News producer job description templates for small newsrooms: 6 variants covering broadcast, digital, field, and overnight, with pay and overtime notes.
News Producer Job Description Templates for Small Newsrooms
6 free templates for stations and digital outlets hiring without an HR office: broadcast, digital, executive, associate, field, and overnight. Download as DOCX.
Most news producer job descriptions online were written by a large station group with a corporate HR office behind them. They assume defined producer tiers, a bargaining agreement, a scale minimum, and a newsroom deep enough that the producer only produces. If you run an independent station or a small digital outlet, none of that describes your building.
The gap shows up in the first week. A producer hired off a large-group posting expects to own one show; at a small outlet the same person also posts to the site, sends the newsletter, and covers the weekend rotation. Nobody lied. The posting was written for a different newsroom and got copied without the parts that made it true.
At FirstHR we write hiring templates for employers who do this without an HR department. The six below cover a broadcast newscast producer, a digital producer, an executive producer, an associate producer, a field producer, and the overnight or weekend seat, each with the shift and classification notes the generic versions skip.
TL;DR
A news producer owns a newscast or publishing shift end to end: the rundown, the story order, the copy, the timing, and the live calls. Pay anchors to Producers and Directors (SOC 27-2012), median $90,360 nationally, though local news sits far below that pooled figure. Exempt status turns on duties plus salary level, never the title. Six templates below, downloadable as DOCX.
What a News Producer Owns
A news producer owns the show, not a story. Reporters gather; the producer decides what runs, in what order, for how long, and what the anchor says in between. In a digital newsroom the same authority applies to the homepage, the alerts, and the newsletter.
That distinction matters when you write the posting. The reporter question is what beat and what clips. The producer question is which show, which shift, which rundown system, and how many minutes. Postings that blur the two attract candidates who are excellent at the wrong job.
The role also carries the newsroom's worst hours by design. Someone has to build the 5:00 AM show, and that person starts their night before most of the staff has gone to bed. Our reporter job description templates cover the gathering side of the newsroom if that is the seat you are actually filling.
Match the Posting to the Newsroom, Not the Title
The words news producer describe at least four different jobs, and the differences are structural rather than cosmetic. What the producer owns, which systems they live in, and how the overtime question resolves all change with the type of newsroom.
Local broadcast station
The show is the unit of work
The producer owns one newscast end to end: rundown, copy, timing, and the booth. Everything in the posting hangs off which show and which shift, because that is the first thing a candidate wants to know and the last thing most postings say.
Digital-first newsroom
The homepage is the unit of work
No rundown, no hard break, no sign-off. The producer owns publishing, headlines, alerts, and distribution, and the deadline is continuous rather than fixed. Classification questions are sharper here because the duties vary so widely.
Independent or nonprofit outlet
One person, several jobs
At a small independent outlet the producer also edits, posts, sends the newsletter, and books the guests. Write the real scope rather than a broadcast job description borrowed from a station ten times your size.
Network or large market group
Out of scope here
Large groups hire through a corporate HR office, often under a collective bargaining agreement with defined producer tiers and scale minimums. These templates target the independent and small-market side.
Write the Scope You Actually Have
The most damaging thing a small newsroom can do is borrow a large-group posting. A candidate reading it pictures a producer who produces, supported by an assignment desk, a digital team, and an associate producer. If your producer also posts, edits, sends the newsletter, and covers a weekend rotation, say so in the responsibilities. You will lose some applicants at the posting stage, which is exactly where you want to lose them rather than in month two.
What Belongs in the Posting
A producer job description does four jobs at once: it sells the newsroom, it filters unqualified applicants, it protects you legally, and it closes the candidate. Most newsroom postings do only the first. Here is the full inventory.
The parts producers read first
Which show, and how many minutes
The exact shift, in hours, not adjectives
Market size and newsroom headcount
Rundown and editing systems by name
The parts that filter applicants
Years producing a daily show
Whether booth experience is required
Digital publishing expectations alongside air
Willingness to work holidays and breaking news
The parts that protect you
FLSA classification stated on the posting
Overtime policy for non-exempt producing staff
Essential functions written plainly
Equal opportunity statement
The parts that win the hire
Salary or a good-faith range
Shift differential amount, if you pay one
Who the producer reports to and works beside
A named person and a real reply timeline
The single most common omission is the shift, stated in hours. Producing candidates screen on it before they read anything else, because it decides whether the job is compatible with their life. Our guide to writing a job description covers the general structure, and the hiring templates library holds the rest of the newsroom roles.
6 News Producer Job Description Templates to Download
Download all six as one file or copy them individually. Each follows the same structure: newsroom overview, position summary, key responsibilities, required qualifications, a schedule and classification note, an equal opportunity statement, and how to apply. The bracketed fields are the only parts you change.
Download All 6 News Producer Job Description Templates
Local TV, digital, executive producer, associate producer, field producer, and overnight or weekend. All in one download.
Local TV News Producer
One show, rundown to sign-off
The core newscast producing role, with rundown ownership, timing to the second, booth duty, and the shift stated on the posting.
Digital News Producer
Homepage, alerts, newsletter
For the digital desk: publishing, headlines, push alerts, and distribution, with a blunt note on why this role is often non-exempt.
Executive Producer, News
Owns shows and producers
The supervising tier: editorial standards, staff coaching, final calls on sensitive stories, and the executive exemption analysis.
Associate News Producer
Entry level, hourly
The role that trains your next producer, written as a non-exempt hourly job with real overtime expectations built in.
Field Producer
Runs the story on location
For location work: access, crew direction, live shot logistics, travel, and an honest warning about per-day contractor labels.
Overnight / Weekend Producer
The thinnest shift
For the hardest seat to keep filled, with the exact shift, the callout list, and shift differential handled in writing.
Template 1: Local TV News Producer
The core newscast producing role: rundown ownership, timing to the second, booth duty, and the shift stated plainly on the posting.
Local TV News Producer (Newscast Producer) Job Description
SCHEDULE AND CLASSIFICATION NOTE (read before posting)
State the shift honestly in the posting. Newscast producing runs on fixed,
often unsociable hours: a morning show producer may start at 11:00 PM or
1:00 AM, and an evening producer works through dinner. Candidates who cannot
take that shift should learn it from the job description, not from the offer.
Classification turns on actual duties and pay, not the title. A producer who
independently selects and orders the stories, writes and edits copy, and
exercises real editorial judgment may qualify for the creative professional
exemption, which requires invention, imagination, originality, or talent, and
also requires the standard salary level. A producer whose day is mostly
assembling copy handed down by someone else, or who is paid below the salary
threshold, is non-exempt: track hours and pay overtime past 40 in a week. This
is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Station Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [year / hour], [shift differential if any],
[benefits summary]
To apply, email __ with your resume and a link to two
newscasts you produced.
Template 2: Digital News Producer
For the digital desk: publishing, homepage placement, push alerts, and the newsletter, with a blunt note on why this seat is often non-exempt. If the role is closer to assigning and editing than to publishing, use the managing editor templates instead.
Digital News Producer Job Description
DIGITAL NEWS PRODUCER JOB DESCRIPTION
Newsroom: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Digital Director / Managing Editor / News Director]
Employment type: Full-time / Part-time
FLSA status: Depends on duties and salary (see classification note)
Compensation: $_ per [year / hour]
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Newsroom Name] publishes [number] stories a day to [website], [app], and
[newsletter], reaching [audience size] in [coverage area]. This role owns the
homepage, the alerts, and the first hour of every breaking story online.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Digital News Producer publishes, packages, and promotes stories across the
website, app, newsletters, and social platforms, owns headline and homepage
decisions, and is first to the keyboard when news breaks.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Publish and update stories in [CMS] with correct headlines, art, and tags
•Own homepage and section-front story placement through the day
•Write and send push alerts and breaking news notifications
•Write headlines that are accurate first and searchable second
•Build and send the [daily / weekly] newsletter
•Package video, photos, graphics, and embeds with each story
•Monitor analytics and adjust placement, headline, and promotion
•Post to [social platforms] and monitor comments per newsroom policy
•Correct and update published stories under the corrections policy
•Cover [early / late / weekend] shifts on a published rotation
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Bachelor's degree in journalism or communications / equivalent experience]
•[Number] years in a newsroom, digital desk, or content publishing role
•Fast, accurate writing and headline judgment under deadline
•Hands-on with [CMS], [analytics tool], and [social scheduling tool]
•Working understanding of search and social distribution
•Sound news judgment about what to alert on and what to hold
CLASSIFICATION NOTE
Do not assume this role is exempt. The creative professional exemption requires
both the standard salary level and a primary duty involving invention,
imagination, originality, or talent. Federal regulation is explicit that
employees who only rewrite press releases or record routine information without
substantial creative contribution do not qualify. A digital producer whose day
is aggregating, reformatting, and scheduling other people's copy is very likely
non-exempt: hourly, with overtime past 40 hours in a week. If the role carries
genuine editorial judgment over what runs and how it reads, the analysis is
different. Classify on the real day. This is general information, not legal
advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Newsroom Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [year / hour], [benefits summary]
To apply, email __ with your resume and three headlines you
are proud of.
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The supervising tier: editorial standards, staff coaching, budget, and the final call on sensitive stories, with the executive exemption analysis included.
Executive Producer, News Job Description
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, NEWS JOB DESCRIPTION
Station or newsroom: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [News Director / General Manager / Editor in Chief]
Direct reports: [number] producers, [number] associate producers
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (executive or creative professional; see note)
Compensation: $_ per year
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Station Name] is hiring an Executive Producer to own [dayparts / shows] and the
producers who make them. You set the editorial standard for [number] hours of
daily news and you are accountable for what goes on air and online.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Executive Producer, News oversees a group of newscasts and the producing
staff behind them, sets editorial direction and standards, coaches producers,
and makes the final call on difficult stories.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Own the editorial direction and quality of [shows / dayparts]
•Supervise, schedule, coach, and evaluate [number] producers and staff
•Run or lead the [morning / afternoon] editorial meeting
•Approve sensitive stories, legal-risk copy, and corrections
•Set and hold newsroom standards on sourcing, verification, and attribution
•Own the daily coverage plan across broadcast and digital
•Lead breaking news and special event coverage
•Manage [overtime / freelance / travel] budget for your shows
•Partner with [digital / sales / promotions] on cross-platform packaging
•Hire, onboard, and develop producing staff with [News Director]
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] years producing daily news, including [number] supervising others
•Demonstrated editorial judgment on sensitive and legally exposed stories
•Track record of coaching producers and raising show quality
•Comfort making the final call fast, publicly, and with incomplete information
•Availability outside scheduled hours for breaking news
CLASSIFICATION NOTE
An executive producer who supervises two or more full-time employees, whose
primary duty is management, and who has real authority over hiring, firing, or
promotion decisions generally qualifies for the executive exemption, provided
the salary level and salary basis tests are met. Where the supervisory element
is thin, look at the creative professional exemption instead. Do not treat the
word executive in the title as the analysis. Confirm the current federal salary
threshold and any higher state threshold before you set the salary. This is
general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Station Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per year, [bonus structure], [benefits summary]
To apply, email __ with your resume and a short note on a
newsroom standard you changed.
Template 4: Associate News Producer
The entry-level seat that trains your next producer, written as a non-exempt hourly job with real overtime expectations rather than an unpaid apprenticeship.
[Newsroom Name] is hiring an Associate Producer to support the [show name] team.
This is the job where producers are made: you will write, log, book, and time
alongside the producer who owns the show, and you will be given a block of the
rundown of your own as you are ready.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Associate News Producer supports the show producer with writing, research,
guest booking, video logging, graphics requests, and timing, and takes ownership
of assigned segments of the rundown.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Write assigned copy, teases, and web versions of broadcast stories
•Log and screen incoming video and feeds
•Request and proof graphics, maps, and full-screens
•Book and confirm guests and prepare question sheets
•Research background and pull past coverage on developing stories
•Update the rundown in [rundown system] as the producer directs
•Track show timing and flag overruns before they matter
•Post assigned stories to [website / social] per the digital checklist
•Support the booth during the broadcast as assigned
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Degree in journalism or communications / equivalent internship experience]
•Clean writing and comfort with AP style
•Willingness to work [early morning / overnight / weekend] shifts
•Attention to detail under time pressure
•Interest in [coverage area] and the community we serve
CLASSIFICATION AND HOURS NOTE
This role is non-exempt: hourly and entitled to overtime past 40 hours in a
week. That is the correct classification for most associate and assistant
producer jobs, because the primary duty is support work executed under someone
else's editorial direction rather than independent creative judgment. Track all
hours worked, including time spent monitoring feeds before the shift starts and
posting after the show ends. Breaking news pushes hours past the schedule
regularly, so budget for overtime rather than discouraging people from recording
it. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Newsroom Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per hour, [shift differential], [overtime policy],
[benefits summary]
To apply, email __ with your resume and a writing sample.
Template 5: Field Producer, News
For location work: access, crew direction, live shot logistics, travel, and an honest warning about per-day contractor labels. Pair it with the video editor templates if you also staff post-production.
Field Producer, News Job Description
FIELD PRODUCER, NEWS JOB DESCRIPTION
Newsroom: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Executive Producer / Assignment Editor / News Director]
Employment type: Full-time [or project-based; see the contractor note]
FLSA status: Exempt or non-exempt (see classification note)
Compensation: $_ per [year / day]
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Newsroom Name] covers [coverage area] and sends crews to [type of story:
storms, elections, courts, sports, investigations]. The Field Producer runs the
story on location, from the first call to the finished package.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Field Producer plans and runs coverage on location: securing access and
interviews, directing the crew on the ground, gathering the elements the story
needs, and feeding finished material back to the newsroom on deadline.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Plan the shoot: subjects, locations, permissions, and a shot list
•Secure interviews, access, and any required permits or credentials
•Direct the photographer and crew on location
•Conduct or support interviews and log usable sound in the field
•Manage live shot logistics: signal, position, timing, and backup plan
•Feed video and scripts back to the newsroom on deadline
•Track and submit travel, mileage, and expense records
•Coordinate with the show producer on placement and story length
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] years producing news in the field
•Valid driver's license and a clean driving record [if driving is required]
•Ability to carry gear and work outdoors in [conditions] for long stretches
•Sound judgment about safety, access, and consent on location
•Availability to travel on short notice, including [nights / weekends]
CLASSIFICATION AND CONTRACTOR NOTE
Two separate questions. First, exempt or non-exempt: a field producer making
independent editorial and creative decisions may qualify for the creative
professional exemption if the salary level is also met, while one executing a
plan set by others is non-exempt and owed overtime. Second, employee or
contractor: hiring field producers on a per-day basis is common, and calling
someone a contractor does not make them one. If you set the schedule, the
location, the method, and the equipment, and the person works only for you, that
is an employee relationship whatever the invoice says. For genuine one-off
project work, use a written agreement with a defined deliverable, a fixed fee,
and the producer's own control over how the work gets done. Travel time between
assignments during the day is generally compensable for non-exempt staff. This
is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Newsroom Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [year / day], [travel and per diem policy],
[equipment provided]
To apply, email __ with your resume and two field pieces
you produced.
Template 6: Overnight / Weekend News Producer
For the hardest seat in the building to keep filled, with the exact shift, the callout list, and the shift differential handled in writing. General producing roles outside news are covered in the producer job description templates.
Overnight / Weekend News Producer Job Description
OVERNIGHT / WEEKEND NEWS PRODUCER JOB DESCRIPTION
Newsroom: __ ([City, State])
Shift: [11:00 PM to 7:30 AM / Saturday and Sunday, hours] plus [flex day]
Reports to: [Executive Producer / News Director]
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt or non-exempt (see classification note)
Compensation: $_ per [year / hour] plus [shift differential]
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Newsroom Name] does not go dark. This role covers the hours when the newsroom
is thinnest: you are often the senior editorial voice in the building, deciding
alone what gets alerted, what waits for the morning meeting, and who gets woken
up.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Overnight / Weekend News Producer builds and produces news during off-peak
hours with minimal support, monitors incoming news through the shift, and makes
the first editorial call on breaking stories.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Build the rundown for [show / block] on the [overnight / weekend] shift
•Monitor scanners, feeds, wires, and [alerting tools] through the shift
•Make the first call on breaking news: alert, publish, or hold for verification
•Escalate to [News Director / Executive Producer] per the callout list
•Write and publish digital copy overnight for the morning audience
•Hand the morning team a written note on every open story
•Coordinate with the [overnight / weekend] crew and any on-call staff
•Keep the corrections and verification standard identical to daytime
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] years producing news, with demonstrated independent judgment
•Proven ability to work [overnight / weekend] hours sustainably
•Verification discipline when no second editor is available to check you
•Familiarity with [alerting tools] and the local [emergency agencies]
•Reliable transportation for the shift start time
SCHEDULE, PAY, AND CLASSIFICATION NOTE
Write the exact shift into the posting. Hiring for an overnight and describing
it vaguely produces early resignations, and in newsrooms the overnight desk is
already the hardest seat to keep filled.
Federal law does not require extra pay for nights, weekends, or holidays for
employees over 16. Any shift differential is a business decision, and most
newsrooms that keep an overnight staffed offer one. If you promise a
differential, put the amount and the trigger in writing, and remember that for
non-exempt staff the differential is part of the regular rate used to calculate
overtime.
Classification follows duties and salary as with any producing role. Note that
an overnight producer usually exercises more independent judgment than a daytime
one, because there is no one else to ask. This is general information, not legal
advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Newsroom Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [year / hour], shift differential of [amount],
[rotation and time off policy], [benefits summary]
To apply, email __ with your resume and your availability.
Exempt or Non-Exempt: the Question Titles Do Not Answer
A producer is exempt only when the duties and the salary both qualify, and the title contributes nothing to the analysis. Newsrooms get this wrong in one specific direction: they satisfy the creative duties test, assume they are done, and never check the salary level.
Producers fall under the creative professional exemption, which the Department of Labor fact sheet on professional employees describes as requiring both salary-basis pay at the standard level and a primary duty involving invention, imagination, originality, or talent in a recognized creative field. Both halves, every time.
The creative professional test has two halves
Producers are usually analyzed under the creative professional exemption, and it has two halves that both have to be satisfied. The duties half asks whether the primary duty is work requiring invention, imagination, originality, or talent in a recognized creative field, rather than work that depends primarily on intelligence, diligence, and accuracy. The pay half requires compensation on a salary or fee basis at no less than the standard salary level. Newsrooms routinely satisfy the first and forget the second, then classify a $38,000 producer as exempt and carry an unpaid overtime liability for years. Run both halves before you decide, and run them on the duties the person actually performs.
The regulation names journalism directly
The federal creative professional regulation includes an explicit journalism subsection, which is unusually helpful because it removes the guesswork. It says employees in journalism may satisfy the duties requirement if their primary duty is work requiring invention, imagination, originality, or talent, and it says plainly that those who only rewrite press releases or record routine information without contributing substantial creative work do not qualify. Apply that to producing. A producer choosing the stories, setting the order, shaping the writing, and making live judgment calls is doing creative work. A producer assembling copy handed down by an executive producer to a fixed formula is closer to the other side of the line.
Associate producers are almost always non-exempt
The safest default for associate producer, assistant producer, and production assistant roles is non-exempt: hourly, with overtime past 40 hours in a workweek. The duties are support work executed under someone else's editorial direction, and the pay usually sits below the salary threshold anyway, which ends the analysis on its own. The practical consequence is that you have to track hours properly, including feed monitoring before the shift and digital posting after the show, and breaking news makes those hours unpredictable. Budget for the overtime instead of quietly discouraging people from recording it. Off-the-clock work in a newsroom is the single most common wage claim in the business.
Per-day does not mean contractor
Field producing and special projects are often hired on a per-day rate, and that structure gets confused with independent contractor status constantly. They are separate questions. Someone can be a per-day employee. The contractor test looks at control: who sets the schedule, the location, the method, and the equipment, whether the work is integral to your operation, and whether the person genuinely runs a business serving other clients. A field producer you dispatch to your stories, on your gear, under your editorial standards, on your schedule, is an employee whatever the invoice says. Misclassification carries back pay, back taxes, and penalties, and it is easier to fix before the first assignment than after.
The federal regulation on creative professionals addresses journalism directly, which is rare and useful. It confirms that journalism employees can meet the duties test through original creative work, and states that those who merely rewrite press releases or record routine information without substantial creative contribution do not.
Our breakdown of exempt versus non-exempt classification walks the full test. Anyone landing on the non-exempt side needs hours tracked and overtime paid past forty in a week, and in a newsroom those hours are less predictable than the schedule suggests.
The Off-the-Clock Trap in Newsrooms
Non-exempt producing staff routinely monitor feeds before the shift starts and post stories after the show ends, and that time is hours worked. Newsrooms create liability by scheduling eight hours, expecting nine and a half, and treating the extra as dedication. If you classify someone non-exempt, track everything and pay it. If the real job cannot fit in the scheduled hours, fix the schedule or the classification, not the timesheet.
Shifts, Differentials, and Weekend Coverage
Federal law does not require premium pay for nights, weekends, or holidays for employees aged 16 and over. A shift differential is a business decision, and most newsrooms that manage to keep an overnight desk staffed pay one because the alternative is a permanently open position.
Two things follow from that. Put the differential amount and its trigger in writing, in the offer letter or the handbook, so nobody argues about it later. And remember that for non-exempt staff the differential is part of the regular rate, so overtime on a differential shift is calculated on the higher rate. Our guide to shift differential pay covers the math.
Producing seat
Typical shift reality
How to handle it in the posting
Morning newscast producer
Starts between 11:00 PM and 2:00 AM
State the exact start time in the first quarter of the posting
Evening newscast producer
Afternoon through late evening, holidays included
Name the holiday expectation rather than implying it
Digital producer
Continuous deadline, early or late shift rotation
Publish the rotation pattern, not just the weekly hours
Associate producer
Follows the show, often extends past schedule
Non-exempt: state the overtime policy explicitly
Field producer
Unpredictable, travel on short notice
State travel frequency, per diem, and equipment provided
Overnight or weekend producer
The thinnest coverage in the building
State the shift, the callout list, and the differential amount
Rotations are worth designing rather than improvising. A published pattern that everyone can see beats a schedule negotiated by text message each week, and it makes the weekend seat a shared obligation instead of a punishment for the newest hire. Our guide to rotating schedules covers the common patterns.
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There is no BLS occupation called news producer. The federal wage survey folds the role into Producers and Directors (SOC 27-2012), which lists News Producer among its reported job titles but pools it with film, television entertainment, and theater work. That makes the headline median a poor target for a local newsroom.
Producers and Directors, National Wage Distribution
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), Producers and Directors (SOC 27-2012) earned a national median of $90,360 per year, or $43.44 per hour. The distribution is wide: $45,780 at the 10th percentile, $62,670 at the 25th, $134,800 at the 75th, and $198,540 at the 90th (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates).
Use the distribution, not the median. Local news producing clusters in the lower band of that occupation, so the 10th to 25th percentile range is the more honest reference for a small-market or independent posting. Cross-check it against the reporter occupation, which is a closer match for editorial pay levels in the same building.
Occupation (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
National median
How to use it
Producers and Directors (27-2012)
$90,360 per year
The occupation that contains news producers; pooled with film and TV entertainment
Producers and Directors, 10th percentile
$45,780 per year
Realistic floor reference for a small-market associate or entry producer
Producers and Directors, 25th percentile
$62,670 per year
Closer to a working local newscast producer in a small market
News Analysts, Reporters, Journalists (27-3023)
$62,200 per year
Sanity check: producer pay should sit near or above reporter pay in the same newsroom
Film and Video Editors (27-4032)
$75,420 per year
Reference if the producer also carries edit duties
Producers and Directors, 90th percentile
$198,540 per year
Network and large-market territory; not a small newsroom benchmark
Employment for the occupation is projected to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034 with about 12,800 openings a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, so you are hiring into a competitive market. Publish a good-faith range where pay transparency laws apply.
If you are using per-day rates for field work, read 1099 versus W-2 classification before you write the offer. A day rate is a pay structure, not a worker status, and the two get confused constantly in field and special projects hiring.
Hiring Producers Without an HR Department
Small newsroom hiring fails in three predictable places: the posting describes a bigger newsroom than yours, the shift is buried, and onboarding is assembled by text message during week one. Each has a fix that costs nothing.
You are the news director, the hiring manager, and the HR department in one chair
At an independent station or a small digital outlet, the person writing the producer job description is the news director, between an editorial meeting and a breaking story. There is no corporate HR office to hand it to, so the posting either gets written properly or it gets copied from a large-group listing that describes a newsroom ten times your size. Candidates notice: they cannot tell whether they would produce one show with a full crew or produce, post, edit, and send the newsletter alone. Fix it with a fixed structure you reuse every opening, so the only parts you rewrite are the show, the shift, the systems, and the pay. Everything else stays where it is.
The shift is the real job and the posting buries it
Newscast producing runs on hours most people cannot take. A morning producer may start before midnight, an evening producer works through dinner, and the weekend rotation never goes away. Postings that describe this as a flexible schedule or an exciting newsroom environment are not being clever, they are recruiting people who will quit in six weeks. State the shift in hours in the first quarter of the posting, state the rotation, and state the shift differential if you pay one. You will get fewer applicants and a much higher offer acceptance rate, which is the trade every understaffed newsroom should want. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Onboarding a producer means credentials, systems, and standards, all before the first show
A new producer cannot do the job on day one without a rundown system login, editing access, the CMS, the alerting tools, press credentials, the callout list, and a signed acknowledgment of your editorial standards and corrections policy. In most small newsrooms that lives in one person's head and gets assembled by text message during the first week, which is exactly when a new producer is least able to ask. FirstHR runs that sequence as a repeatable onboarding flow: the wizard assigns the same tasks for every new producer, e-signature handles the standards acknowledgment and the handbook, document management stores credentials and license copies with renewal dates, and training modules cover verification and safety before the first shift. Note that FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a payroll provider.
Speed is the advantage a small newsroom actually has. Producing candidates are usually talking to two or three newsrooms at once, and a decision you can make in a week beats a corporate process that takes six. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR, and once the offer is signed the work shifts to a repeatable onboarding checklist covering systems access, credentials, and the standards acknowledgment.
Key Takeaways
A news producer owns a show or a publishing shift end to end: story selection, order, copy, timing, and the live calls, which is a different job from a reporter who owns one story.
The shift is the real job. State it in hours in the first quarter of the posting, along with the rotation and any holiday expectation, or expect resignations inside two months.
Exempt status runs on the creative professional test, which requires both a creative primary duty and the standard salary level. Satisfying only the duties half is the most common newsroom mistake.
Associate and assistant producers are almost always non-exempt hourly, and their pre-shift feed monitoring and post-show posting are compensable hours worked.
OEWS has no news producer occupation. The role sits inside Producers and Directors (SOC 27-2012), median $90,360, where the 10th to 25th percentile band of $45,780 to $62,670 is the realistic local news reference.
Federal law requires no premium for nights or weekends, but a written shift differential is how newsrooms keep the overnight desk filled, and it counts toward the regular rate for overtime.
A new producer needs system logins, credentials, the callout list, and a signed standards acknowledgment before their first show. FirstHR runs that as the same repeatable sequence every time, with e-signature for the handbook and standards, document storage for credentials with renewal dates, and training modules completed before the first shift. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a news producer do?
A news producer owns a newscast or a publishing shift end to end. In broadcast that means building the rundown, choosing which stories run and in what order, writing and editing anchor copy and teases, timing the show to the second against hard breaks, coordinating live shots and guests, and sitting in the booth making real-time calls while the show is on air. In a digital newsroom the same job is publishing and packaging stories in the CMS, owning homepage placement, writing headlines and push alerts, sending the newsletter, and being first to the keyboard when news breaks. The common thread is editorial judgment under a deadline that does not move. Reporters gather the story; the producer decides what the audience sees, in what order, and for how long.
What should a news producer job description include?
Eight things. The show or platform and its length, the exact shift in hours rather than adjectives, market size and newsroom headcount, the rundown and editing systems by name, the responsibilities across broadcast and digital, the experience bar stated as years producing a daily show, the FLSA classification with an overtime policy for non-exempt staff, and the pay with any shift differential. The shift is the item most postings bury and the item candidates weigh hardest, because a morning producer may start before midnight and a weekend rotation never goes away. Add the equal opportunity statement, name a real person to apply to, and give a reply timeline. The six templates on this page follow that structure so the show, the shift, the systems, and the pay are the only fields you rewrite.
Are news producers exempt from overtime?
Sometimes, and the title alone never answers it. Producers are usually analyzed under the FLSA creative professional exemption, which has two halves that both have to be met: the primary duty must require invention, imagination, originality, or talent in a recognized creative field, and the employee must be paid on a salary or fee basis at no less than the standard salary level. The federal regulation addresses journalism explicitly, saying journalism employees can satisfy the duties test but that those who only rewrite press releases or record routine information without substantial creative contribution do not. So a producer selecting stories, setting the rundown, shaping copy, and making live editorial calls likely satisfies the duties half, while a producer assembling copy to a fixed formula under someone else's direction likely does not. Associate and assistant producers are almost always non-exempt. Verify the current federal salary threshold and any higher state threshold before you classify.
How much does a news producer make?
The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey has no separate occupation for news producers. They are counted inside Producers and Directors, SOC 27-2012, which explicitly lists News Producer among its reported job titles. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), that occupation had a national median annual wage of $90,360, with the 10th percentile at $45,780, the 25th at $62,670, the 75th at $134,800, and the 90th at $198,540. Read that median with care: it pools film, television entertainment, and theater work with news, and local news producing sits well below it. For a small-market or independent newsroom posting, the 10th to 25th percentile band, roughly $45,780 to $62,670, is the more realistic reference point, and the reporter occupation median of $62,200 is a useful sanity check for editorial pay in your market.
Do I have to pay extra for overnight or weekend news shifts?
No, not under federal law. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require premium pay for nights, weekends, or holidays for employees aged 16 and over. Extra pay for those hours is a matter of agreement between you and the employee, so a shift differential is a business decision rather than a legal obligation. In practice most newsrooms that keep an overnight desk staffed do pay one, because the overnight is the hardest seat in the building to fill and to keep filled. Two cautions if you offer a differential. Put the amount and the trigger in writing in the offer letter or the handbook so there is no argument later. And remember that for non-exempt employees the differential counts toward the regular rate used to calculate overtime, so overtime hours worked on a differential shift are paid at time and a half of the higher rate, not the base.
What is the difference between a news producer and a reporter?
The reporter gathers the story and the producer decides what the audience gets. A reporter works a beat, develops sources, conducts interviews, shoots or is shot in the field, and files one story. A producer works the whole show: which stories run, in what order, for how long, what the anchor says between them, and what happens when a live shot fails ninety seconds before air. Reporters are individual contributors on a story; producers are the editorial spine of a broadcast or a publishing shift. That difference drives the posting. A reporter job description leads with the beat, the market, and clips. A producer job description leads with the show, the shift, the rundown system, and how many minutes they own. Hiring one with the other job description is the most common mistake small newsrooms make, and it produces candidates who are strong at the wrong thing.
Can I hire a news producer as a 1099 contractor?
Rarely, and per-day pay is not the deciding factor. A per-day rate is a pay structure, and employees can be paid per day, so the day rate on its own tells you nothing about status. The contractor test looks at control and independence: who sets the schedule, the location, the method, and the equipment, whether the work is integral to your operation, and whether the person genuinely operates a business serving other clients. A producer you assign to your shows, on your systems, under your editorial standards, on a schedule you set, is an employee no matter what the invoice says. Genuine contractor work in news does exist, usually a defined project with a fixed fee and real independence over execution, and it needs a written agreement. Misclassification carries back pay, back taxes, and penalties, and it is far cheaper to classify correctly before the first assignment than to unwind it afterward.
