Summary of the WTOL 11 Story Desk Editor job at TEGNA Inc.

About TEGNA

TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) helps people thrive in their local communities by providing the trusted local news and services that matter most. With 64 television stations in 51 U.S. markets, TEGNA reaches more than 100 million people monthly across the web, mobile apps, streaming, and linear television. Together, we are building a sustainable future for local news.

WTOL 11, the TEGNA-owned CBS affiliate in Toledo, Ohio, is evolving how we plan, produce and distribute local journalism—and we’re looking for a Story Desk Editor to help lead coverage across our newsroom.

This hybrid role combines the strengths of an assignment editor and a digital content producer, serving as a central hub for daily news operations. The Story Desk Editor helps drive editorial decisions, coordinate coverage, publish content and ensure our journalism reaches audiences across broadcast, digital, streaming, social and vertical video platforms.
Role summary

The Story Desk Editor is part of WTOL 11’s **Story Management Desk (SMD)**, a unified desk that replaces traditional assignment and digital silos. In this role, you will help manage coverage as stories develop throughout the day, ensuring updates are timely, accurate and optimized for multiple platforms.

You’ll work closely with producers, MSJs, photojournalists and digital teams to coordinate breaking news coverage, advance ongoing stories and support storytelling across broadcast, digital, streaming and social platforms. You will also play a key role in planning future coverage and ensuring continuity between shifts.

This position requires strong editorial judgment, excellent communication skills and the ability to make decisions quickly in a fast-paced newsroom environment.

Responsibilities:

* Lead and communicate newsroom coverage during breaking news, ensuring accuracy, urgency and balance
* Monitor developing stories and identify opportunities for follow-up coverage
* Coordinate newsroom logistics and provide editorial guidance to reporters, producers and photojournalists
* Create, edit and publish content for digital platforms, including the website, mobile app and streaming products
* Curate and optimize content across broadcast, digital, streaming and social platforms
* Support vertical video and social storytelling, including:

* Identifying stories suited for TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and other vertical formats
* Writing and editing compelling vertical video headlines, descriptions and captions
* Assisting reporters and producers with framing and pacing for short-form video
* Repurposing breaking and enterprise stories into vertical formats
* Launch and manage WTOL 11+ livestreams as needed, including routing sources, starting streams, writing descriptions and sending alerts
* Monitor scanners, cameras, social platforms, audience submissions and other news-gathering tools to identify emerging stories
* Use audience data and performance metrics to inform coverage decisions and improve reach and engagement
* Enhance storytelling with creative elements such as video, graphics, maps and audience-submitted content
* Maintain daily planning tools and contribute to newsroom coverage planning
* Communicate effectively across shifts to ensure continuity of coverage
* Uphold TEGNA’s journalistic standards and WTOL 11’s commitment to ethical, community-focused journalism across all platforms

Requirements:

* 1–3 years of experience in a local newsroom, digital production role, assignment desk role or related journalism position
* Strong news judgment and the ability to make fast, sound editorial decisions
* Excellent writing and editing skills, with attention to accuracy and clarity under deadline pressure
* Familiarity with newsroom systems, content management systems and digital publishing tools
* Comfort working across multiple platforms, including digital, social, streaming and video
* Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities in a deadline-driven environment
* Experience with breaking news coverage and live event coordination preferred
* A collaborative, solutions-oriented mindset
* Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications or equivalent experience

Why WTOL 11?

WTOL 11 serves northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan with a commitment to community-focused journalism, innovation and audience engagement. The Story Desk Editor plays a critical role in helping our newsroom tell stories that matter and connect with audiences wherever they consume news.

Benefits: 

TEGNA offers comprehensive benefits designed to safeguard the physical, mental and financial health of our employees and their families. TEGNA offers two medical plan options for full and part-time employees through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, as well as access to dental and eye care coverage; fertility, surrogacy and adoption assistance; disability and life insurance.

Our 401(k) program offers full, part-time and temporary employees the opportunity to contribute 1% - 80% of their pay on a pre-tax basis to TEGNA’s 401(k). Contributions made up to the first 4% of pay are eligible for a 100% match from the company and are 100% vested from day one.

Regardless of participation in TEGNA medical plans, ALL employees and their eligible family members receive nine free virtual doctor’s appointments with a physician through Teladoc, and 12 free annual therapy sessions with a licensed clinician through Spring Health.

TEGNA offers a generous Paid Time Off (PTO) benefit as well as nine paid holidays per year. 

* Some jobs are covered by a collective bargaining agreement and thus some or all of the benefits described herein may not apply. For example, some newsroom bargaining unit employees receive health and retirement benefits under plans administered by the union.

EEO statement:

TEGNA Inc. is a proud equal opportunity employer. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, hiring and developing individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences to add to our collaborative culture. We value and consider applications from all qualified candidates without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, disability, medical condition, enrollment in college or vocational school, political affiliation, military or veteran status, citizenship status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law. TEGNA will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law. If you are in need of an accommodation in order to submit your application, please email askhr@tegna.com 

Recruiting Fraud Alert:

To all candidates: your personal information and online safety are important to us. Only TEGNA Recruiters or Hiring Managers will reach out to you regarding consideration of your application or background.  Communications with TEGNA employees will either come from a TEGNA email address with a domain of tegna.com or one of our affiliate station domains.  

Recruiters or Hiring Managers will never request payments, ask for financial account information or sensitive information such as social security numbers.