term planning. Must have a history of managing financial, technical, and human resources.

Duties/Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• 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.
• Demonstrated success recruiting, coaching, and developing talent, with a passion for providing consistent, constructive feedback.
• Experience leading news content creation and management, fostering a collaborative and positive workplace culture that empowers individual and team excellence.
• Strong analytical skills, capable of leveraging complex data to inform and refine content, coverage, and distribution strategies.
• 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.
• Interact daily with all department heads in a mutual effort to achieve station goals and extend our brand.
• Work closely with the General Manager and Department Heads on long-range planning and station initiatives.
• Be a motivator who fosters an inspiring and engaging environment
• Perform other duties, as assigned, to drive and fulfill the mission while abiding by the values of this organization.

Additional Info:

Gray Media provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Gray Media complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Gray Media expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Gray’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.