Special Counsel - FRONTLINE

GBH enriches people's lives through programs and services that educate, inspire, and entertain, fostering citizenship and culture, the joy of learning, and the power of diverse perspectives. At GBH, we believe in the advantages of coming together to build community, mentor and learn from colleagues, and connect more deeply with our mission. As a result, the majority of our staff are hybrid and work both from home and onsite.

Our current hybrid approach requires staff to work onsite a minimum of two days each week, every Tuesday and Wednesday, Hybrid staff are also welcome to come in additional days each week or may be asked to come in on other days by their manager.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW FRONTLINE is investigative journalism that questions, explains and changes our world.

We tell the stories others can't or won't — from the rise of the NSA's domestic surveillance dragnet, to the hidden history of the NFL and concussions, to the secret reality of rape on the job for immigrant women.

Our investigations have helped breathe new life into terrorism cold cases, freed innocent people from jail, prompted U.N. resolutions, and spurred both policy and social change. We've been American television's top long-form news and current affairs series since 1983, and we've won every major journalism and broadcasting award available. Editorial and journalistic integrity is integral to our ability to achieve our public media mission.

Adherence to these foundational values in our work underpins our ability to connect to local and national audiences with credibility.

FRONTLINE is also committed to presenting more voices, perspectives, and experiences across our platforms. As a member of public media, it's a core part of our mission to reflect the perspectives of all the people we service. We seek both to foster a work environment and to produce journalism that values inclusiveness and reflects the broad perspectives of the American public from all racial, ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities and functional limitations, particularly those from historically marginalized communities.

JOB

OVERVIEW Reporting to the Managing Editor with a dotted line cross-functional report to the GBH General Counsel, the Senior Special Counsel is responsible for a wide ranging legal and editorial portfolio related to the producing, publishing, distribution and overall legal integrity of FRONTLINE content and its associated work in text and other forms, including broadcast, features, long- and short-form digital and social content, and audio- and text-based work often produced in partnership with other journalism organizations.

The Senior Special Counsel will provide legal advice on matters such as fair use, First Amendment related issues, and upholding FRONTLINE's editorial standards, which are a fundamental part of internal legal assessments. In addition to the Managing Editor, the Senior Special Counsel works directly and closely with the Executive Producer and Editor-in-Chief of FRONTLINE and Documentaries, as well as advising other FRONTLINE senior managers, producers, and staff on editorial and legal matters as described above.

The position also has oversight and advising responsibilities over a number of key staff positions, including archival producers, fact checkers, and editors. The role is also essential in advising on the application of editorial and legal standards in new initiatives, led by the Executive Producer and Editor-in-Chief, notably FRONTLINE’s expanding digital content and FRONTLINE Features and the numerous documentaries slated for production with this division.

In addition, when needed, and as requested by the General Counsel, the Senior Special Counsel…