KZFR Community Radio seeks an organized, collaborative, and community-minded News Coordinator to lead the editorial direction and manage the weekly workflow of Zephyr News, KZFR’s locally produced news program.
The News Coordinator has full editorial authority over Zephyr News. The NC is responsible for determining the program’s coverage priorities, approving story ideas, coordinating assignments, reviewing and editing submitted content, and establishing the final weekly lineup.
The NC works with the News Producer, interns, volunteers, and community partners to ensure that contributors are working toward a shared editorial plan. The NC tracks the progress of each assigned story and ensures that completed segments and supporting materials are delivered to the News Producer by established production deadlines.
The NC will also research, report, write, record, and edit original stories for Zephyr News as needed. However, the position’s primary focus is leading the program’s editorial process and coordinating the people, stories, deadlines, and materials needed to produce each weekly episode.
The News Coordinator reports to the General Manager for administrative and employment matters but exercises independent editorial control over Zephyr News. The General Manager may be consulted when questions arise involving FCC compliance, KZFR internal policies or guidelines, or journalistic ethics.
This position is responsible only for Zephyr News and does not oversee KZFR’s other independently produced news, public-affairs, or talk programs.
Key Responsibilities
Editorial Leadership and Weekly Coordination
· Lead the weekly editorial planning process for Zephyr News.
· Determine the program’s weekly coverage priorities and final editorial lineup.
· Review and approve proposed stories, interviews, and segments.
· Assign or confirm responsibility for each approved story, interview, or segment.
· Make final decisions regarding which stories will be pursued, revised, postponed, replaced, or removed from the lineup.
· Provide contributors with clear editorial direction regarding story focus, framing, sourcing, context, length, and presentation.
· Maintain a shared story calendar, assignment list, or production tracker.
· Make sure contributors understand their assignments, deadlines, expected segment lengths, and required production materials.
· Prevent duplicated coverage by communicating approved assignments and proposed story topics across the contributor team.
· Identify gaps in the weekly lineup and secure additional stories or contributors when needed.
· Communicate editorial decisions, assignment changes, deadlines, and program priorities to everyone involved.
· Lead regular editorial and production meetings.
Production Workflow and Deadline Management
· Track each approved story from its initial assignment through final editorial approval and delivery.
· Follow up with contributors throughout the week to confirm progress and address delays, editorial questions, or production needs.
· Ensure that completed scripts, recorded interviews, edited segments, source information, introductions, and other required materials are delivered to the News Producer by the established deadline.
· Review and organize submitted materials before providing them to the News Producer for assembly.
· Determine whether submitted stories and segments are complete and ready for inclusion in the program.
· Communicate with the News Producer as early as possible when a story may be delayed, incomplete, revised, or removed from the lineup.
· Select replacement content or adjust the program lineup when planned segments cannot be completed.
· Work with the News Producer to make sure the assembled program accurately reflects the approved editorial lineup.
· Resolve last-minute editorial questions or content gaps before the program is finalized.
Reporting and Story Development
· Research local and regional news affecting Chico, Butte County, and the broader KZFR listening area.
· Develop original story ideas that address community information needs.
· Conduct interviews with public officials, community leaders, advocates, subject-matter experts, and residents.
· Write clear, accurate, and engaging news scripts, interviews, and short feature segments.
· Record and edit original audio stories for Zephyr News as needed.
· Coordinate timely coverage of breaking news, emergencies, elections, public meetings, and other significant community events.
· Verify facts, sources, names, dates, quotations, and other information before approving content for production.
· Request additional reporting, sourcing, clarification, or revisions when submitted material is incomplete or does not meet the program’s editorial standards.
Editorial Standards
· Exercise final editorial authority over the content and weekly lineup of Zephyr News.
· Establish and maintain coverage priorities consistent with KZFR’s mission and the information needs of the communities it serves.
· Review, edit, approve, revise, or reject stories and segments submitted for the program.
· Ensure that reporting is accurate, fair, independent, relevant, appropriately sourced, and grounded in public service.
· Help contributors understand and follow KZFR’s journalistic and ethical expectations.
· Ensure that submitted content meets KZFR’s journalistic and production standards before approving it for broadcast.
· Ensure that corrections are made promptly when factual errors are identified.
· Maintain clear distinctions between journalism, commentary, advocacy, underwriting, and promotional content.
· Identify potential conflicts of interest and determine whether disclosure, reassignment, or another response is appropriate.
· Help ensure that Zephyr News reflects a range of communities, perspectives, and experiences throughout KZFR’s service area.
· Consult the General Manager when questions arise involving FCC compliance or journalistic ethics.
· Maintain the editorial independence of Zephyr News while remaining accountable to KZFR’s mission, policies, and applicable broadcast requirements.
Contributor, Intern, and Partner Coordination
· Serve as the primary weekly point of contact for Zephyr News interns, volunteers, and contributing partners.
· Help onboard new contributors by explaining the program’s workflow, deadlines, editorial expectations, and submission requirements.
· Provide story guidance, constructive editorial feedback, and support to interns and less-experienced contributors.
· Coordinate with community organizations and media partners that contribute interviews, reports, or other segments.
· Establish clear expectations with partners regarding story topics, editorial independence, deadlines, sourcing, audio quality, and delivery formats.
· Ensure that contributed material remains subject to the NC’s editorial review and approval.
· Address missed deadlines, incomplete assignments, duplicated coverage, and other workflow concerns directly and promptly.
· Encourage a collaborative environment in which contributors communicate openly and meet shared responsibilities.
Community and Station Participation
· Develop and maintain relationships with local organizations, journalists, public agencies, educational institutions, and other potential news sources or partners.
· Monitor local and regional developments that may warrant coverage by Zephyr News.
· Coordinate election coverage, candidate forums, emergency information, and special Zephyr News programming when appropriate.
· Participate in KZFR fundraising campaigns, community events, or station activities as assigned.
· Represent KZFR and Zephyr News professionally in communications with sources, partners, contributors, and members of the public.
· Respond professionally to questions, concerns, corrections, and feedback regarding Zephyr News coverage.
· Perform other duties related to Zephyr News as assigned by the General Manager.
Pay: $22.00 - $25.00 per hour
Expected hours: 25.0 per week
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Chico, CA 95928
