Who We Are:
Southern California Public Radio (SCPR) is a member-supported public media network whose mission is to strengthen the civic and cultural bonds that unite Southern California's diverse communities by providing the highest quality news and information service on air at LAist 89.3, online at LAist.com and through LAist Live Programming & Events. Since our founding in 1999, SCPR has been a fast growing, innovative, multi-platform public service newsroom. Every day, our staff helps audiences catch up on the latest headlines, solve the complexities of life in Southern California, and connect curious communities to one another.
Position Summary:
LAist is a non-profit newsroom that keeps Angelenos informed and helps them navigate, discover, connect and affect change. We’re looking for an associate producer to help cover daily news, Wednesday through Sunday.
You’ll be successful if you have a passion for keeping up with current events and love to ask a lot of questions. You should be a strong, concise writer who can toggle between audio and digital platforms.
We’re looking for a fast-paced journalist who is as interested in the why as the what, and has a track record of inclusive storytelling. We have ambitious plans for our newsroom’s daily coverage. This position requires you to play a critical role in getting the day started on weekends and keeping us current on weekdays. That means staying on top of new stories that develop overnight and using social media and other resources to track developments throughout the day. You will work closely with the weekend newscast host and your supervisor to deliver the latest news and to plan ahead for content serving audiences on LAist 89.3, LAist.com, and our on-demand platforms.
The ideal candidate is a self-starter who thrives in a daily news environment and is committed to an audience-first approach.
Compensation:
The pay rate for this opportunity will be no less than $24.33 per hour and no more than $29.09 per hour. Exact pay rate determined by experience and education related to the role, organizational compensation structure, budget and internal equity. The grade of this position is FS.
Position Responsibility:
- Write premium quality copy for newscasters, hosts, and LAist.com. Edit broadcast worthy audio under deadline.
- Respond quickly to breaking news and developing stories.
- Understand and deploy our promise to practice diversity, equity, and inclusion in how we assign, report, edit, produce, and distribute our journalism.
- Conduct phone interviews with news subjects. Identify cuts to pull and produce for air.
- Work with digital team to update and contribute content to LAist.com.
- Pitch story and interview ideas for news magazine shows and LAist.com.
- Arrange live interviews with guests.
- Research and book newsmakers, prepare research material for host and write news items for host.
- Heavily contribute to overall production of the show and newscasts and LAist.com. Ensure editorial and production standards are met.
- Must be fluent in social media. Monitor and mine platforms for news updates.
- Fill-in for the producers of Morning Edition and All Things Considered, as needed.
- Process audio from reporters and outside news services, listening for content and quality.
- Help train interns, assistant producers and new on call/temp producers.
- Other duties as required.
Required Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience.
- Two or more years production, editorial or related experience.
- Experience with news writing, interviewing, and editing.
Required Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:
- Knowledge of local, national, and international news; market knowledge.
- Excellent news judgment.
- Ability to identify and pursue leads and newsmakers that will result in headline news.
- Digital audio editing and field production skills.
- Experienced researcher with excellent writing skills.
- Proven ability to contribute to a positive, diverse, creative, high-performance culture.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
- Ability to evaluate content/quality/sound and act decisively with sound judgment.
- Knowledgeable in live broadcast.
- Good interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to work effectively under pressure with a team and to meet deadlines.
- Critical reading and listening skills are required.
- Become and remain a member in good standing of SAG-AFTRA by the thirtieth (30th) day of employment.
Reporting To This Position:
None.
Physical Demands and Working Conditions:
- Must be able to work shifts of early morning or late evening hours, as necessary.
- Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
Physical Demands:
- Required to move about in an office environment and sit for extended periods of time.
- Frequent use of hands for data entry/keystrokes and simple grasping.
Working Conditions:
- Moderate noise level.
Southern California Public Radio (LAist 89.3/LAist.com/LAist Studios) is diverse in race, ethnicity, language, culture, social class, national origin, religious and political belief, age, ability, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation in addition to other markers protected by law.
At SCPR, we strive to create an inclusive environment where we all feel pride in who we are and what we do. We are encouraged to show up as we are – always embracing and recognizing that our diversity is what brings us together. Our fundamental commitment to diversity:
- Enriches SCPR and provides an atmosphere in which all human potential is valued
- Promotes learning through interactions among people of different backgrounds and many perspectives, and
- Enables the organization to prepare all employees to promote social responsibility, equity, freedom, and productive citizenship in a global society
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.
We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage you to apply.