Story Desk Manager

TEGNA; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

TEGNA's KING 5 in Seattle seeks a Story Desk Manager to lead a unified desk and digital teams. This executive role guides story discovery, presentation, and distribution across KING5.com, apps, and social platforms.

A strong editor with research skills, you will train staff to excel in local sourcing and breaking news response. The candidate combines journalism experience with sharp analytics to turn data into actionable content decisions, ensuring accuracy, urgency, and balance across

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or related field; 5+ years of journalism experience in a local newsroom or digital production preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the newsroom's digital operation across KING5.com, mobile app, socials, and streaming apps.
• Oversee daily coverage decisions and reporter assignments to own the big story daily.
• Plan coverage ahead for upcoming news cycles and respond to breaking news.
• Maximize audience insights to inform content choices and reach.
• Lead and communicate newsroom coverage during breaking events with accuracy and balance.
• Uphold TEGNA’s journalistic standards across platforms.

Skills

News judgment

Breaking news

Digital analytics

Team leadership

Editorial operations

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Market familiarity

Education

Bachelor’s degree in journalism or communications

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

KING 5, TEGNA’s NBC affiliate in Seattle, is looking for a Story Desk Manager to lead a unified group that replaces the legacy assignment desk and digital teams. We are looking for a manager who is impactful, tenacious, and organized. This is one of the most influential leadership positions in our newsroom.

The successful candidate will guide our team of content creators in story discovery and presentation across all platforms. The person in this position will help manage the story development process throughout the day, lead our digital strategy, and train others to excel at developing local contacts and respond to breaking news.

This leader serves as the newsroom's expert on digital audience analytics by understanding performance across every platform and turning metrics into meaningful insights that guide decision-making, content strategy, and continuous improvement.

The ideal candidate is an experienced journalist with a knack for building a team of people who work smarter, not harder, and are as adept at seeking information as they are in presenting those stories in modern and creative ways. The ability to respond urgently to breaking news, calmly manage chaos, pivot quickly, solve problems creatively, train a motivated team, and guide a multi-platform newsroom’s content are all desirable for this leader.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the newsroom's digital operation, including KING5.com, the KING 5 mobile app, all socials, and our 24/7 streaming apps.
• Oversee daily coverage decisions and reporter assignments to be competitive across platforms with the goal to own the big story daily
• Look ahead and plan coverage or upcoming news cycles
• Maximize audience insights to aid in content choices and improve audience reach
• Plan coverage of stories that matter most to the community, using editorial judgment and social listening
• Lead and convey newsroom coverage during breaking news, ensuring accuracy, urgency, and balance
• Uphold TEGNA’s journalistic standards and values across all platforms

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or at least 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 record of success handling breaking news
• Ability to analyze digital metrics and synthesize the information for the entire newsroom
• Experience managing a team of journalists
• Demonstrated knowledge regarding content desk operations
• Impeccable organizational skills with a keen eye for detail
• Demonstrated success as both a team leader and a team player
• Effective communication skills
• Familiarity with the market, a plus

Pay Range

$100,000—$120,000 USD

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 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]

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