Kansas Public Radio, based at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, is seeking a new Morning Edition host. This early morning news job is not for everyone, but it may be right for you.
Position Overview
The Morning Edition Host/Reporter delivers the local segments of “Morning Edition,” National Public Radio’s weekday news magazine on Kansas Public Radio, licensed by the University of Kansas in Lawrence. This person gathers, edits, writes, produces, and delivers local newscasts and hosts the local segments of this national show on KPR.
Following each morning's broadcast, this person is also responsible for producing broadcast and online news content. The reporter must have a keen understanding of state, regional, and national news.
This position requires consistent availability on weekdays from 4:00 am to 1:00 pm, including most holidays. The position is supervised by the News Director and/or Assistant News Director.
The position also has reporting and production duties, including newscast stories, interviews and occasional features. This position will be expected to produce new content on a regular basis, edit longer local content from other shows and podcasts so they can be included in the news magazines, and produce at least one in-depth feature per month.
Other duties include participation in the station's on-air station fundraising.
Position Requirements
- Consistent availability weekday mornings including holidays and KU snow days.
- The ability to convey information in a conversational manner.
- A broad base of knowledge, particularly of news topics and especially Kansas news issues, people and concerns.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree or High School Diploma/GED plus three years of experience in broadcasting.
- Experience and demonstrated skills in some or all of the following: on-air hosting, reporting, news gathering, interviewing, writing, radio production, digital audio editing skills and the live, on-air delivery of news, weather and other programming, as demonstrated in application materials.
- Experience communicating ideas in a clear, credible, but informal manner. This will be determined by an audio aircheck (See additional candidate instructions, below).
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, mass communications, English, political science, or related field and / or several years’ experience hosting live radio news shows and news magazines.
- Familiarity with public radio and a working knowledge of the U.S. and Kansas legislative process, court system, and state, county, and municipal governments, as demonstrated in application materials.
- Knowledge of the state of Kansas, including its geography (especially eastern Kansas), its history, people and issues affecting its citizens, as evidenced in application materials.
- Work experience that required meeting deadlines, maintaining organization, and attention to detail, as evidenced by application materials.
- Experience providing live, severe weather coverage with information provided by the National Weather Service and other official sources, as demonstrated in application materials.
- Experience with Microsoft Office, as evidenced in application materials.
- Experience with digital recording and editing software, as evidenced in application materials.
Contact Information
J. Schafer
News Director
Kansas Public Radio
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS 66044
jschafer@ku.edu
(785) 864-2246
Additional Candidate Instructions
In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:
- Cover letter addressing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications.
- Resume.
- Contact information for three professional references (including at least one previous or current supervisor).
- Candidates for this position must include an aircheck (by way of embedded link (i.e.YouTube), mp3 file, or audio CD) as part of the application process. The aircheck must be mailed or emailed to KPR, c/o News Director J. Schafer. This is in addition to the online application. Applications not accompanied by an aircheck will not be considered.
Application review begins Monday, March 17th, 2025, and will continue until a pool of qualified applicants are identified.
To be considered, one must apply online at employment.ku.edu/staff/29879BR.
The application deadline is on March 23,2025 and review begins on March 24, 2025, and continues until a pool of qualified applicants is identified.
KU’s excellence is a result of the rich tapestry of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds of our faculty, staff, students, and colleagues from across our nation and the globe. At KU, we invest in continuous learning and growth by creating a climate where people engage in respectful dialogue and debate and support each other’s success. We foster a culture of care where each person is seen, heard and valued. When people feel a true sense of belonging, we believe they are better able to reach their full potential and achieve remarkable things. The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the U.S. by the effective date of the appointment.
In accordance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Executive Order 11246, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, The Americans with Disabilities Act, the Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, the Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002, the Kansas Acts Against Discrimination and all other applicable civil rights and nondiscrimination statutes, the University of Kansas prohibits discrimination.
The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy.
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