Editorial Producer

WETA; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

WETA in Arlington, VA seeks an Editorial Producer for the PBS NewsHour booking team. The role focuses on news, politics and culture in the Greater Washington area, identifying research, pre-interviews, and arranging appearances for local reporters and PBS guests.

The position involves pitching guests for live on-set or remote appearances, preparing guests, and advising anchors on question flow to ensure engaging, well-paced discussions. Hybrid schedule with periodic non-standard hours may apply.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five (5) years of producing original news content.
• Experience with editorial producing and interview booking, national or large-scale outlets preferred.
• Strong written communication, organization and deadline management.

Responsibilities

• Identify research, pre-interview and arrange appearances for local reporters and PBS guests.
• Pitch, research, and produce guests for live on-set or remote appearances.
• Pre-interview guests and evaluate strengths for television appearances.
• Support anchors with question flow and focus for well-paced discussions.
• Coordinate with Production Management on production needs.
• Produce guests from the field and on location when needed.
• Select footage and collaborate with graphics to support interviews.
• Edit interviews for air when pre-recorded.

Skills

News production

Interview booking

Editorial researching

Live broadcast prep

Pitches and coordination

Multitasking under deadline

Education

BA/BS in journalism or related field

Job description

The Editorial Producer serves as an integral member of the booking team for the weekly public affairs program from WETA and PBS News, focusing on news, politics and culture in the Greater Washington area. This producer will identify research, pre-interview and arrange appearances for local reporters on this program and other guests for PBS News Hour as needed.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Proactively pitch editorial topics and guests, including newsmakers, reporters, analysts, and experts.
• Pitch, research, and produce guests to join the programs live on set in Washington and/or remotely around the world as needed.
• Pre-interview guests and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses for television appearances.
• Support the anchors with consideration of question flow and focus of conversations to ensure well-paced, informative discussions.
• Coordinate with Production Management on production needs.
• As needed, produce guests from the field and on location.
• Acquire and select footage and other elements that will supplement interviews. Work closely with the graphics team regarding graphics that will help support an interview.
• Edit interviews for air when they are pre-recorded.
• Collaborate with digital team to ensure excellence of online content related to the broadcasts and interviews.
• Mentor and train junior staffers as needed.
• Perform related duties as assigned for PBS News Hour and special projects, including breaking news and major news events.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of five (5) years of producing original news content, preferably for a national news outlet and focusing on editorial producing and interview booking. Preference for experience covering campaigns, politics, and government, international news and/or science/health/tech news and features.
• Experience and keen interest in covering local news and culture in addition to politics and general news at a national level.
• Experience working in a broadcast setting with live control room and production of video.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced newsroom setting and to adjust smoothly to changing assignments under deadline pressure.
• Impeccable written communication skills, with careful attention to detail.
• Excellent organizational, project planning and follow-through, presentation, and time management skills. Flexible and able to manage multiple tasks.
• This is a Monday-Friday hybrid position but includes availability to work a non-standard or extended work schedule at times with little notice.

EDUCATION:

BA/BS (4-Year College/University Degree)

LOCATION:

WETA and NewsHour Productions are Washington, DC established media and news organizations. We are a largely local workforce based out of the Campbell Place office in Arlington, VA. WETA and NewsHour Productions value employee flexibility when possible. Most positions based in our Arlington VA office will be onsite or hybrid, depending upon the role.

COMPANY OVERVIEW:

WETA, the flagship public media station in the nation’s capital, produces and distributes content that informs, inspires, and enriches lives.

As the second-largest producing station for the public media system, WETA creates programming to explore history, arts, and culture, partnering with acclaimed filmmakers such as Ken Burns and Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. National WETA productions include The American Revolution and Finding Your Roots, among many others. WETA is also home to PBS News, the primary daily, breaking, and special news producer for PBS. Its broadcast productions include PBS News Hour, Washington Week with The Atlantic, Horizons from PBS News, and Compass Points from PBS News, as well as specials, documentaries, and a robust footprint across digital platforms.

Locally, WETA serves audiences across Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland, through television, radio, and digital platforms. Audiences access WETA on broadcast channels WETA PBS, WETA UK, WETA Metro, WETA World, and WETA PBS Kids, and digitally through the free streaming platformWETA+. Listeners tune into WETA Classical, the exclusive home for classical music in the Greater Washington area, via radio, online, and the WETA Classical app. Benefits | WETA

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:

WETA and NewsHour Productions are equal opportunity employers committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and internships. WETA and NewsHour Productions make hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.