KERA ARTS REPORTER

Job Description

KERA, the public media company of North Texas, is seeking an enterprising and ambitious Arts Reporter to join the KERA Arts team. 

 

WHO WE ARE: 

KERA reaches more than 4.5 million people a month through KERA TV, KERA News, KXT, KERA Arts, WRR and the Denton Record Chronicle. For more than 60 years, North Texans have turned to KERA as a destination for trusted educational programming and initiatives, community engagement and lifelong learning. 

 

As we seek to recognize and reflect the increasing diversity among our audiences, we encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and with diverse perspectives to consider employment opportunities at KERA. 

 

POSITION SUMMARY: 

We are looking for a reporter who can’t wait to cover the Cliburn International Piano competition or take us backstage at Broadway Dallas. Someone who thinks Taylor Swift or Beyonce’s next concert date in North Texas is big news, along with what’s happening with Taylor Sheridan’s latest production. This reporter scans national sites, social media and develops local sources so they can be first to share these stories with North Texans.   They are a cultural omnivore, reporting on news and trends across North Texas’ rich cultural scene.   

 

This reporter will write and produce everything from daily news spots to in-depth features on all of KERA’s platforms including 90.1 KERA News, keranews.org, wrr101.org, kxt.org and The Denton Record-Chronicle. This is a great opportunity for a thoughtful, detail-oriented reporter with stellar ideas and strong journalism skills.  

 

KERA leads The Texas Newsroom -- a regional news hub of public radio stations across the state and NPR -- and the station has several regional arts collaborations, including Arts Access, so the Arts Reporter’s stories will air locally, statewide and often nationally. The ideal candidate is someone who can put local stories into broader context. 

 

This position is FLSA classified as non-exempt, is eligible for overtime and reports directly to the VP, Arts. 

 

What you’ll do 

• Pitch, report and produce a mix of daily news, two-ways and features for radio and websites (keranews.org, wrr101.org, kxt.org) that connects our audiences to music, arts, culture in North Texas. 

• Voice/produce segments on arts/events news for a daily talk show.  

• Stay on top of regional arts news and contribute the same to national and statewide partners. 

• Build and maintain a community around the beat – locally, statewide and nationally. This includes musicians and artists, leaders of arts organizations, curators and experts, and others in our thriving cultural community. 

• Work collaboratively as part of KERA’s arts team, with staff and collaborations from WRR, KERA News, Denton Record-Chronicle and KXT; collaborations such as The Fort Worth Report and Arts Access; and partners across the state to build expertise, contribute compelling story ideas and experiment with innovative storytelling techniques. 

• Develop distinctive audio and digital stories focused on the KERA listening area, with statewide and national context and impact. 

• Cover breaking news in North Texas and beyond, sometimes outside the scope of the beat; this can include work outside the standard 9-5 business hours as needed. 

• Participate in the rotating on-call schedule for the Newsroom. 

• Actively participate in KERA fundraising campaigns. 

 
As a KERA employee: 

• Be an active participant in KERA’s work towards equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. 

• Work in a manner that is consistent with KERA’s mission, vision and values; and maintain compliance with all company policies and procedures. 

• Perform additional duties as assigned. 
   

This list of job duties is not exhaustive and is subject to regular reviews and updates. 
 

Job Requirements

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL: 

We believe a strong organization includes employees from a variety of backgrounds, with different skills, experiences and passions. If you don't meet every job qualification but have some of these skills and feel you could be a good fit, we'd like to hear from you. Please apply and tell us more about yourself. 

 

• 1-3 years of experience and background in journalism, mass communication or related field 

• Strong audio reporting and production skills, and solid news writing skills.  

• Ability to generate dynamic, creative story ideas. 

• Ability to shift journalistic modes quickly, from deadline reporting to feature writing. 

• Demonstrated commitment to diversity in reporting and sourcing. 

• Passion for music, arts and culture journalism. 

• Knowledge of Associated Press style, ability to exercise sound news judgment and follow KERA/NPR ethics and editorial standards. 

• Passionate and enthusiastic about public media journalism and serving a diverse North Texas audience. 

• Must be able to provide reliable transportation for work offsite and on assignment  

 
 
BONUS IF YOU BRING: 

• Expertise in music, arts and culture. 

• Public radio production experience. 

• 3 or more years of professional journalism experience. 

• Knowledge of North Texas arts, music and culture.  

• Fluency in Spanish and/or other languages common in Texas. 

• Experience with one or more of the following: multimedia production, particularly photography or video; working with one or more content management systems; other relevant technical expertise. 

 

SALARY RANGE 

$57,000-$65,000 annually depending on experience. 

 
 
BENEFITS 

• Generous vacation (3 weeks), sick (8 days), personal time (2 days) and holidays (11) 

• Comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance. 

• KERA-paid short and long-term disability, basic life insurance and AD&D insurance 

• Flexible scheduling and hybrid work environment. 

• 401k plan with KERA-contribution eligibility after six months of tenure. 

• Company culture focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. 

• Robust employee assistance program available to the employee and all members of their household. 

 

LOCATION: 

KERA welcomes a hybrid working environment. We expect that this position will work out of our Dallas office 25% of the time.
 

 HOW TO APPLY: 

Complete the application on KERA’s employment page and attach a resume. An optional cover letter to tell us more about yourself will be accepted but is not required. 

 

APPLICATION TIMELINE: 

We generally close roles 2-4 weeks after posting. The hiring process may continue for a couple of weeks after the closing of the role depending on the number of applicants.  

 

KERA is an Equal Opportunity Employer 

KERA believes that diversity is important to our success. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, religion, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. 

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