Story Desk Manager

TEGNA, Inc.; Knoxville (TN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental and vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Teladoc and Spring Health benefits

Nine paid holidays

Job summary

TEGNA Inc. in Knoxville, TN, seeks an experienced Story Desk Manager to lead the newsroom’s Story Management Desk and oversee daily coverage across streaming, digital, social and linear platforms.

The ideal candidate will guide content creators in story development, manage day-long coverage, and coach others to excel at developing local contacts, breaking news response and timely updates for audiences.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism or communications, or 3–5 years of journalism experience in a local newsroom.
• Superior news judgment and ability to make fast, sound editorial decisions under pressure.
• Proven success handling breaking news and developing coverage across platforms.
• Experience managing or leading journalists in a fast-paced newsroom.
• Strong understanding of digital publishing, streaming and linear news production.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily coverage decisions and reporter assignments across platforms.
• Determine the best format and platform for each story and establish timelines.
• Ensure breaking and developing stories are published quickly across digital platforms.
• Identify opportunities for live and continuous streaming coverage during major events.
• Provide editorial guidance to ensure content is accurate and meets standards.

Skills

Newsroom leadership

Editorial decision-making

Digital publishing

Audience insights

Team management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in journalism or communications

Tools

Digital publishing platforms

Analytics tools

Job description

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 than100 million people monthly across the web, mobile apps, streaming, and linear television. Together, we are building a sustainable future for local news.

WBIR-TV Knoxville, TN the TEGNA-owned affiliate in Knoxville, is looking for a Story Desk Manager to lead the newsroom’s Story Management Desk and oversee daily news coverage across streaming, digital, social and linear platforms.

The successful candidate will guide our team of content creators in story development and presentation across all platforms. This person will manage coverage throughout the day, bring experience with the best practices of both assignment desk and digital operations, and coach others to excel at developing local contacts, responding to breaking news and delivering timely updates to our audiences.

As part of the newsroom leadership team, the Story Desk Manager will oversee breaking news, developing stories and enterprise reporting, ensuring coverage is continuously updated and presented effectively across streaming, website, mobile app, social media and linear television.

The ideal candidate is an experienced journalist with strong news judgment who knows how to lead coverage in a fast-moving newsroom. They can identify stories that are urgent, impactful and newsworthy, respond calmly to breaking news, pivot quickly as priorities change, solve problems creatively and keep a multiplatform newsroom focused and moving forward.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee daily coverage decisions and reporter assignments, with the goal of owning the biggest and most important stories of the day across platforms.
• Determine the best format and platform for each story and establish clear expectations and timelines for coverage, publishing and updates.
• Ensure breaking and developing stories are published quickly and updated continuously across digital platforms as new information becomes available.
• Identify opportunities for live and continuous streaming coverage, particularly during breaking news, developing stories and major events.
• Ensure stories are presented effectively for each platform, including strong headlines, video, images, live content and other elements that improve the audience experience.
• Look ahead and plan coverage for upcoming events and news cycles.
• Lead regular story check-ins throughout the day and adjust coverage as stories develop.
• Use audience insights, analytics and social listening to inform coverage decisions, identify opportunities and improve audience reach.
• Ensure competitive, engaging and impactful content across streaming, website, mobile app, social media and linear television.
• Provide editorial guidance to ensure content is accurate, fair and meets journalistic standards across platforms.
• Uphold TEGNA’s journalistic standards across all platforms.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism or communications, or at least 3-5 years of journalism experience in a local newsroom, digital production or related role.
• Superior news judgment and the ability to make fast, sound editorial decisions under pressure.
• Proven success handling breaking news and developing coverage across platforms.
• Experience managing or leading journalists in a fast-paced newsroom.
• Demonstrated knowledge of digital and newsroom operations.
• Strong understanding of digital publishing, streaming and linear news production and how audiences consume news across platforms.
• Experience using audience data and insights to inform coverage decisions.
• Experience helping transform and manage news gathering systems and workflows.
• Strong organizational skills with a keen eye for detail.
• Demonstrated success as both a team leader and team player.
• Effective communication and problem-solving skills.
• Familiarity with the local market is a plus.

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 employees the opportunity to contribute 1% - 80% of their pay on a pre-tax basis to TEGNA’s 401(k). Contributions made up to the first 4% of pay are eligible for a 100% match from the company and are 100% vested from day one.

Regardless of participation in TEGNA medical plans, ALL employees and their eligible family members receive nine free virtual doctor’s appointments with a physician through Teladoc, and 12 free annual therapy sessions with a licensed clinician through Spring Health.

TEGNA offers a generous Paid Time Off (PTO) benefit as well as nine paid holidays per year.

* Some jobs are covered by a collective bargaining agreement and thus some or all of the benefits described herein may not apply. For example, some newsroom bargaining unit employees receive health and retirement benefits under plans administered by the union.

EEO statement:

TEGNA Inc. is a proud equal opportunity employer. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, hiring and developing individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences to add to our collaborative culture. We value and consider applications from all qualified candidates without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, disability, medical condition, enrollment in college or vocational school, political affiliation, military or veteran status, citizenship status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law. TEGNA will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law. If you are in need of an accommodation in order to submit your application, please email [e-mail]

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in TEGNA Inc.’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A \"disabled veteran\" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A \"recently separated veteran\" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An \"active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran\" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An \"Armed forces service medal veteran\" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Voluntary Self-Identification