About Chicago Public Media

Home to WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Public Media is the largest local non-profit news organization in the country. WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times serve more than 2 million people weekly across broadcast, print, and digital platforms. As a mission-driven organization, we aspire to become the essential and most trusted news source that Chicago turns to each day for understanding the people, events, and ideas that shape our community.

WBEZ is home to local and national news programming as well as a growing portfolio of popular podcasts. WBEZ serves the community with fact-based, objective news and information, and its award-winning journalists ask tough questions, dig deep for answers and expose truths that spark change and foster understanding. WBEZ is supported by 77,000 members, hundreds of corporate sponsors and major donors. In 2024, Chicago Public Media won 33 national and local awards including from the National Headliner Awards, National Association for Black Journalists, Public Media Journalists Association, Radio Television Digital News Association, Chicago Headline Club, Chicago Journalists Association, Media for a Just Society, and the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.

Chicago Sun-Times is Chicago’s oldest continuously published daily newspaper serving Chicago and is known for its hard-hitting investigative reporting, in-depth political coverage, timely behind-the-scenes sports analysis, and insightful entertainment and cultural coverage. Chicago Sun-Times is the winner of eight Pulitzer Prizes and countless other awards. In recent years, the Sun-Times has focused on a digital transformation to deliver its news and content to a growing digital audience. Most recently, the Sun-Times dropped the paywall on suntimes.com to expand access to its journalism, and shifted to a community-funded digital membership program supported by voluntary member donations.

Chicago Public Media believes independent journalism is essential to a well-functioning democracy and access to fact-based, objective news and information is a right of every citizen. We serve the public interest by creating diverse, compelling content that informs, inspires, and enriches. We connect diverse audiences and help them make a difference in the community, the region and the world. And, we employ 300+ staff who want to belong to an organization that inspires, supports, and challenges them to do their best work.

For more information, please see the Chicago Public Media Annual Report.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Vocalo is looking for a versatile and knowledgeable multimedia content producer to help curate and create the Vocalo experience on air and digitally. There’s a focus on Chicago’s music scene, sharing stories and helping the audience find their next favorite local artist or group.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced audio producer and editor, a lover of Chicago music and the culture around it, and ready to join a creative and ambitious team. This role will be tasked with producing a weekly show, currently in development, that will incorporate music, artist interviews and audience engagement. They will execute the day-to-day strategy for the brand and help develop new opportunities to grow our audience.

There will be responsibilities to assist the Chicago Public Media Arts + Culture Desk in coverage with a specific Vocalo lens, as well as the Audience Team to share our work on social media via vertical video and a newsletter. The ideal candidate will also assist in curating the music listening experience for the Vocalo audience via 91.1 and our digital stream.

This role will be based in Chicago and requires someone who is organized, yet flexible.

This is a grant-funded position with a guaranteed duration of two years.

This position is represented by SAG-AFTRA.

Duties & Responsibilities

(These include but are not limited to the following. The company reserves the right to add to, delete, change, or modify the essential duties and responsibilities at any time.)

Booking interviews with local artists for a weekly show in development
Recording interviews with local artists and groups, and editing for airing on Vocalo, WBEZ and uploading to on-demand feeds
Producing, mixing and directing a weekly music show; coordinating studio resources
Scheduling music using Powergold software
Building relationships throughout the music community in Chicago for potential partnerships
Recording and editing video with local artists and groups for use on social media and YouTube
Helping to curate and program music that airs on the Vocalo broadcast signal, digital stream and is shared via playlists with the audience
Staying up to date on the latest news from the Chicago music and culture community/scene

Minimum Qualifications

Strong audio/radio skills
Video production experience preferred
Experience producing a daily or weekly show preferred
Experience with radio systems and music scheduling software
Strong working knowledge of Adobe Audition
A strong collaborator who enjoys working with a team and has the ability to cultivate strong relationships with colleagues across Chicago Public Media

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, humanities or related field.

Compensation

The expected pay range for this position is $76,500 to $90,000 per ANNUM.

Chicago Public Media provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the organization reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographical location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.

Working at Chicago Public Media

At Chicago Public Media, we care deeply about our employees as we know attracting, developing, and growing talent is key to our success and enhancing our impact.

Our culture is one where collaboration, diversity of ideas, and innovation are encouraged. We value colleagues who will enhance our culture by bringing new ideas, divergent experiences, and talents to our dynamic workplace.

At Chicago Public Media we believe dedication to a great workplace includes supporting our employees and their families. As a result, we provide a broad and generous benefits package for employees at hire and in the years to come.

Our benefits include a competitive salary and benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, vacation, holidays, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement savings, and a commuter benefits plan.

Chicago Public Media is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we actively seek and welcome people from all backgrounds, orientations, and life experiences to join our team.

The essential functions described above are not all-inclusive and are not intended to create any contractual or other legal commitment. Chicago Public Media may change the content or format of this job at any time in its sole and exclusive discretion without notice.

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