P.M. News Editor

Job Description

St. Louis Public Radio, an NPR member station, seeks a P.M. News Editor to strengthen our afternoon and evening news coverage. This editor will play a key role in managing and editing daily news content for broadcast and digital platforms, with a shift that starts in the early afternoon and ensures we remain responsive to breaking news, evening developments, and the needs of our audience beyond traditional work hours. (The default schedule would be approximately noon to 8 p.m., with adjustments in cases of planned coverage of evening meetings or other events.)

The P.M. News Editor supervises a team of three or four reporters and collaborates closely with other editors, reporters and producers across the newsroom. This editor is responsible for assigning and editing stories and setting up the next day’s morning team with well-edited material and context about any late-breaking developments.

This position is ideal for someone with sharp news judgment, strong editing skills, and a commitment to public service journalism. It also offers a rare opportunity to shape STLPR’s capacity for late-day news coverage and help build sustainable newsroom workflows that serve our audience well across the entire day.

This is an opportunity to join a deeply collaborative, award-winning newsroom of nearly 30 journalists, committed to excellence, innovation and public service. STLPR is recognized nationally for ambitious storytelling and is a founding member of the Midwest Newsroom, which focuses on enterprise and investigative reporting. Our reporting regularly airs nationally on NPR, Marketplace and other programs.

Key Responsibilities

• Assign, guide and edit daily stories from a team of beat reporters, as well as other contributors with late-day stories.
• Serve as STLPR’s primary news editor after 5 p.m., with flexibility to adjust hours for night meetings and events or late-breaking coverage.
• Edit web stories, broadcast scripts, newsletters and briefs for clarity, accuracy and consistency with STLPR’s editorial standards and voice.
• Coordinate with St. Louis on the Air and digital teams on evening content priorities and post-show publishing needs.
• Support the morning team by producing web briefs and broadcast readers, and by sharing relevant developments in a handoff note.
• Collaborate with the Dayside News Editor and other editorial leaders to ensure comprehensive daily coverage and workload balance.
• Provide coaching and feedback to reporters, helping them strengthen their writing, sourcing and storytelling.
• Occasionally edit high-impact stories outside of your direct team, particularly when subject matter expertise or newsroom need arises.

Supervision Received

The P.M. News Editor reports to the Managing Editor of News.

Supervision Exercised

This position supervises a team of 3–4 reporters and may occasionally coordinate with interns or freelance contributors.

Location

This position is based in St. Louis. The P.M. News Editor must live in or relocate to the region. A moving allowance is available in applicable situations.

Salary Range

$70,000 - $87,000 annual

Other information

St. Louis Public Radio is a service of the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL), and through UMSL offers comprehensive benefits including health, dental and vision insurance, retirement and wellness programs through the University of Missouri System Total Rewards program. University employees receive discounts at the College of Optometry's Center for Eye Care, discounted passes for the Metrolink and UM System-sponsored programs. Additionally, UMSL staff and their dependents enjoy discounted tuition, and employees have access to a wide array of professional development opportunities.

Application Instructions

To apply for this position, visit the UMSL Careers site. Job ID: 56636.

Along with your online application, please include a cover letter that outlines how your previous work experience makes you a great fit for this job and how you could best serve St. Louis-area residents in this role.

Submit 3 samples of past journalism work that you have reported, editor or otherwise guided to completion. Explain your role in those stories or projects.

If you have questions about the job or the application process, contact Brian Heffernan, Interim News Director: bheffernan@stlpr.org.

STLPR is committed to building a newsroom representative of the St. Louis region. We enthusiastically welcome those from groups underrepresented in public media to apply.

Job Requirements

Qualifications

• At least five years of professional newsroom experience, with at least two years in an editing, producing or assigning role.
• Strong editing skills and a track record of improving clarity, structure and depth in others’ work.
• Proven ability to manage fast-moving news while maintaining accuracy and editorial integrity.
• Familiarity with a newsroom CMS, audio scripting formats, and AP Style.
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative approach to working across teams.
• Strong organizational skills and comfort managing shifting priorities on deadline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience covering or editing local news, especially in civic affairs or public policy.
• Familiarity with the St. Louis region and its communities.
• Comfort editing both audio and digital formats.
• Experience managing or mentoring reporters.
• Interest in contributing to the development of sustainable newsroom workflows.

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