News Director

tegnainc; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental and vision coverage

401(k) plan

Job summary

TEGNA Inc. is seeking a strategic News Director for WZZM-TV in Grand Rapids, MI. You will oversee multi-platform content, lead daypart teams, and drive strong enterprise reporting with editorial judgment.

You will champion storytelling quality, break news responsiveness and staff development while aligning with our newsroom’s standards and community focus.

Qualifications

• College degree in journalism, communications or related field.
• 5-7 years of news experience with leadership and supervision.
• Proven ability to oversee engaging, urgent, high-value newscasts.
• Strong writing skills and audience engagement across platforms.
• Experience with shooting, editing and content management systems (CMS).

Responsibilities

• Lead all daypart teams to create unique, impactful newscasts across broadcast, digital and streaming.
• Coach producers to deliver engaging, authentic, audience-focused broadcasts.
• Coach reporters and anchors to perform in a compelling, conversational way.
• Lead newsroom recruitment to reflect the community we serve.
• Shape daily and long-term coverage priorities in editorial processes.
• Use audience insights and analytics to guide content strategy and decisions.
• Collaborate with news leaders to maximize audience reach across platforms.
• Oversee planning of special projects and community initiatives.
• Lead coverage of breaking news and severe weather with urgency and accuracy.

Job description

About TEGNA

TEGNA Inc. helps people thrive in their local communities by providing the trusted local news and services that matter most. With 64 television stations in 51 U.S. markets, TEGNA reaches more than 100 million people monthly across the web, mobile apps, streaming, and linear television. Together, we are building a sustainable future for local news.

WZZM-TV, the TEGNA-owned ABC affiliate in Grand Rapids, is recruiting a passionate, strategic news leader to oversee all aspects of our multi-platform content operation. This leader will champion WZZM-TV's high standards for engaging storytelling, investigative excellence and content that is relevant, compelling and impactful across every platform. The ideal candidate brings a strong streaming mindset, creating and optimizing content for broadcast, digital and streaming audiences, and leads with sharp editorial judgment and a commitment to winning breaking news, leading weather coverage and driving strong enterprise reporting that serves our community.

The ideal candidate brings an interest and track record of developing talent, tracking metrics to make data-driven editorial decisions, leading staff growth and recruiting high-potential team members, all while fostering a collaborative and accountable newsroom culture.

Grand Rapids is a competitive market at the heart of West Michigan, serving communities from the region's growing cities and suburbs to the Lake Michigan shoreline. The news landscape is broad, with major stories ranging from breaking news and severe weather to economic development, health care, education and public safety. West Michigan's strong economy and major health care and manufacturing industries also create plenty of opportunities for enterprise and accountability reporting.

The News Director will work creatively and collaboratively with WZZM-TV's newsroom and station leadership to ensure our journalism reflects the communities we serve and the issues most important to audiences across West Michigan. That means owning the day's big story, leading through breaking news and major weather events, delivering consistency in presentation and developing distinctive reporting that provides context, answers questions and sets WZZM-TV apart.

This leader will uphold TEGNA's values in every decision: demand the truth, work smarter, do the right thing and win. These values guide how we serve our audiences, support our teams and deliver essential journalism every day.

This is an opportunity to lead a newsroom in one of Michigan's most vibrant regions and help shape coverage for communities across West Michigan, where local journalism plays a vital role in connecting, informing and serving a large and engaged audience.

Responsibilities

• Lead all daypart teams to create unique, impactful newscasts that showcase WZZM-TV's high-quality content across broadcast, digital and streaming platforms
• Coach and develop producers to execute newscasts in an engaging, authentic and audience-focused manner, including storytelling, showcasing and presentation
• Coach reporters and anchors to perform in a compelling and conversational way that connects with viewers
• Lead recruitment efforts across the newsroom, with a focus on building a team that reflects the community we serve
• Serve as a key voice in the WZZM-TV editorial process, helping shape daily and long-term coverage priorities
• Use research, audience insights and analytics to guide editorial decisions and content strategy
• Collaborate with news leaders to ensure alignment across platforms and maximize audience reach
• Oversee planning and execution of special projects and community-focused initiatives
• Lead coverage of major breaking news and severe weather events with urgency, accuracy and impact
• Perform other tasks as required by the Vice President of Content for the region

Requirements

• College degree in journalism, communications or related field
• Minimum of 5-7 years of news experience preferred, including newsroom leadership and supervision
• Demonstrated ability to oversee and produce engaging, urgent and high-value content-driven newscasts
• Strong writing skills are required; experience with special programming is a plus
• Solid social media skills and a strong understanding of audience engagement across platforms
• Experience with shooting, editing and content management systems
• Strong understanding of the tenets of professional journalism
• Organizational skills and the ability to lead effectively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment

Benefits

TEGNA offers comprehensive benefits designed to safeguard the physical, mental and financial health of our employees and their families. TEGNA offers two medical plan options for full and part-time employees through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, as well as access to dental and eye care coverage; fertility, surrogacy and adoption assistance; disability and life insurance.

Our 401(k) program offers full, part-time and temporary emplo