Sports Writer Jobs in Alabama (NOW HIRING)

The Sports Director leads our local sports coverage team and collaborates with news and production teammates to produce stories, segments, and programs for all platforms (broadcast, digital, social, & streaming) including the production of a daily, nationally syndicated sports talk-show.

The Sports Director collaborates with Sales and Marketing teammates to help pitch and secure sponsorships for sports segments and programs.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Anchoring ---

• Anchor nightly sportscasts on WKRG-TV News 5 and WFNA-TV Gulf Coast CW.
• Produce and host weekly, half-hour sports program "Sports Overtime" airing Sundays at 10:35pm CDT.
• Present stories on camera with accuracy in a professional, dynamic, and engaging manner
• Produce special projects and other duties as assigned
• Serve as an ambassador for the station at local community events & activities

MMJ ---

• Research/gather/analyze information, interviews, and video to produce accurate, complete, in-depth, relevant, and fair reports for all platforms
• Ensure that all content produced meets company standards for journalistic integrity, timeliness, and production quality
• Author strong copy with correct grammar, punctuation, editorial style, and formatting to meet the requirements of each digital, social, and on-air distribution platform
• Quickly solidify presence on all key beats and develop strong professional relationships with reliable sources
• Daily, pitch & break exclusive, enterprise sports stories for all content platforms
• Report/shoot/edit video and audio content of varying lengths/formats to meet the requirements of each content platform
• Update and maintain online and social media presence to connect and converse with audience and generate story leads and content
• Report live for all content platforms
• Cooperate and communicate clearly, directly, and regularly with content teammates and other station departments

Talk Show Co-host ---

• Co-host and collaborate with team to produce and deliver our nationally syndicated sports talk-show "Southeast Sports+" streaming weekdays 2pm-4pm CDT.

• Be able to confidently and capably technically "one man band" the planning and execution of the show via OBS and vMix.

• Strengthen and expand positive working relationships with our partner sports departments across Nexstar and other industry collaborators and connections to build awareness of the show and leverage opportunities to scale coverage and distribution

Required & Preferred Capabilities:

• Strong news judgment and high journalistic integrity
• Superior on-camera presence and confidence
• Work well under pressure --- ability to handle breaking news and last-minute changes with aplomb
• Low-to-zero call/approach reluctance --- ability to confidently engage with athletes, coaches, administrators, boosters, those affected by stories, and others to cultivate story leads and information
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written with the ability to ad lib
• Professional savvy and collegial demeanor when interacting with colleagues and members of the public
• Strong, candid knowledge of self & capabilities and display the willingness and ability to take action to learn, improve, and grow
• Fluency in English
• Flexibility to work any shift
• Bachelor's degree in Journalism, or a related or complimentary field of study; or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience required.
• A minimum of three (3) years of experience as a Sports Director preferred.

Technical Skills:

• Mastery of AP writing style to author digital, social, streaming, and on-air content
• Confident and capable visual storyteller who is able to gather compelling video, strong natural sound, and solid interviews with field video gear to produce people-centered stories and segments
• Strong non-linear video editing skills required --- familiarity with Adobe Premiere video editing software preferred
• Familiarity and confidence with ENPS rundown and story management system preferred
• Familiarity and confidence with Wordpress digital content publishing system preferred
• Mastery of setup, operation, and troubleshooting of Open Broadcast Software (OBS), vMix, and/or other similar streaming software programs
• Basic understanding of camera settings, studio lighting, and audio processing
• Desire to experiment and innovate in an evolving digital space while maintaining professionalism and journalistic principles
• Develop OBS scene collections and evangelize best practices for livestreams across all WKRG platforms
• Become an in-house expert for production of pre-produced and breaking OTT programs
• Track talk OTT show metrics to identify opportunities for improvement, marketing, and distribution
• Willingness to learn and understand the IT and engineering elements required for successful livestreaming
• Valid driver's license required for hire. A clean driving record is required and must be maintained to be able to safely & confidently operate company motor vehicles

Physical Demands & Work Environment:

The Sports Director must be able to stand, sit, reach, conduct telephone conversations, use electronic mail, write letters and memos, conduct face-to-face discussions with individuals or groups, make decisions without supervision, make decisions that impact the results of co-workers, and work outdoors with various weather conditions and indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.

Must be able to lift, set up and operate equipment or items weighing up to 25 pounds.

Company Overview:

Nexstar Media Group is America's largest local television and media company with 199full power stations (including partner stations) in 116 markets addressing US television households and a growing digital media operation. Nexstar's platform delivers exceptional local content and network programming to inform and entertain viewers, while providing premium, scalable local advertising opportunities for advertisers and brands across all screens and devices. Nexstar Media Inc. is the parent company of Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc. & Nexstar Digital LLC. Learn more at www.nexstar.tv

EEO Statement: Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled