Job description

KCUR 89.3, Kansas City’s NPR affiliate, seeks an experienced reporter to tell the myriad stories of our city by focusing on its lively and socially engaged arts community.

We’re looking for someone who’s equally adept at profiling world-class symphony musicians and street-level graffiti artists, who can show how creative activities shape the lives of the youngest children to the most senior of citizens and everyone in between, and someone who holds a demonstrated understanding of how the arts shape and reflect the lives of individuals and communities.

Kansas City’s known as one birthplace of jazz, the home of Walt Disney’s first animation studio and the headquarters of Hallmark Cards; it’s also rich with poets, muralists, rappers, architects and creative innovators of all kinds. Our new arts reporter will take audiences behind the scenes, introducing them to emerging artists and organizations as well as keeping up with established institutions.

Our new colleague doesn’t need radio reporting experience — we have experts who are happy to teach those skills — but they must have sophisticated storytelling skills, strong writing talent and demonstrated insights into how the arts interact with all areas of our lives. And they must share our commitment to serving all of our audiences, tracking the diversity of sources and contributing to our positive and welcoming work environment.

This reporter will brainstorm, research, write, report and produce spot news, digital stories and long-form audio features. They will also create social content to accompany their stories, participate in community engagement efforts, and appear on talk shows, podcasts and community panels, as needed. They’ll occasionally fill in as a newscaster.

We’re looking for someone who can work on different projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment, who can take direction and work collaboratively, and who can produce to the highest journalistic standards. In addition to working closely with our sister station, Classical KC, this reporter will have access to expertise and opportunities to collaborate with our regional partners including NPR’s Midwest Newsroom, Harvest Public Media and the Kansas News Service, all based at KCUR.

Characteristic duties

• Produces 14 audio features each year, as well as 2-3 spot news and/or digital stories each week.
• Stays abreast of daily developments and builds a broad and diverse base of knowledge, sources, and expertise on arts-related topics.
• Identifies, researches, pitches, writes, reports, edits and voices spots, two-ways, and feature stories for morning and afternoon news shows, local talk shows and national programs as appropriate, and writes accompanying digital stories.
• Anticipates and responds to breaking news.         
• Tracks source demographics. 
• Suggests story ideas and helps focus story angles for colleagues working on related subjects; collaborates with other KCUR reporters and talk show producers on projects.
• Contributes segment ideas and appears as a guest or host on KCUR’s local talk show, podcasts and community events, as needed.
• Collaborates and coordinates coverage with Classical KC.
• Collaborates as opportunities arise with the Kansas News Service, Harvest Public Media, the Midwest Newsroom and national entities.
• Handles newscasts as needed.
• Contributes productively to KCUR’s intentional culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
• Participates in all assigned fund-raising and outreach activities, on air and off.
• 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

• Five years of experience producing news content for digital and social platforms.
• Three years of work experience in a radio, news or public media organization.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and good news judgment.
• Demonstrated ability to cover breaking news as well as report through long-form, innovative storytelling.
• Experience operating digital editing systems (e.g. Adobe Audition), field recording units, and other audio production equipment.

Salary

Up to $58,000, based on experience, internal equity, and education.

How to Apply

KCUR 89.3 is the NPR affiliate in Kansas City and is an editorially independent community service of the University of Missouri - Kansas City. Please apply online at UMKC's website: https://info.umkc.edu/hr/careers/ Select "Staff Position," then "View Jobs," then "View All Jobs." This posting will remain open until filled. For best consideration apply by February 13, 2023. Apply today!

Statement on diversity at KCUR/Classical KC

KCUR and Classical KC are committed to ensuring that our workforce, community advisory board, and audience reflect the diversity found in the communities we serve. Central to KCUR’s mission, vision and values is maintaining a workplace environment that recognizes and celebrates diversity in all forms.

For more information on our policies and governance, visit https://www.kcur.org/governance.