VirtualVocations

Freelance Headlines Editor

Job: Free Speech Radio News

Headlines Editor

Location: Anywhere-home office or local radio station

State: None

Salary: $18.75 hourly

Application deadline: Friday, September 12, 2008

This is a full-time position.

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Free Speech Radio News

Headlines Editor

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Sept 12th 2008

Send resume and cover letter within the body of an e-mail to: jobs@fsrn.org

JOB DURATION: Permanent

POSITION: Full Time Headlines Editor, Monday-Friday, starting at 8:30am ET

START DATE: October 2008

LOCATION: Home studio or local radio station.

JOB DESCRIPTION: To deliver 5-6 minutes of headline news in a

suitable electronic format, on deadline, as part of 29-minute daily

radio newscast Free Speech Radio News. www.fsrn.org. This is a full

time permanent position.

JOB REQUIREMENTS: Familiarity with and access to an assortment of

daily news outlets. Daily news reporting and editing experience;

ability to meet deadline with minimal supervision; ability to work in

a collective decision-making process; experience with digital audio

editing required.

PAY: currently $18.75/hr

Free Speech Radio News is a half hour daily national/international

newscast broadcast on about 100 community and public radio stations,

and web radio stations around the United States. Approximately 150

freelance reporters around the world contribute to the newscast. We

try to use local reporters rather than sending people from the US to

provide coverage. FSRN is the world's only collectively-run broadcast

news organization.

JOB TASKS:

* Attend the daily morning editorial conference call, prepared

with a list of headline ideas

* Perform story selection in keeping with the overall mission

of Free Speech Radio News.

* Watch for breaking news through deadline and be prepared to

update headlines as needed.

* Assign stories in the morning to appropriate news reporters.

* Maintain contact with reporters to make sure they meet deadline.

* Edit and fact-check scripts written by reporters in

preparation for production.

* If necessary, record reporter's stories by phone, maintaining

the highest possible production standards.

* Provide instruction and assistance for reporters who send

sound and/or file stories electronically.

* Research, write, and conduct any necessary interviews for

important stories where no appropriate reporter is available, upon

agreement with editorial team.

* Electronically transfer stories from reporters to digital workstation.

* Confer with Features Editor to evaluate day's newscast and

determine any necessary changes in headlines or features.

* Write, edit, voice and mix story leads for the headlines

portion of the cast and anchor leads when needed.

* Assemble stories in an order that encourages sustained

listening and is sensitive to the news-worthiness of each story.

* Electronically edit stories and leads to fit for time

--ideally, 5-minutes. Confer with the Engineer if extensions are

necessary.

* Deliver assembled headlines package to an electronic site, on

deadline, as designated by the Engineer.

* Send a daily run sheet to the bookkeeper so that headlines

accounts payable are kept up-to-date.

* Help represent the Editorial Team at FSRN Steering Committee Meetings.

* Participate in Editorial Team activites, such as the

evaluation of reporter pitches and providing ideas for two-ways or

potential interviewees for feature stories.

Experience required:

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

Producer should own or have access to recording equipment, computer

with high speed internet access, audio editing software, high quality

microphone, quiet space to record, high quality phone hybrid for

recording interviews and headlines delivered over the phone. Access to

an ISDN is ideal, although not required.

REQUIRED SKILLS-QUALITIES:

*Good ear for sound quality and ability to identify and troubleshoot

audio problems over chat, email, or telephone

*Ability to work well under pressure and on deadline.

*Responsible and Punctual

*Creative problem solving

*Ability to work independently

*Excellent grammar and copy editing skills

*Knowledge of news sources, web, print and personal

*Knowledge of and dedication to grassroots radio/independent journalism

*Ability to work with reporters from diverse backgrounds and at

various skill levels

DESIRED SKILLS

*Fluency in at least one language beyond English

*Basic website skills

*Experience working or volunteering in a collective

*Understanding of basic finances, like the ability to read a

spreadsheet and calculate costs over time

*Willingness to participate in organizational committees

FSRN is an equal opportunity employer.

Employer Posted:Friday, August 22, 2008