"Utah Public Radio (UPR) News Director and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Communication & Media"

Job Details

Utah Public Radio (UPR) News Director and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Communication & Media

Requisition ID: 2025-9789
# of Openings: 1
Location: US-UT-Logan
Category: Faculty
Position Type: Benefited Full-Time
Job Classification: Faculty
College: College of Arts & Sciences
Department: Communication & Media
Advertised Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent benefits.

Overview
The Department of Communication and Media at Utah State University (Logan campus) seeks applications for a Utah Public Radio (UPR) News Director and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice. This faculty member will oversee the production of broadcast and digital content, supervise student journalists, manage relationships with UPR's partners, and regularly teach courses related to their expertise.

Utah Public Radio broadcasts news, information, public affairs, and cultural programming 24 hours a day across Utah and in Southern Idaho. UPR is situated within the Department of Communication & Media at Utah State University, which offers undergraduate and graduate programs in Journalism, Communication Studies, and Technical Communication and Rhetoric. Utah State University is home to award winning researchers and instructors. As a land-grant institution, USU provides readily available, research-based programs and educational resources in efforts to improve the lives of residents across the state. Situated in a mountain valley 80 miles north of Salt Lake City, USU is surrounded by numerous trail systems, the Logan River, Beaver Mountain Ski Resort, Bear Lake, and a growing restaurant and music scene downtown.

Review of applications will begin January 19, 2026, and the position will remain open until filled.

Please direct all questions related to this job posting to the search committee chair, Dr. Sydney O'Shay, at Sydney.oshay@usu.edu

Responsibilities
The responsibilities for this role include 75% News Director/Program Production (area of excellence), 20% teaching (area of effectiveness), and 5% service. Specific responsibilities include:

• Ensure timely filing and editing of news content, maintain production quality, and foster student collaboration with partners.
• Hire, train, and mentor student reporters; oversee story and social media development; and manage the intern budget.
• Maintain editorial partnerships with the Salt Lake Tribune and other media organizations; assist with sourcing and story development; and edit stories.
• Coordinate with USU departments and external organizations for content creation and grant writing.
• Represent UPR at community and university events to build relationships, source stories, and strengthen outreach.
• Contribute news and feature stories, support web and mobile content strategies, and participate in promotional and fundraising efforts.
• Ensure all content meets FCC and organizational standards.
• Teach three courses annually (one course each in fall, spring, summer) across the department's curriculum, and mentor students in reporting and digital content creation, and develop new courses in line with the candidate's expertise.
• Provide service to the department, university, and profession.

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability and/or interest in mentoring students and collaborating with partnership organizations, colleagues, and the broader public.
• Interest in teaching news writing and production, media writing, public relations, feature writing classes, or similar courses for radio and digital content. Preference will be given to candidates with teaching experience.
• Ability to work flexible hours to fulfill teaching, news reporting, promotional activities, community outreach, and other role responsibilities.
• 2+ years of successful radio experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Leadership experience preferred.
• A Master's degree in Journalism, Communication, or a related field (preferred).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated proficiency with studio equipment, editing software, and social media platforms.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Required Documents
Along with the online application, please attach:

• Resume to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under "Resume/CV"
• Cover Letter to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under "Documents 1-10"
• Names and contact information of at least three references (requested in the online application). References will be contacted for letters of recommendation for select candidates following review of initial applications.
• A portfolio of the candidate's work, including:
  • Three writing samples (news stories, feature reports, etc.)
  • Three short audio samples (news stories, feature reports, etc.)
  • Links to three examples of digital news stories and feature reports
  • Examples of longer-form programs or podcasts you have produced or contributed to.
  • No more than three samples of student work supervised by the candidate.

For the portfolio, links to online content are acceptable. If files are large, please provide access via a shared drive or portfolio link. For more information or to apply for this position, please go to [INSERT URL]

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Advertised Salary
Commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent benefits.