What are the responsibilities and job description for the News Director position at WTIC-TV?
WTIC/WCCT Fox 61 News Leader is seeking an innovative, passionate News Director with experience growing audiences, leading teams and evolving in an ever-changing media landscape.
At WTIC/WCCT, we have a golden standard of excellence in everything we do. We have our eyes firmly fixed on the future and are always looking for new ways to engage, educate and inform our audiences. We are looking for a leader who embraces enterprise reporting, creative storytelling, and investigative journalism with the mindset of growing audiences on every platform including digital, streaming and social platforms.
The news director oversees all content operations and is a leader in the strategic vision for station growth. The ideal candidate has excellent news judgment and strong management skills to own the big story each day. They are expected to be highly engaging with the news team and highly collaborative with all other departments to capitalize on the opportunities and initiatives to grow our audience.
Most importantly, this News Director should be a trustworthy motivator who fosters an inspiring and inclusive culture.
WTIC/WCCT and TEGNA are re-imagining local news in the digital age – thinking big and being bold to deliver content to our audience on multiple platforms. The ideal news director can deliver impactful journalism and develop a digital-first road map in line with the strategic vision of our company.
Hartford is an aggressive news market and home to a number of Colleges and Universities. It’s a diverse culture of arts, entertainment, business and an incredible array of restaurants any foodie would love to indulge in.
In this role, you will:
- Strategically lead, inspire and manage the news department.
- Oversee on-air and digital news content.
- Work closely with the news team to produce high-quality, relevant, local content that sets the station apart from competitors.
- Prioritize collaboration between television and digital content teams, along with marketing, to create original programming and breaking news coverage for all platforms.
- Foster, encourage and reward out-of-the-box thinking that leads to differentiation and success.
- Emphasize the importance of solid research to build credibility.
- Use consumer analytics to determine content.
- Skillfully use social media and digital tools to research, discover and distribute content.
- Lead a culture that owns enterprise reporting and breaking news across all content platforms.
- Inspire and coach superior, unique and engaging storytelling.
- Interact daily with all department heads in a mutual effort to achieve station goals and extend our brand.
- Perform other duties, as assigned, to drive and fulfill the mission while abiding by the values of this organization.
Job Requirements:
Here’s what you need:
- Bachelor’s degree and news leadership experience.
- 7-10 years of content experience, including generation of original content, and 2-3 years managing other journalists.
- Successful innovative leadership, along with staff and product development skills.
- Top-notch communication skills are an absolute must.
- Solid journalistic judgement and a news philosophy that emphasizes accurate, fair and unique local content, along with community engagement.
- Understanding of the tenets of professional journalism.
- Skills in producing engaging, content-driven newscasts and digital content.
- Strong social media skills, including an active news hound presence on Twitter and Facebook.
- Organizational skills and the ability to work under time pressure deadlines.
- Ability to calmly handle live, breaking news situations and changing events.
About TEGNA
TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) is an innovative media company that serves the greater good of our communities. Across platforms, TEGNA tells empowering stories, conducts impactful investigations and delivers innovative marketing solutions. With 64 television stations in 51 U.S. markets, TEGNA is the largest owner of top 4 network affiliates in the top 25 markets among independent station groups, reaching approximately 39 percent of all television households nationwide. TEGNA also owns leading multicast networks True Crime Network and Quest. TEGNA Marketing Solutions (TMS) offers innovative solutions to help businesses reach consumers across television, digital and over-the-top (OTT) platforms, including Premion, TEGNA’s OTT advertising service. For more information, visit
TEGNA requires all employees to be fully vaccinated (as defined by the CDC) against the coronavirus.
EEO statement:
TEGNA Inc. is a proud equal opportunity employer. We are a drug free, EEO employer committed to a diverse workforce. We encourage and consider all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity, family responsibilities, disability, enrollment in college or vocational school, political affiliation, veteran status or genetic information. TEGNA complies with all applicable laws related to accommodations.
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