WBBM News Radio Political Editor (Full-Time)

Job Title: WBBM Newsradio Political Editor (Full-Time)

Department: News

Reporting To: Brand Manager

Employment Type: Full -Time

Pay Transparency: $84,153.79/Yr. - $130,898.35/Yr.   

Location(s): Chicago, IL

Work Arrangement: On-Site

The anticipated starting salary range for Chicago, I.L. based individuals expressing interest in this position is $84,153.79/Yr. - $130,898.35/Yr.

Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and location of the applicant, as well as internal and external equity.

Audacy offers employees who are eligible for benefits with a comprehensive benefits package which includes: a health care coordinator, medical, dental, vision, mental health, telemedicine, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, disability, life insurance, critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, paid time off (sick, flex-time away/vacation days, personal, parental, volunteer), 401(k) retirement plan, student loan payment assistance program, legal assistance, life assistance program, identity theft protection, discounted home and auto insurance, and pet insurance.

What You'll Do:

• Monitor and engage with a wide range of sources—including press releases, government documents, community leaders, watchdog groups, non-traditional outlets, and social media—to develop exclusive and enterprise political coverage aligned with WBBM’s mission of trusted, comprehensive news.
  
• Focus daily reporting on Chicago city government, including the mayor’s office, city council, and municipal agencies, while also contributing to broader coverage of Illinois state politics, election-related stories, or general interest stories as needed.
  
• Break news and identify trends or shifts in local policy that affect the lives of WBBM listeners.
  
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key political players, spokespeople, and insiders, while retaining editorial independence and journalistic ethics.
  
• Deliver high-impact coverage through on-air reports, live two-way conversations with anchors, digital stories, and occasional long-form reporting for special programming.
  
• Coordinate with WBBM’s newsroom leadership (including the Program Director, News Director, and Managing Editor) and beat reporters to develop angles, confirm facts, secure interviews, and align political content with audience needs and the station's tone of fairness and accuracy.
  
• Prepare anchors for live and breaking political coverage; provide guidance and updates in real time when political developments warrant immediate air or digital coverage.
  
• Collaborate with the digital team and/or posting individually timely, platform-specific political content for WBBMNewsradio.com and social platforms.
  
• Contribute to special programming, including debates, town halls, and election-night coverage.
  
• Demonstrate proficiency in writing news copy and in editing audio for broadcast.
  
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of City Hall procedures, legislative calendars, ethics rules, FOIA access, and the evolving political landscape in Chicago and Illinois.
  
• This is an on-site position, with office space at City Hall and WBBM Newsradio studios.
• Other duties as assigned by management

More About You:

Required & Preferred:

• 5+ years of experience in political reporting or editing; strong preference for experience covering local or regional politics.
  
• Familiarity with the Chicago political scene and key institutions is highly preferred.
  
• Superior editorial judgment, accuracy, and news sense—especially regarding fast-moving or controversial topics.
  
• Strong ability to write for radio, incorporating vivid audio, concise structure, and storytelling techniques.
  
• Proven ability to balance fairness, context, and clarity in covering political issues.
  
• Skilled at managing multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment.
  
• Solid understanding of broadcast journalism ethics, FCC guidelines, and legal considerations.
  
• Capable of effective collaboration with anchors, producers, reporters, and digital staff.
  
• Demonstrated poise during live reporting, breaking news, and unexpected developments.
  
• Must project professionalism and credibility in dealings with elected officials, government staff, and the public.
• A valid driver’s license, satisfactory completion of a motor vehicle record check, and, if the position requires use of applicant’s own vehicle, proof of insurance, is required.

Please be aware that Audacy will never ask you to send money at any point during the hiring process. Communication from legitimate Audacy representatives will only come from email addresses ending in @audacy.com. If you receive any suspicious requests or communications, please verify their authenticity before responding.

Audacy is a scaled, leading multi-platform audio content and entertainment company differentiated by its exclusive, premium audio content. Audacy operates one of the country’s two scaled radio broadcasting groups with leading positions across the country’s largest markets, as well as one of the country’s largest podcast networks and the Audacy direct-to-consumer streaming platform. Audacy is a major event producer and a digital marketing solutions provider and is the unrivaled leader in local news and sports radio. Learn more at www.audacyinc.com, Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Audacy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Audacy affords equal employment opportunity to qualified individuals regardless of their race, color, religion or religious creed, sex/gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age (over 40), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or other classification protected by applicable federal, state, or local law, and to comply with all applicable laws and regulations. Consistent with our commitment to equal employment opportunity, we provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who need assistance in applying electronically for a position with Audacy, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship. To request a reasonable accommodation for this purpose, please call 1-610-660-5614. Please note that this phone number is to be used solely to request an accommodation with respect to the online application process. Calls for any other reason will not be returned. Reasonable accommodation requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.