Story Desk Manager

Story Desk Manager

TEGNA Inc. 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.

WOI/KCWI, TEGNA's ABC and CW affiliates serving the Des Moines–Ames DMA, has an opening for a Story Desk Manager. As the Story Desk Manager, you will lead the Story Management Desk (SMD), a unified desk that brings together the traditional functions of the assignment and digital desks. The SMD model creates a single, streamlined workflow for discovering, planning, producing and curating stories across platforms.

This position will play a central role in coordinating news coverage across the Des Moines–Ames market and communities throughout central Iowa.

The Story Desk Manager works alongside the News Director and other newsroom leaders to oversee daily editorial decisions while helping set the newsroom's broader content and audience strategy. You will guide our team of journalists in story discovery, development and presentation across all platforms with a strong digital- and streaming-first mindset. The Story Desk Manager oversees breaking news coverage across platforms and helps lead strategy for , the Local 5 mobile app, We Are Iowa+ streaming platforms and social media.

This role is about more than managing the daily assignment file. The Story Desk Manager helps determine which stories we pursue, how we tell them, where they should be published or streamed, and how we can maximize their reach and impact. We're looking for an exceptional, people-focused leader who can coach journalists, develop coverage plans and help grow audiences across platforms while maintaining a relentless focus on stories that matter to Iowans.

Analyzing audience data, identifying trends and translating those insights into actionable guidance for the newsroom are also critical parts of the role. The ability to identify and pursue stories that are urgent, impactful and distinctly local is essential. This leader should be able to respond quickly to breaking news, calmly manage rapidly changing situations, pivot coverage when necessary, solve problems creatively and guide a multi-platform newsroom through both the daily news cycle and major breaking stories.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee daily coverage decisions and reporter assignments with the goal of owning the biggest and most important stories in the Des Moines–Ames DMA.
• Lead the Story Management Desk and ensure strong coordination among Story Desk Editors, reporters, MSJs, photojournalists, producers and newsroom managers.
• Determine the best format and platform for each story — including broadcast, web, mobile, streaming, social and vertical video — and establish reasonable timelines for delivery of those elements.
• Work closely with the News Director to program and grow We Are Iowa+, identifying opportunities for live coverage, breaking news, weather, special programming and original streaming content.
• Look beyond the daily news cycle and develop coverage plans for upcoming events, enterprise stories and major news opportunities across central Iowa.
• Lead regular story check-ins throughout the day to evaluate reporting progress, sharpen story focus and ensure content is being delivered effectively across platforms.
• Analyze and actively use audience data and performance metrics to inform editorial decisions, identify opportunities and create accountability for results.
• Help develop and execute strategies to grow audiences across , the Local 5 mobile app, We Are Iowa+, social media and emerging platforms.
• Ensure competitive, engaging and impactful content across broadcast and digital platforms.
• Identify opportunities to extend major stories beyond a single newscast or article through follow-up reporting, streaming coverage, vertical video, explainers and other platform-specific storytelling.
• Collaborate with other departments to identify opportunities to grow and monetize the success of our digital and streaming…