Visual Journalist
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 89.3 KPCC, online at LAist.com and through KPCC In Person. 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:
We’re seeking a Visual Journalist who is excited to tell stories about Southern California — its communities, news and culture — on different platforms. In a sense, you will be our eyes and we will lean on you to guide our visual content to reflect the diversity of Los Angeles. This includes producing compelling visuals tailored specifically for our digital and social platforms — whether that means producing a character-driven, narrative video, crafting an animated video explainer, or putting together TikTok content. Still photography is still a very important need in our newsroom. Your work will be integral to the audience experience. Preference will go to candidates who have a track record of growing social audiences via visual storytelling strategy (Instagram, TikTok or video) and those who are experienced in project management. Bilingual language skills are a huge plus; it’s L.A.
Compensation:
The pay rate for this opportunity will be no less than $32.94 per hour. Exact pay rate determined by experience and education related to the role, organizational compensation structure and internal equity.
Position Responsibility:
- Be a leader for Southern California Public Radio’s visual editorial strategy
- Understand and embrace our promise to practice diversity, equity and inclusion in how we assign, report, edit, produce and distribute our journalism.
- Create platform-specific visual content, including video, motion graphics/animation and photos
- Craft and deploy plan to heighten our visual journalism to mobile-first readers
- Work closely with reporters, producers and editors to translate their stories into compelling visuals
- Pitch and produce visual stories that align with LAist’s goals that further our engagement with L.A.’s communities
- Coach and inspire newsroom staff in the use of video, photography and graphics
- Provide oversight of video production and still photo equipment
- Assist with assigning and editing photo freelancers
- Collaborate with newsroom editors/producers to create content — on-air or digital — during breaking or live news
- Collaborate with digital product designer to ensure visual editorial content is consistent with the site’s overall visual brand
- Collaborate with digital team to grow audience through visual storytelling
- Use metrics — on- and off-site — to guide our visual journalism’s strategy
- Other duties as assigned
Required Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s in journalism/communications or equivalent experience.
- 3-5 years of experience editing and producing platform-specific visual content
- Experience with a wide range of camera and lens systems and experience using several different kinds of cameras
- Experience training reporters, producers and editors with levels of technical expertise
- Extensive experience with Adobe After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop and Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro
- Design knowledge including color, composition and typography
- Portfolio of previous work that includes at least 3-5 examples of visuals made for a professional site or social platform
- Become and remain a member in good standing of SAG-AFTRA by the thirtieth (30th) day of employment
Required Technical Skills and Other Competencies:
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
- Knowledge of social platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok
- Interest in Los Angeles news and culture
- Familiarity with photo editing software
- Visual asset management experience
Preferred Skills and Experience:
- Bilingual
- Data visualization and graphic design experience
Reporting To This Position: None
Physical Demands and Working Conditions:
- Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation
- Physical Demands:
- Required to move about in the community
- 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
- Occasional exposure to prevalent weather conditions
Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: 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 members of diverse groups to apply.