The pandemic and remote work has shifted all facets of American life, including how and where early childhood care and education takes place. During stay-at-home orders, many parents were working from home while children were also not attending preschool or other care. As orders have lifted and the pandemic has shifted, that has led to renewed and louder calls for funding for early childhood care and education. On the federal level, the Biden administration is supporting billions in funding for education for this age group. And this summer Governor Newsom signed the historic $2.6 billion Child Care and Early Education Bill to invest in universal preschool/TK and expanded child care support for families. Preschool and related child care has become a major economic burden for working and middle class families with costs spiking, and the industry faces challenges in hiring child care workers and teachers.

KQED is looking for a reporter/producer to track and assess the implementation of this and related legislation and funding, while elevating the voices of affected families and workers and informing, inspiring and involving residents to advocate for their needs. In this project, the producer/reporter would dedicate several months of the coming year for an investigative look into the state of the early child care and preschool system in California – creating a part-time early childhood beat. This position would produce stories on how the new legislation is working or could work for families in the turbulent economic and political contexts of the pandemic. Major deliverables would include 2 special series to air on KQED’s The California Report (for instance, hosting a morning newscast from a child care center). Per our comprehensive DEI strategy for news, sources and voices that appear in our stories will be vetted to align as much as possible with the demographics of our region.   

The successful candidate will be required to join The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).

This role is currently remote will be hybrid between working inKQED's newly renovated headquarters and working remotely upon KQED's return to in-office working. KQED requires employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or to provide documentation of a need for exemption. 

One of our core values at KQED is that we are better together, and that we commit to learning, growth, and holding ourselves accountable. We value the contributions of marginalized people in society — including Black, Indigenous, and all people of color,  people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people — and we believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do, and we strongly encourage members of these communities to apply.

 Essential Functions: 

1. Researches, writes and reports stories from the studio and in the field for radio broadcast and other digital distribution technologies.
2. Produces and delivers a variety of editorial content- audio, scripts, text stories, blog posts, photographs, video, databases and other content- for radio broadcast, web, mobile and social media platforms.
3. Conducts live on-air and live to-tape news source interviews and reporter debriefings.
4. Two special series to air on KQED's The California Report
5. Related appearances on KQED podcast Political Breakdown.
6. Appearances/coverage on other KQED shows, such as Forum, as appropriate

Other Job Functions:  

1. Performs other duties as assigned. 

Knowledge / Experience Required:

1. Four years minimum experience as broadcast, print and/or online journalist, including news reporting, editing and production.
2. Excellent reporting skills. 
3. Excellent news writing. 
4. Excellent news judgment. 
5. Good editing skills. 
6. Thorough knowledge of journalistic principles, ethics and standards. 
7. Strong knowledge of sound editing and radio production techniques. 
8. Experience of web, mobile social media platform editing and publishing. 
9. High proficiency of on-air voicing skills. 
10. Ability to interview and communicate with a variety of individuals. 
11. Ability to research and communicate through a variety of mobile and digital tools.
12. Ability to work under deadline pressures. 
13. Ability to work in a collaborative environment.  

Knowledge / Experience Desired:

1. Working fluency in foreign languages such as Spanish, Cantonese or Mandarin is a plus. 
2. Experience working in a demographically diverse news environment is strongly desired.
3. Experience in blogging or other multimedia online news writing and content presentation management is a plus.
4. Experience in video production, multimedia production or database production are pluses.

Let us tell you more about our benefits:

Whether you’re single, married, have children, are in a domestic partnership or anything in between, we have you covered. Employees at KQED enjoy a family-friendly workplace offering 20 days of paid time off, 11 paid holidays, paid parental leave, family medical leave benefits, comprehensive health/vision/dental and commuter benefits as well as a 403(b) with employer match. KQED encourages diversity, openness and offers training to support personal and professional development. In addition, we are proud to offer Employee Resource Groups, wellness programs as well as free KQED membership.

The mission that drives us:

KQED is for everyone who wants to be more.      

Our television, radio, digital media and educational services change lives for the better and help individuals and communities achieve their full potential.

KQED serves the people of Northern California with a community-supported alternative to commercial media.      

We provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone and engage audiences to share their stories. We help students and teachers thrive in 21st-century classrooms, and take people of all ages on journeys of exploration- exposing them to new people, places and ideas.

We celebrate diversity, embrace innovation, value lifelong learning and partner with those who share our passion for public services

https://kqed.applytojob.com/apply/p6WsT76cXG/PartTime-LimitedTerm-Reporter-Producer-Early-Childhood-Education-Care