SOLUTIONS JOURNALIST - WIS-TV Job at Gray Media, Inc. in Columbia

Today, we are a growing multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. We are the nation's largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets serving 117 full-power television markets that collectively reach approximately 37% of US television households. The portfolio includes 80 markets with the top-rated television station and 100 markets with the first and/or second highest rated television station in average all-day ratings across 116 of such markets that were measured by Nielsen in 2025. We also own the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 47 markets and Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services. Our additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios.

About WIS-TV
WIS is the #1 local media organization in the capital city market of Columbia, South Carolina. It is the market’s top-rated broadcast television station, a digital publisher reaching tens of millions of users each year, and the home of GDM Columbia, a full-service in-house digital advertising agency with national scale. WIS is also the hub for Palmetto Sports & Entertainment, a statewide broadcast sports network, and an affiliate of Telemundo SC.

Serving South Carolina's Midlands since 1953, WIS offers the opportunity to join an award-winning culture for a popular brand built upon decades of market leadership. Named the South Carolina Broadcasters Association's Station of the Year a record 17 times, WIS has earned the Edward R. Murrow Award for Journalism Excellence, the National Association of Broadcasters' Service to America Award, the George Foster Peabody Award, and is an annual attendee of the Southeast Emmy Awards.

Among the many notable former journalists who helped set our standard, NBC Today Show co-host Craig Melvin began his career with WIS as an intern, photographer, reporter, and then anchor.

WIS produces more than 60 hours of local, original programming per week. The station offers a unique variety of multiplatform advertising solutions, sponsored content, and professional creative services for businesses of any size.

Columbia, South Carolina, is a vibrant and growing capital city with a diverse population. It is home to the U.S. Army's largest installation for Basic Combat Training, Fort Jackson, along with the University of South Carolina and multiple other colleges and universities. WIS is located downtown, just two blocks from the South Carolina State House.

Our community combines affordable quality of living with a variety of entertainment and activities to accommodate your lifestyle, whether it's our 50,000-acre Lake Murray, our Columbia Fireflies minor league baseball team, the Riverbanks Zoo & Gardens, nearby Congaree National Park, and so much more.

Job Summary
A Solutions Journalist at WIS joins a market-leading, award-winning newsroom to research, develop, and produce enterprise reporting that doesn’t stop at identifying what’s broken. This role is for an investigative-minded storyteller who understands evolving audience demand for journalism that holds power accountable while also rigorously examining responses—what’s being tried, what’s working (or not), for whom, and why.

Solutions journalism is not “good news.” It is tough, evidence-based reporting about responses to problems, grounded in:

Evidence of effectiveness (data, results, credible evaluation)

Insight (what can be learned and why it matters here)

Limitations (tradeoffs, gaps, risks, what hasn’t worked, who’s left out)

The ideal candidate is an aggressive self-starter with strong public records skills, understands how to research, has a deep commitment to fairness and verification, and has the ability to produce compelling, high-impact stories across broadcast and digital platforms.

Duties / Responsibilities

Pitch, report, and produce enterprise/solutions stories that examine both the problem and credible responses, with clear evidence and limitations

Shoot, write, edit, and publish multiplatform video (broadcast + digital) with high standards of verification and transparency

Plan and execute short- and long-term projects on a shared enterprise calendar with newsroom stakeholders

Use public records (FOIA), databases, documents, and data to uncover accountability and measure outcomes

Develop sources and leads that reveal exclusive information and deepen reporting over time

Interrogate claims made by institutions and organizations promoting “solutions,” testing what’s true and what’s overstated

Center the audience with clear “why it matters” framing and practical context, without advocacy or cheerleading

Present information fairly and accurately, including right-of-reply and strong attribution

Collaborate closely with News leadership, digital, and producers to maximize reach, clarity, and follow-through reporting

Build and maintain reporting systems (trackers, databases, timelines) to ensure stories evolve beyond a single hit

Create strong digital components (explainers, FAQs, document viewers, short-form video, follow-ups) that extend impact and engagement

Qualifications / Requirements

3-5 years’ experience in investigative, enterprise, or accountability reporting (solutions journalism experience is a plus)

Refined ability to write for both broadcast & digital presentation

Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field

Understanding of and adherence to AP Style for digital platforms and broadcasting writing for TV

Ability to operate a field camera, editing, and lighting equipment

Ability to lift/carry equipment ranging from 35-50 lbs

Must have a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record

Represent WIS professionally/responsibly in the community and newsroom, online and in person

Must have the desire to win, reflect critically on your work, and apply feedback

Demonstrated ability to report with rigor on evidence, impact, and limitations (data literacy and document reporting preferred)

Additional Info
Gray Media provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Gray Media complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment at every location where the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Gray Media expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with Gray’s employees' ability to perform their job duties may result in discipline, up to and including discharge.

Equal Opportunity Employer. This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

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