BackStory is currently accepting applications for the following open staff positions. If you have questions about anything here, please put them in writing and send them to backstoryjobs@virginia.edu.
EDITOR
BackStory with the American History Guys is seeking an Editor to join its Charlottesville-based radio production staff. The Editor will coordinate production of each of the program’s weekly episodes, and supervise the editing of all show content, including host interviews, listener calls, script copy, and reported pieces. The Editor will also oversee audience outreach and engagement efforts for each episode, collaborating with fellow producers to utilize and develop the program’s social media and other digital assets. The Editor will also work closely with BackStory’s historian-hosts in the studio, directing their recording of interviews, analysis, and narration.
Competitive candidates will be passionate, curious, and skilled radio professionals who are enthusiastic about the program’s mission of making historical scholarship relevant and accessible to a broad audience. Experience editing the work of others is a must, and supervisory experience in a journalistic setting will be considered a definite plus. The Editor must be comfortable engaging intellectually challenging content under tight deadlines. Candidates with a background in U.S. history, American studies, or a related area of the humanities will be particularly well suited to the demands of the position.
View complete details and apply online through UVA Human Resources. >>
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
BackStory with the American History Guys is seeking an energetic, thoughtful, creative associate producer to join the show’s production team. This individual will be responsible for all aspects of show production, including research, generating segment ideas, booking, directing of hosts, scripting, field recording, and editing. Associate producers also assist in maintaining the program’s online presence and may help to create and disseminate related multimedia content.
Competitive candidates will share a passion for making the study of American history accessible and relevant to a broad public audience. Applicants should have extensive experience with audio and/or multimedia production software (preferably Pro Tools). They should possess excellent research, writing, conceptual, organizational, and decision-making abilities, have an active interest in current events, and feel comfortable engaging high-level humanities scholars and scholarship. A background or experience in the field of American history and journalism is preferred.
View complete details and apply online through UVA Human Resources. >>
SUMMER INTERN
BackStory is seeking a summer intern to join its Charlottesville-based staff. Although some remote work is possible, the majority of the four-month internship will take place at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, where the program is produced. Interns will be expected to devote 10-20 hours per week to the program, and will receive a stipend prorated to the number of hours they work, not to exceed $2,250 in total. If you are a student, we’re also willing to work with your host institution to arrange for school credit for the internship.
The intern will be involved in a wide range of production tasks, with a particular emphasis on maintaining and growing the program’s social media presence. He/she can expect to devote a significant portion of each week to cultivating and participating in the program’s social media presence. The intern will also sit in on editorial meetings, and participate in editorial discussions with staff producers. Interns receive basic training in the use of Pro Tools (the industry standard for digital audio editing), and basic studio engineering practices. Self-starters who display an interest in and facility for field reporting may also have the opportunity to report, voice, and produce stand-alone segments for the radio show.
The ideal candidate will have an active interest in the field of history, and will be an avid consumer — if not creator — of digital and/or audio media. We’re looking for someone with excellent research, writing, and organizational skills, as well as a thorough working knowledge of social media practices and conventions. Digital multimedia production experience is a plus, but not required. Last but not least, we’re looking for someone who is excited by the mission of making academic material relevant and accessible to the public-at-large.
Start Date: Mid-May; Application Deadline: March 15