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Executive Producer/Showrunner
WGBH - Boston, MA USA
Work at WGBH
Overview
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Overview
DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW
GBH News creates and broadcast original content on multiple platforms including Radio, TV, and Digital. GBH News team covers and produces local and national news including in-depth feature stories and interviews, covering a wide range of topics.
JOB OVERVIEW
GBH News is looking for an Executive Producer/Showrunner to lead a universe of visual content, steeped in journalism and powered by courageous conversation and community engagement, that focuses on the lived experiences of Black Americans in Boston and across the Black diaspora. This person will collaborate with newsroom leaders and stakeholders across the GBH Foundation to create innovative digital-first content that will live across platforms, including YouTube, other social media channels and as a weekly television program on GBH 2. This is an exciting opportunity to build upon GBH's rich legacy of award-winning cultural programming that includes the television programs “Say Brother” and “Basic Black”.
GBH News Rooted next iteration of this programming will continue to serve television audiences, while engaging viewers on our growing YouTube page and social media platforms. Working in close collaboration with the show host and GBH production units, you will lead the weekly production of multiple innovative digital-first video series (a mix of field pieces and studio-based content) that you will fold into a timely and informative weekly television program.
You will play a lead role in creating production and editorial workflows, audience development strategies and content that ranges from intellectually complex to light and joyful. You are an experienced video journalist who understands how to engage audiences on YouTube and what works on social video platforms. You have proven experience conceptualizing, producing and delivering both field and studio-based journalism that lands with power and impact across multiple platforms. You're not afraid to think big in service of quality journalism that meets audiences where they are. Experience producing live or live-to-tape video programming is a plus.
In addition to being a strong visual journalist, you are a relationship-builder who will develop connections across the community for feedback, ideas and to build an always-growing roster of contacts who will inform must-watch conversations and field pieces. You're also a solid people manager bringing an open and collaborative spirit to your work, drawing out the best in people on your team and partnering with your peers in editorial leadership to form smart content partnerships.
You also understand and value a strong, mutually respectful relationship with the program’s host, being able to speak their proverbial language. This includes being a forward-thinking creative thought partner with a willingness to experiment and do things unconventionally in service to making the content the best it can be, being able to give and receive thoughtful and constructive feedback within the working relationship, learning from mistakes and promoting work-life balance. This position is located in Boston, MA, and requires on-site presence
What you get to do:
- Lead weekly production of multiple digital-first videos series (field and studio) that offer a timely and insightful focus on the lived experience of Black Americans and across the Black diaspora.
- Develop efficient workflow to create a weekly television program from digital-first content.
- Partnering with segment producer to book guests for weekly studio content (including roundtable discussions) informed by news/trends/issues impactful to the communities; prep background material/host questions/visual elements; innovate with new approaches to studio content
- Partnering with host and production teams, conceptualize, plan and execute weekly field content centered on Black communities produced for a YouTube audience.
- Build editorial and production workflows to support a constant flow of visual journalism to YouTube and GBH 2, hitting key deadlines
- Partner with hosts and incorporating their needs, voice into the content
- Partner with internal heads of social media, marketing, newsroom and digital content innovation to develop a winning audience strategy
- Produce weekly content that is fresh and aligns with current news events
- Collaborate with other editorial leaders and showrunners within GBH News to identify partnership opportunities related to their beats
- Provide clear and constructive feedback on the content, including scripts, ensuring that the final product is structured and produced to maximize audience retention and engagement
- Manage, develop, and provide feedback and coaching to direct report. Oversee and direct the work of other team members who support the production
- Deliver on KPIs set in collaboration with newsroom leadership
- Partner with GBH News community producer to build out a community engagement apparatus to hear from the public and collect potential story ideas; be an ambassador for the program at special events
- Partner with newsroom leadership, along with other internal stakeholders, to create events and convenings related to the content, as news warrants
What skills you need:
- Solid experience reporting and producing journalism for YouTube and other online platforms; television also a plus
- Knowledge of AP Style, fact checking and investigative techniques
- Experience weaving historical content into narrative storytelling
- Demonstrated leadership/management experience, particularly in overseeing production of video projects with editors, producers, and other creatives
- Excellent writing and communication skills. Proven ability to effectively communicate the parameters and ideas of a project, and the production experience to see it to completion.
- Strong video editing skills — AVID or Adobe Premiere Pro preferred
- Expert organizational and communication skills
- Preferred understanding of the public media system
- Demonstrated commitment to inclusion within their work and/or processes
- Comfortable working with short- and long-term deadlines and competing priorities
EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience preferred
- Minimum seven years of experience in video, digital, and journalism
- Deep understanding of both digital video production and/or television production desired
- Minimum three plus years of experience managing teams
- Live event production (with studio audience) experience a plus
JOB SPECIFICS
Staff position
Hybrid position
LOCATION
This position is located in Boston, MA, and requires on-site presence
Guest Street
Brighton, MA 02135