This posting will remain open until August 7, 2022.
St. Louis Public Radio (STLPR), the region’s National Public Radio (NPR) member station, seeks a host/producer of its flagship local talk show, St. Louis on the Air.
St. Louis on the Air is the St. Louis region’s premier talk show that airs at noon and 7 p.m. on 90.7 FM and anytime via podcast. Delivering in-depth and nuanced discussions about those who live, work and create here, St. Louis on the Air is an innovative program. We celebrate life in the St. Louis area and give much needed air time to the challenges facing our communities. We find unique news angles, eschew “talking heads” and strive to talk directly with people affected by the news and those responsible for making decisions. St. Louis on the Air is not just a hallmark of STLPR’s broadcast service, but a vital way the station interacts with our community for a more inspired and engaged public.
As a non-profit media organization, STLPR serves hundreds of thousands of people monthly on-air, online and on-demand delivering accuracy and understanding. As a station, our intent is to practice and support mission-driven journalism with staff members who are engaged and committed to equitable and inclusive service, both to our community and to each other. That means we seek to recognize and address bias in ourselves, in our work and in the systems we are a part of. We welcome a broad range of perspectives, experiences and identities to our teams and our news coverage. We are always working to expand the reach of our service to those who have not felt invited into public media.
STLPR is looking for an experienced journalist and interviewer who will join a team of two producers, a senior producer, part-time audio engineer and executive producer. In addition to being passionate about talking with people in a live-interview format, the successful candidate will host recorded segments, special broadcasts and events. Our ideal candidate is endlessly curious and enjoys talking about hard news topics just as much as they enjoy talking about the latest in arts/culture news.
You are a strong candidate for host of St. Louis on the Air if you possess that elusive mix of "hostiness," curiosity, a voracious journalistic appetite and an ability to write quickly and meet daily deadlines. You will also have strong editorial judgment and be highly organized, well-prepared and work effectively and collaboratively in a team setting. You are eager to talk with newsmakers and, most importantly, are committed to putting people at the center of stories. You are creative and have the skills to make St. Louis on the Air a go-to show for the St. Louis community.
You will be a successful candidate for this role if you have:
- Experience as a journalist and interviewer;
- Sound news judgment, intellectual rigor and a passion for staying up-to-date on current affairs;
- Impeccable preparation and a strong grasp of journalism ethics;
- Experience juggling daily stories with enterprise reporting while meeting deadlines;
- A love of public broadcasting and the diverse constituencies we serve;
- Solid writing skills and familiarity with AP style;
- At least five years as a journalist, or related experience;
- A personal connection to the St. Louis community, its diverse communities, or a proven availability to develop connections in a new city;
- Ability to center people in their stories, especially people who aren’t always represented in news coverage.
Additionally, we hope to find candidates with any of the following:
- Knowledge of St. Louis and the greater St. Louis region;
- Previous broadcast and/or podcast hosting experience;
- Experience creating audio stories and editing web stories.
We are a daily newsroom and work outside of normal business hours will sometimes be required.
Salary Range: $75,000 - $95,000/annual
Application Instructions:
A cover letter and samples of radio work and/or published journalism are required for consideration. Your cover letter should highlight your ideas for how you could best serve listeners and readers in this job. The final round of the hiring process will also include an audition.
Questions about this position and work samples should be sent to Executive Producer Alex Heuer: aheuer@stlpr.org.
St. Louis Public Radio is a service of the University of Missouri–St. Louis. In order to be considered for this position or to view the posting in its entirety, please visit UMSL's employment site and complete an online application. Job ID: 42360.
We are committed to building a newsroom demographically representative of the St. Louis region. STLPR and UMSL are equal opportunity employers. We enthusiastically encourage members of groups underrepresented in public media to apply.