NEWS DIRECTOR - WSFA

Job Description

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 WSFA:

WSFA 12 News is the dominant television and digital media station in Montgomery, Alabama. For over 70 years, WSFA 12 News has served a 15-county DMA and is Central and South Alabama's most trusted source for news, weather, and sports information on-air and online.

Job Summary/Description:

WSFA 12 News in Montgomery, AL, is seeking a dynamic and experienced News Director to lead our award-winning team. The ideal candidate will bring a proven track record of newsroom leadership, including the development of effective processes and protocols that drive employee growth, enhance both digital and broadcast content, and support sound editorial decision-making. Our next News Director will be transformational—increasing digital and social media content, embracing investigative journalism, and celebrating creative storytelling. This role requires exceptional news judgment, strategic planning skills, and the ability to manage all aspects of content operations, including financial, technical, and human resources.

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

- Manage and oversee the News Department.
- Work closely with the news team to produce high-quality, relevant, local digital/broadcast news content that sets the station apart from competitors.
- Prioritize collaboration of the News Department with Marketing and Operations
- Consistently recruit, coach, and develop talent.
- Maintain a strong connection with the corporate recruiting team while also developing your own local connections with local and regional colleges/universities
- Communicate often and have a passion for providing consistent, constructive feedback.
- Strong analytical skills, capable of processing research and ratings 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, embodies storytelling, and is nimble during breaking news.
- Interact daily with all department heads in a mutual effort to achieve station goals, extend our brand, develop long-range plans, and station initiatives
- Be a motivator who creates 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.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

Job Requirements

Qualification/Requirements:

- Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Mass Communications, or related field.
- 2 years of previous experience in newsroom leadership is required.
- 5 years of previous experience in digital and broadcast news content development.

(Current employees who are interested in this position can apply through the Gray-TV UltiPro self-service portal)

WSFA-TV/Gray Media is a drug-free company

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