Editor/Trainer - Audio Journalism

$78,000 - $97,000/Yr

Kqed - San Francisco, CA

Full-time - Mid Level

San Francisco, CA

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations

About the position

Editors at KQED play a vital role in producing news and feature content that informs and connects with our audience in a timely manner. They are integral team members who may manage small teams and are expected to foster creative approaches to storytelling across daily, weekly, and monthly news cycles. Editors must remain attuned to trends and unique content that highlight the distinctiveness of our coverage and region within the national landscape. Collaboration is key, as editors work closely with journalists to cover significant issues, assigning and editing both daily news and in-depth features and projects. This specific role is for the Audio Training Editor within the California Newsroom collaborative journalism partnership. The position requires a journalist with extensive experience and skills in writing, editing, and producing audio content that meets high-quality broadcast standards. An empathetic and human-centered approach is essential, as the editor will work with journalists across the state who possess varying levels of audio expertise. A critical aspect of this role involves developing training curricula that can be utilized broadly across the collaborative, as well as tailored training to meet the specific needs of its members. The editor will also provide support and advice to editors, producers, and reporters as needed. This position is high-profile and plays a crucial role in advancing the goals of the California Newsroom, collaborating with newsroom leaders from NPR, KQED, LAist, KCRW, Cap Radio, KPBS, CalMatters, and other outlets. The editor will be responsible for establishing policies and standards that ensure the production of high-quality broadcast journalism. KQED is committed to fostering a culture centered on human dignity, equity, and belonging, which enables us to better serve and reflect the Bay Area through diverse and inclusive storytelling. We value the contributions of marginalized communities, including Black, Indigenous, and all people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ individuals, and strongly encourage members of these communities to apply.

Responsibilities

• Assess editing needs quickly and address them efficiently.
• Ensure articles make sequential and logical sense.
• Fact-check with authors and sources as needed.
• Ensure text is consistent with KQED style guidelines.
• Ensure that images and captions are correct.
• Write or edit highly effective headlines and excerpts that are accurate, compelling, engaging, and SEO friendly.
• Develop training curricula for audio content production.
• Provide support and advice to editors, producers, and reporters as requested.
• Collaborate with journalists to cover significant issues and projects.

Requirements

• Experience in broadcast media as a trainer, editor, reporter, and/or producer.
• Expertise in audio editing systems commonly used in public radio, including Adobe Audition, Pro Tools, Audacity, and Descript.
• Demonstrated ability to create and lead training sessions for all levels of experience.
• Demonstrated skill in radio news scriptwriting.
• Knowledge of public media audio standards and practices.
• Excellent communication and writing skills; ability to write quickly and accurately, with an understanding of tone and style across platforms.
• Ability to meet deadlines and goals while working under pressure.
• At least one year of experience in a similar role in a newsroom or news environment.
• Experience writing and editing quickly and accurately in English.
• Command of AP style.
• Experience with copy editing multimedia content such as graphics, interactives, or videos.
• Proven collaboration skills essential for working with fellow KQED staffers across departments and with partner organizations.
• Experience navigating the front and back end of a content management system.
• Familiarity with social media and engagement platforms.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to stay focused, organized, and proactive while managing multiple projects.

Nice-to-haves

• Non-English language skills (fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, or other widely spoken languages in California).
• Experience with basic HTML.
• Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite.
• Experience using social media tools and platforms to maximize reach and impact.
• Proven capacity to identify opportunities for stories of high relevance to audiences.
• Familiarity with and interest in optimizing language for social media and engagement platforms.

Benefits

• Salary range of $78,000-$97,000 annually.