WCBD TV is an NBC Affiliate Station owned by Nexstar Media Inc. We are located in the beautiful Lowcountry area of Charleston, SC. Charleston is known for its warm weather, friendly people, charming downtown, outstanding food, beautiful beaches, and so much history.
Apply online at: https://nexstar.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/nexstar
The Managing Editor is the newsroom’s operational and editorial quarterback—translating strategy into daily execution while elevating story quality and managing real-time coverage.
Core Responsibilities
1) Lead Daily Editorial Direction
- Help set the editorial agenda for the day
- Participate in (or run) editorial meetings alongside the News Director/EPs
- Decide which stories get covered, prioritized, and developed
- Ensure coverage aligns with:
- Station brand
- community relevance
- ratings / digital strategy
👉 Think: “What are we covering and why it matters today?”
2) Oversee Assignment Desk & Content Flow
- Directly supervise or closely coordinate with the assignment desk
- Manage:
- crews and reporter deployment
- breaking news response
- logistics (live shots, feeds, resources)
- Ensure efficient use of newsroom resources
👉 This is often the operational “air traffic controller” role.
3) Drive Story Quality & Execution
- Work with reporters and producers to:
- sharpen story angles
- elevate storytelling (exclusivity, enterprise)
- enforce accuracy and journalistic standards
- Review scripts, rundowns, and coverage plans when needed
👉 Focus is not just filling shows—but making stories stronger.
4) Breaking News Leadership
- Take charge during major breaking news
- Make fast decisions on:
- coverage scale
- live coverage vs. packaged
- team deployment and priorities
- Coordinate across platforms (TV, web, social)
👉 In many newsrooms, the Managing Editor is the point person in chaos.
5) Cross-Platform Content Strategy
- Ensure alignment between:
- broadcast
- digital
- social platforms
- Push for:
- real-time updates
- web-first publishing when needed
- consistent messaging across platforms
👉 This role increasingly bridges TV + digital integration.
6) Supervise and Develop Staff
- Coach reporters, MMJs, producers, and assignment editors
- Provide feedback on:
- writing
- storytelling
- news judgment
- Help identify growth opportunities and training needs
👉 In many shops, this is a key leadership development role under the News Director.
7) Maintain Editorial Standards & Ethics
- Enforce:
- accuracy
- fairness
- legal guidelines
- Review sensitive or high-risk content before airing/publishing
- Ensure compliance with company policies
8) Long-Term & Enterprise Planning
- Look beyond the daily cycle to:
- plan sweeps coverage
- identify investigative or enterprise opportunities
- coordinate special projects
How It Typically Fits in a Local Newsroom
Reports to:
- News Director
Works closely with:
- Executive Producers
- Digital team
- Assignment Desk Manager
- Reporters/MMJs
Often supervises:
- Assignment desk
- sometimes reporters
In Practical Terms (Day-to-Day)
A Managing Editor’s day often looks like:
- Morning editorial call → refine coverage plan
- Midday check-ins → adjust for breaking news
- Afternoon/evening → oversee execution & troubleshoot
- Constant communication with desk, producers, reporters
#LI-Onsite
Skills Required
- Extensive experience in journalism or a related field
- Strong leadership and decision-making skills
- Experience in digital content strategy
What We Do
Nexstar Media Group is the largest TV station operator in the country. With the reach of 171 full power television stations in 100 markets addressing nearly 38.9% of US television households, and a diversified, growing digital media operation, Nexstar Media Group offers superior audience engagement across all media devices and local broadcast television’s unrivalled influence on consumers’ purchasing and political decisions. In 20 years, Nexstar has grown from a single station to the nation’s largest television company. This growth is fueled by an organization-wide commitment to delivering exceptional service to our communities and outstanding results for our advertisers. From the very beginning, Nexstar has cultivated an organization-wide commitment to providing superior, unique local content that is relevant to each of the communities it serves, while offering local businesses, advertisers and brands the ability to engage and connect with local communities.
