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Kansas News Service/High Plains Public Radio Seeking Reporter

Kansas News Service/High Plains Public Radio Reporter

Summary: We’re looking for an ambitious journalist who can tell personal stories and hold people of power accountable. The ideal candidate will bring newsroom experience, comfort with the narrative form and unending curiosity to the job. This is your chance to work with a groundbreaking newsroom collaboration - the Kansas News Service - that offers an opportunity for an ambitious reporter to dig deeper on significant local, regional and national issues. The former reporter in this position had his work amplified by national outlets. (See here and here.)

 

Position: This full-time position is a collaborative effort between HPPR and the Kansas News Service (KNS) and is responsible for providing a daily stream of content on topics of interest and concern to western Kansas through a combination of broadcast, digital and social media.

Department: Programming

Supervisor: Director of Regional Content, HPPR, and Editor, Kansas News Service

Location: Garden City, Kan.

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Production and Content Responsibilities

• Develop, produce and aggregate content for daily newscasts.

• For the aggregation, responsible for tracking informed web sources for relevant content. The reporter will use these sources to write, voice and produce daily short broadcast newscasts, website posts and social media distribution.

• Write, develop and edit original content for newscasts including digital build-outs with photos and graphics for website/social media.

• Coordinate and work on statewide public radio projects, in conjunction with Kansas News Service outlays.

• Live coverage of news-worthy events, as assigned.

• Basic operations and engineering skills to set up phone interviews, field recording, audio editing, etc.

• Proven ability to work on a deadline and attend regular meetings

• Create and produce audio features and long-form audio that engage listeners and keeps them informed about western Kansas.

• Prepare spot news, long-form features and interviews.

• Serves on behalf of the station as a spokesperson and or representative at station events and other community relations events.

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Work Environment

This position involves all the demands and opportunities that come with working for a community-based public media organization with a small, close-working staff and a widely dispersed audience and community of contributors. What makes this position unique is that it also involves working simultaneously as a reporter for the Kansas News Service, a regional journalism center located in Kansas City. It requires focus on those being served, good teamwork with staff and volunteers, flexible thinking and innovative approaches. It can bring the opportunity to be highly valued and greatly appreciated by those served, help shape and continually improve the service of HPPR, KNS and develop a wide range of skills.

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Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field preferred

• A minimum of two years in journalism, broadcast writing and daily production

• Excellent writing skills and a strong sense of NPR-style story construction

• Background in audio production and/or radio

• Experience with audio editing software, basic word processing, automation systems

• Experience with digital writing and production, including visuals

• Proven use of social media to broaden distribution and deepen engagement

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a small news staff

• Task prioritization, time management and work efficiency

• Able to travel throughout the region and work flexible hours when necessary

• Knowledge of western Kansas and/or rural communities a plus

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About High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service

HPPR serves residents of the High Plains region across the states of Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado through a network of 20 broadcast stations, digital streaming, a responsive website and social media. It operates studios in Garden City, Kan., and Amarillo, T, along with distributed production by individuals in communities across the region and beyond.

HPPR is an independent non-profit corporation founded in 1975 and currently receives 76% of its funding from individual contributions, business underwriting and foundation support.

HPPR is one of the stations that comprise the Kansas News Service, a regional journalism collaborative that focuses on education, health and politics. The work of its reporters appears on public radio stations across the state (and sometimes beyond), online and in newspapers in Kansas. News in Kansas can the gamut. There’s conflict between rural and urban interests, over abortion, on issues of guns, voting rights, the role of government health programs. The state is often a testing ground on national issues of tax policy and regulation. Reporters have no trouble finding hot-button issues to cover.

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To apply, please send your cover letter, resume and work samples to director@hppr.org

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EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
HPPR is an equal access, equal opportunity, affirmative action employer that is fully committed to achieving a diverse faculty and staff.  Equal opportunity is and shall be provided for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without unlawful discrimination on the basis of their race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.