Political Reporter, Kansas News Service — KCUR

KCUR 89.3 is seeking a Political Reporter to join the Kansas News Service, a reporting collaboration of public media stations throughout Kansas.

In this position, the reporter will be covering campaigns and politics, producing in-depth features on the power dynamics across the state and working with the Statehouse reporter to cover the Kansas Legislature for the KNS. This content will range from short on-air newscast stories and longer features to digital content.

The KNS gives wide latitude to our reporters to pitch story ideas and the time to pursue those stories. A successful candidate must be adept at creating and pitching stories. Most of our content starts as ideas from the reporter, and few stories are assigned by editors.

This reporter will need to work collaboratively with editors and reporters that are scattered across Kansas. This involves communicating largely through online services and video calls.

The KNS focuses less on daily news and more on enterprise reporting and analytical stories. There will be times when large breaking news requires us to work fast.

Key responsibilities:

• Produces a steady stream of radio features and companion online stories.
• Regularly works on deadline to produce short radio spot stories and online stories for a general audience heard on public radio stations across Kansas. These stories are also carried by commercial stations and newspapers or other online news sources.
• Available for work on the KNS podcast and make appearances on KNS partner talk shows.
• Collaborates with KNS editors and reporting colleagues on investigative reporting and in-depth reporting projects.
• Captures photographs to accompany stories.
• Promotes own work and that of other KNS colleagues on social media.
• Develops a wide range of news sources within state government, political, activist and analytical organizations that inform the understanding of power dynamics in Kansas. Develops a steady pattern of sources of broad diversity in demographics and world views.
• Participates in KCUR community engagement events, including preparation of materials both for and after events.
• Participates in station fund drives. 
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum qualifications

A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 3 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary.

Preferred qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in journalism, communications, education or a related field.
• Five to 10 years experience as a reporter for a news organization, radio experience a plus. Experience covering politics or a legislature is also a plus.
• Excellent writing skills, proven news judgment, and journalistic integrity.
• A demonstrated ability to identify in-depth news stories with context and impact.
• A demonstrated ability to develop a diverse selection of news sources from differing demographic and political backgrounds.
• A strong devotion to accuracy and journalistic ethics.
• Ability to work on diverse projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment, oftentimes collaborating with editors and reporting colleagues.
• Experience in operating a variety of broadcast equipment including digital editing systems (e.g. Adobe Audition), field recording units, and other production equipment.
• Strong interpersonal, oral and written communication skills with both internal and external audiences.
• Enthusiasm for the role of public media in a changing journalism environment. 
• Ability and willingness to work a varied schedule.

Full-time/part-time

This is a full-time, benefit eligible staff position. The reporter can work remotely from another part of Kansas but the position requires some time spent at KCUR in Kansas City, Missouri.

Salary

$50,367 - $56,000 per year commensurate on education, experience, and internal equity.

Application deadline

Open until filled. Review of applications to begin on March 12, 2024.

Apply online here.

About KCUR and Kansas News Service

KCUR, the NPR affiliate in Kansas City, is an editorially independent community service of the University of Missouri-Kansas City. For information about KCUR and Kansas City, visit www.kcur.org.

The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of public media newsrooms delivering critical reporting of sound and substance. Their work is broadcast every day to virtually all of Kansas, and shared online and in newspapers in every corner of the state.

The Kansas News Service is directed by KCUR 89.3 in Kansas City, in partnership with KMUW in Wichita, Kansas Public Radio in Lawrence and High Plains Public Radio in Garden City. For more information about Kansas News Service, visit https://ksnewsservice.org/.

Equal Employment Opportunity

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