Job Title
WBBM Newsradio Political Editor (Full-Time)
Overview
Audacy, Inc. invites qualified candidates to join our team as the Political Editor for WBBM Newsradio. This full‑time, on‑site position based in Chicago, IL, offers a competitive salary range of $84,153.79 to $130,898.35 per year, with compensation tied to education, experience, skills and internal equity.
Benefits include a comprehensive package covering medical, dental, vision, mental health, telemedicine, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, disability, life insurance, critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, paid time off (sick, flex‑time, vacation, personal, parental, volunteer), 401(k) retirement plan, student loan payment assistance, legal assistance, identity theft protection, discounted home and auto insurance, and pet insurance.
Responsibilities
- Monitor and engage with a wide range of sources—including press releases, government documents, community leaders, watchdog groups, non‑traditional outlets, and social media—to develop exclusive and enterprise political coverage aligned with WBBM’s mission of trusted, comprehensive news.
- Focus daily reporting on Chicago city government, including the mayor’s office, city council, and municipal agencies, while also contributing to broader coverage of Illinois state politics, election‑related stories, or general interest stories as needed.
- Break news and identify trends or shifts in local policy that affect the lives of WBBM listeners.
- Maintain strong relationships with key political players, spokespeople, and insiders, retaining editorial independence and journalistic ethics.
- Deliver high‑impact coverage through on‑air reports, live two‑way conversations with anchors, digital stories, and occasional long‑form reporting for special programming.
- Coordinate with newsroom leadership (Program Director, News Director, Managing Editor) and beat reporters to develop angles, confirm facts, secure interviews, and align political content with audience needs and the station’s tone of fairness and accuracy.
- Prepare anchors for live and breaking political coverage; provide guidance and updates in real time when developments warrant immediate air or digital coverage.
- Collaborate with the digital team to post timely, platform‑specific political content for WBBMNewsradio.com and social platforms.
- Contribute to special programming, including debates, town halls, and election‑night coverage.
- Demonstrate proficiency in writing news copy and editing audio for broadcast.
- Maintain a strong working knowledge of City Hall procedures, legislative calendars, ethics rules, FOIA access, and the evolving political landscape in Chicago and Illinois.
- Work on‑site with office space at City Hall and WBBM Newsradio studios.
- Perform other duties as assigned by management.
Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience in political reporting or editing; strong preference for local or regional politics coverage.
- Familiarity with the Chicago political scene and key institutions.
- Superior editorial judgment, accuracy, and news sense—especially regarding fast‑moving or controversial topics.
- Strong ability to write for radio, incorporating vivid audio, concise structure, and storytelling techniques.
- Proven ability to balance fairness, context, and clarity in covering political issues.
- Skilled at managing multiple priorities in a deadline‑driven environment.
- Solid understanding of broadcast journalism ethics, FCC guidelines, and legal considerations.
- Effective collaboration with anchors, producers, reporters, and digital staff.
- Demonstrated poise during live reporting, breaking news, and unexpected developments.
- Professional and credible conduct when interacting with elected officials, government staff, and the public.
- Valid driver’s license, satisfactory background check, and proof of insurance if required.
Important Notes
Please be aware that Audacy will never ask you to send money at any point during the hiring process. Communication from legitimate Audacy representatives will only come from email addresses ending in @audacy.com. If you receive any suspicious requests or communications, please verify their authenticity before responding.
About Audacy
Audacy is a scaled, leading multi‑platform audio content and entertainment company differentiated by its exclusive, premium audio content. We operate one of the country’s two scaled radio broadcasting groups, one of the country’s largest podcast networks, and the Audacy direct‑to‑consumer streaming platform. Audacy is also a major event producer and a digital marketing solutions provider, and the unrivaled leader in local news and sports radio.
EEO
Audacy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Audacy affords equal employment opportunity to qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion or religious creed, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or other classification protected by applicable law. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. For accommodation requests, call 1‑610‑660‑5614.