Media may be in flux, but NBCUniversal is hiring!
NBCU Academy spoke with hiring teams at NBCU News Group about which journalism jobs they most often hire for at NBC News, NBC Local and Noticias Telemundo. Below are the top 10 roles.
1) Production Assistant
Production assistants are early-career TV news roles that carry a variety of responsibilities. TV journalists often get their start as PAs.
- Key duties: Designing on-air graphics, cutting and editing video and basic researching and fact-checking.
Learn more about entry-level journalism jobs at network news, including production assistants, here.
2) Desk Assistant
Desk assistants work with assignment editors and the production staff to support newsgathering and reporting. This is an entry-level position on the assignment desk.
Key duties: Handling administrative duties, supporting reporters and producers and assisting with news gathering and production tasks.
Learn about a desk assistant’s role in this video on entry-level jobs in the newsroom.
3) Assignment Editor
The assignment desk is the heart of a news station where assignment editors work on covering news stories, including breaking news. Assignment editors schedule and coordinate news coverage.
- Key duties: Coordinating coverage of new stories, making phone calls, listening to police scanners and going through emails to find news tips and gather background information from officials and the public.
Watch our video with NBC Washington assignment manager Charlie Bragale.
4) Local Producer, Content Producer
A local producer, or content producer, creates and edits content for a news organization’s broadcast, digital and mobile platforms.
- Key duties: Writing scripts, editing video and using software like Dalet and iNews for tasks like building a show’s rundown and timing out segments of a show. They occasionally go on field shoots and coordinate coverage.
See a content producer at work at NBC10/Telemundo 62 in Philadelphia, as part of our free course on Bilingual Journalism.
5) Associate Producer
Associate producers are usually a next-step position for desk assistants, production assistants and other entry-level TV journalists.
- Key duties: Writing scripts, researching, reporting off-camera and editing video. They occasionally go on field shoots and have more responsibilities in show production.
6) Segment Producer
A segment producer is the go-to production staffer who handles every aspect of their assigned segment of a news show.
- Key duties: Writing scripts and selecting graphics, video, soundbites and b-roll. They sometimes do research or pre-interview guests for a live interview or panel.
Check out our video on segment producers.
7) Reporter, Multimedia Journalist (MMJ)
TV reporters and multimedia journalists both cover stories, appear on-camera and use strong news judgment to pitch and produce stories. Reporters usually team up with a photojournalist, or cameraperson. MMJs often have to shoot and edit their own pieces.
- Key duties: Writing scripts, tracking voice-overs, appearing on camera for live shots and packages, or finished stories. They sometimes write and post digital articles based on their on-air stories.
Watch our videos on NBC Philadelphia multimedia journalist Tim Furlong’s best tips and go behind the scenes with NBC New York reporter Melissa Colorado.
8) Digital Producer
Digital producers focus on a news organization’s online presence. Managers often look for candidates familiar with audience engagement, search engine optimization (SEO), video editing and social media management.
- Key duties: Writing articles, creating videos and posting clips to social media. They may also work on livestreaming or podcasting.
9) Automated Production Control (APC) Operator
APC operators do the tech work that keeps live and taped TV broadcasts running. They work with software to program control rooms, cameras and video playback, and work closely with studio staff and talent to make the show run smoothly.
- Key duties: Using software like Dalet or iNews, much like content producers. They need experience in directing, technical directing and using control room software like Ross Overdrive.
Interested in technical directing? Check out our career spotlight of technical directors, get tips on how to direct live TV news and go behind the scenes of directing NBC Nightly News.
10) Photojournalist
In TV news, photojournalists shoot video, rather than take still photos. These visual storytellers work closely with reporters and sometimes help with broadcast engineering. Photojournalists are sometimes called ENG crews, for “electronic news gathering.”
- Key duties: Shooting video, editing video and driving news trucks. They are trained in transmission technology to keep live shots on the air.
Interested in being a photojournalist for TV news? Prepare to lift heavy equipment and check out these tips from our ENG crews.
For a deep dive into current NBCUniversal openings for journalism jobs, check out nbcunicareers.com.
