Network Editorial Director - High Plains Civic Media Network

About this position
This newly created position is an opportunity to play a leading role in the creation of a reimagined and innovative model for providing civic news and information across the High Plains region. The model is centered on creating and working with a wide network of individual and organizational contributors to provide a steady stream of content across media platforms that well serves the needs and interest of residents of the High Plains.

The full job listing can be found here and along with the listing for the companion Network Manager position.

The High Plains Civic Media Network (HPCMN) is the core strategic initiative of High Plains Public Radio (HPPR) with the objectives of: 1) further realizing HPPR’s mission of “supporting and enriching the civic, educational, community and cultural life of residents of the High Plains region”, 2) reaching, engaging and serving a much wider and more diverse audience and, 3) building a larger base of area financial support.

Three-year startup funding for the HPCMN has been provided by Press Forward and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

About High Plains Public Radio (HPPR)
High Plains Public Radio serves Western Kansas, the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles and far eastern Colorado and southwest Nebraska with public media services closely attuned to the environment, economy, cultures, history and community life of this High Plains region. These services include two audio programming channels (HPPR MIX offering news and mixed music and HPPR CONNECT with all news, information and talk) and hppr.org focusing on regional news, features and events. To ensure free and convenient access to its services HPPR operates a network of 18 FM stations, along with digital streaming and mobile app. Full studios are located in Garden City, KS and Amarillo, TX along with remote production in various communities across the region.

HPPR is an independent non-profit organization (the Kanza Society, Inc) founded in 1977 as a grass‑roots effort to bring public media services to the High Plains region. It began its first broadcast operations in 1980.

Position responsibilities
Audience understanding

Developing a comprehensive and dynamic understanding of the needs, interests and perspectives of residents of the High Plains and how the HPCMN can best serve them

Participating in the design of formal audience research projects to identify and understand audiences’ needs and interest, platform usage, news sources and levels of satisfaction

Conducting ongoing audience polling and engagement on personal interests, community needs, coverage ideas, service satisfaction and other matters to guide the ongoing development of the HPCMN

Contributor network development

Identifying and recruiting area individuals and organizations for multiple roles in the network, including Community Correspondents, Topical Correspondents, Regional Curators and Community Connectors

Widening the inclusiveness of the contributor network across multiple dimensions, including geography, cultural background, life experiences, occupation, political orientation and other dimensions reflective of residents of the High Plains region

Developing a regional perspective and regional identity across the network of contributors

Working with public media partners on content sharing, coverage coordination, joint coverage projects and other actions to strengthen the HPCMN and increase its reach beyond the High Plains region

Platform, format and production guidelines

Developing standards, practices and guidelines for network contributors for creating and publishing content across platforms used by the HPCMN

Developing guidelines for various content formats and styles to be used by network contributors

Ensuring the integrity and quality of all content published by the HPCMN in accord with its defined standards and guidelines

Coverage planning and direction

Prioritizing coverage by the network to best serve existing and evolving civic needs and interests of High Plains residents

Working across the contributor network to make suggestions and assignments for coverage

Assisting network contributors in developing and shaping their story ideas into audience-focused content for publication through the HPCMN

Editorial and publishing support for contributors

Reviewing and editing contributor submissions

Providing instruction and guidance on journalism practices, standards and ethics

Designing efficient, end-to-end workflows and checklists for network contributors to use in creating content

Assessing editorial skill development needs across the contributor network (e.g. journalism basics, writing styles, digital storytelling, data use) and providing or arranging training sessions and workshops to build needed skills

Content production

Directly producing content as needed and opportune to supplement and complement the work of network contributors

Designing and producing newsletters, drawing on and packaging the content produced by the contributor network

Backfilling as needed for other staff and contributors to maintain the flow of content to audiences

Audience development

Continually tracking and assessing HPCMN’s overall audience reach and engagement across platforms through digital audience data

Providing feedback and guidance to network contributors on the effectiveness of their audience reach and engagement using audience data

Using audience data to evaluate the effectiveness of various content topics, formats and platforms and prioritize where and how to develop and direct the network for greater audience growth and engagement

Working with HPPR staff on overall top-to-bottom audience funnel development initiatives, including awareness marketing, content promotion, audience engagement and conversion to financial support

Encouraging and supporting contributors to use their own community and social networks to promote their and others’ HPCMN content

Experience, skills and attributes
Journalism
Required:

Working knowledge of journalistic editorial standards, practices and ethics

3-5 years’ experience as a working journalist or equivalent reporting and writing experience

Preferred:

Managing journalists

Developing relationships and partnerships with other journalism organizations

Writing and editing
Required:

Audience-focused writing in a variety of styles for different platforms

Content editing across a variety of styles, formats and digital platforms

Preferred:

Codification and documentation of editorial guidelines and practices

Digital publishing
Required:

Cross-platform content production: website, social media (Facebook, Instagram) and newsletters

Cross-platform content planning and scheduling (budgeting)

Preferred:

Familiarity with a range of digital production and content managements systems

Audio and video recording and editing

Leadership and relationship management
Required:

Vision sharing

Relationship development

Managing through influence

Building a collaborative work environment in a virtual setting

Preferred:

Use of online tools for remote work coordination and information/asset management (e.g., Google Workspace)

Audience service
Required:

An “audience first” perspective, orientation and personal interest

Appreciation of rural communities, economies, mores and lifestyles

Natural curiosity in knowing more, more inclusively, about a region

Preferred:

Familiarity with the High Plains region

Familiarity with HPPR and its existing services to the region

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