Position Number: S-3983
Position Summary
WCMU's radio reporter/producer plays a key role in producing daily content for WCMU's radio and digital platforms. WCMU covers 46 of Michigan's 83 counties, reporting on a wide range of issues, including local and state government, education, climate and the environment, the economy, and more. This position serves as WCMU's Great Lakes Bay Region reporter, with the primary responsibility of covering Midland, Bay, and Saginaw counties. Primary functions of this position include news reporting.…
Additional functions may include on-air hosting, editing and story assignment responsibilities in the absence of the News Director.
Required Qualifications
Radio Reporter/Producer I (BH-1)
- Bachelor's degree in Broadcasting, Journalism, Multimedia, Humanities or a related field, or a combination of education and work experience that equates to four years.
- Demonstrated experience in reporting situations, including impromptu interview questioning and scripted situations.
- Demonstrated experience in field news gathering or remote recording situations.
- Possession of a valid driver's license and reliable transportation.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, and to project a positive image.
- General knowledge of digital editing and studio situations.
- Must possess basic announcing skills.
- Ability to maintain positive interpersonal relationships with faculty, students, visitors, and fellow work associates.
- Ability to complete tasks independently.
- Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as needed.
Radio Reporter/Producer II (BS-2)
- All qualifications listed for a Radio Reporter/Producer I (BH-1), plus:
- Two additional years of increasingly responsible experience with key elements of the job, including reporting situations, field newsgathering, digital editing, hosting and announcing.
Preferred Qualifications
Radio Producer/Reporter I (BH-1)
- Two years of experience in on-air situations and with field recording/news gathering.
- Knowledge of issues, communities, and stakeholders within Midland, Bay, and Saginaw counties.
- Demonstrated experience with community engagement, public listening sessions, or audience-centered journalism.
- Demonstrated experience hosting live radio.
- Demonstrated experience as talent for fundraisers, interviews, and programs.
- Demonstrated experience as a local host of NPR news magazines.
- Demonstrated experience filing stories with NPR.
- Demonstrated experience producing multimedia content for radio, web, and social media platforms.
- Proficient capabilities in basic digital editing and multitrack editing.
- Demonstrated ability to formulate interview segments and questions.
Duties & Responsibilities
Radio Reporter/Producer I (BH-1)
Performs the following tasks under direct supervision:
- Serves as WCMU's primary reporter covering the Great Lakes Bay Region, which includes Midland, Bay, and Saginaw counties.
- Schedules, records, and edits interviews for radio station use.
- Researches story topics and/or guests for possible programs or segments.
- Acts as talent for fundraisers, interviews, and programs.
- Operates radio remote and radio studio equipment as required.
- Assists in the development of radio programs and materials and contributes to ongoing projects as needed.
- Assists with the logistics of interviews or guest appearances.
- Develops buildouts of radio news stories for WCMU's digital platforms.
- Occasionally serves as a back-up host for Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and other news programs.
- Develops contacts with Central Michigan University departments, local and state government officials, and various constituents.
- Develops and maintains relationships with community leaders, local governments, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, businesses, advocacy groups, and residents throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region.
- Represents WCMU at various station events as requested.
- Pitches stories to NPR, Harvest Public Media, and other organizations for national distribution.
- Participates in professional development opportunities.
- Assigns and edits stories for student news reporters and fellow staff members as directed by the News Director.
- Edits reports submitted by freelance reporters as directed by the News Director.
- Participates in recruiting, interviewing, and training student news reporters and freelance news reporters.
- Contributes occasionally to WCMU's video productions.
- Travels for reporting trips and station events as required, including occasional overnight trips.
- Assists with documenting reporting outcomes, community engagement efforts, and audience impact metrics related to Great Lakes Bay Region coverage.
Radio Reporter/Producer II (BS-2)
Performs all duties and responsibilities of the Radio Reporter/Producer I under limited supervision and with increased confidence and responsibility, plus:
- Assists in filing stories with NPR, Harvest Public Media, and other organizations for national distribution.
- Performs confidently with live, on the scene, and breaking news coverage.
Supervision Exercised
None.
Position Details
- Employee Group: Public Broadcasting - Hourly
- Staff Pay Level:
- Pay Range: BH-1 = $17.10 - $22.00 per hour / BS-2 = $39,520 - $48,880 per year
- Division: Government and External Relations
- Department: Public Broadcasting
- Position Status: Regular
- Position End Date:
- Employment Status: Full-Time
- FTE: 1.00
- Position Type: 12 month
- Weekly Work Schedule: Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. / weekends and evenings as needed
- Location: Mount Pleasant, MI
- Posting Ends:
- Open Until Filled: Yes
About CMU
Central Michigan University has a more than 125-year legacy of preparing students to become leaders and changemakers in their communities and in their personal and professional lives.
We serve nearly 15,500 students on our Mount Pleasant campus, in satellite locations around the state and throughout the country, and through flexible online programs. Many of our approximately 300 undergraduate, master's, specialist and doctoral programs in the arts, media, business, education, human services, health professions, liberal arts, social sciences, medicine, science and engineering are nationally ranked for excellence.
CMU leads the nation in leadership development programming through our Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute, and we are proud to be among only 5% of U.S. universities in the top two Carnegie research classifications. Our faculty work with graduate and undergraduate students in areas such as Great Lakes research, medical innovation, engineering technology and more.
Central is home to 17 men's and women's Division 1 sports including football, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, wrestling and more. Our student-athletes achieve great success in competition and in the classroom, capturing Mid-American Conference championships and maintaining an average cumulative GPA of 3.17.
CMU is located in Mount Pleasant, a community that blends the best of small-town living with big-city amenities. It's part of the culturally varied and vibrant Great Lakes Bay Region that also includes Saginaw, Bay City, Midland and the state's largest Native American community, centered on the Saginaw Chippewa Isabella Reservation in Mount Pleasant.
Area residents enjoy the mix of outdoor activities, cultural events, shopping and dining options, and family attractions. Other major Michigan destinations and attractions — Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Traverse City, wineries, beaches, golf and ski resorts, and many more — are within easy reach of the city's central location in Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
CMU employees enjoy access to a nationally recognized wellness program along with health care and benefits that exceed regional, state and national norms.
CMU Leadership Standards
Central Michigan University is a place where we value students and work for their success, where we act as family, and where employees are engaged, appreciated and have extraordinary opportunities to make a difference.
We intentionally maintain and strengthen the hallmark CMU culture that sets us apart from our peers by expecting CMU leaders and employees to model the following Leadership Standards and develop them within their teams.
Please review the Leadership Standards before applying for this position.
Message to Applicants
Central Michigan University is dedicated to fostering an environment that is reflective of the communities we serve. We are especially interested in highly qualified candidates who will advance and promote CMU's mission, vision, and leadership standards.
You must submit an on-line application in order to be considered as an applicant for this position.
Cover letters may be addressed to the Hiring Committee.
To upload a writing sample, please utilize the Writing Sample upload field.
To upload a work sample, please utilize the Work Sample upload field.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit letters of recommendation. If you wish to include recommendation letter(s) that are not required, please utilize the Recommendation Letters upload field.
CMU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and institution. CMU does not discriminate against persons based on age, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religion, sex, sex-based stereotypes, sexual orientation, transgender status, veteran status, or weight.
CMU does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, including admission and employment, and is required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 not to discriminate in such a matter.
Inquiries about the application of Title IX can be made to CMU's Title IX Coordinator, the US Department of Education's Assistant Secretary, or both.