Intro to Position
NPR’s Office of the General Counsel seeks a highly skilled and collaborative attorney to serve as Senior Assistant General Counsel, Media Law & Data Privacy. This unique senior-level role bridges two critical areas of the organization, with a primary focus on supporting our award-winning newsroom and a significant secondary focus on global data privacy compliance. Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel (Head of Media Law & Distribution Rights), the successful candidate will provide high-level legal guidance and strategic oversight to ensure NPR’s content and data practices remain industry-leading and ethically grounded.
Responsibilities
This role is split between Media Law (approximately 60%) and Data Privacy (approximately 40%):
Media Law & Content Vetting (60%)
Provide expert legal vetting for a wide range of high-stakes content across radio, audio-visual, and audio podcast formats.
Advise newsroom and production teams on complex issues, including libel, privacy, copyright, newsgathering, recording, and First Amendment protections.
Ensure compliance with FCC content-related regulations and navigate the complexities of multi-platform vetting.
Lead NPR’s transparency work, including managing Freedom of Information (FOI) and access requests.
Supervise and mentor the Media Law Fellow in their transparency and access assignments.
Draft and negotiate sophisticated content-related agreements, such as releases, photo licenses, and freelance agreements.
Develop and deliver media law training sessions for journalists and content creators.
Data Privacy (40%)
Collaborate with in-house technology, business teams, and the Data Privacy Officer, as well as outside counsel on data privacy strategy, implementation, and compliance.
Support the company-wide data privacy compliance program, including product counseling and Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs).
Manage data subject requests (DSRs) and oversee vendor due diligence from a privacy perspective.
Assist with incident response planning, privacy-related claims, and litigation issues.
Track and interpret federal, state, and global privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA/CPRA) to determine implementation requirements alongside the Data Protection Officer.
Design and execute privacy training programs for employees across the organization.
This role reports to the Deputy General Counsel, Head of the Media Law & Distribution Rights team.
The above duties and responsibilities are not an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills. Other duties may be assigned, and this job description can be modified at any time.
Minimum Qualifications
10 years of media law and content vetting experience
Juris Doctor from an accredited law school
Active license to practice law in D.C. (or eligibility for admission in D.C. within one year)
Proven experience vetting journalistic content and providing sound legal advice on content issues
Proven experience managing data privacy compliance and legal strategy
A comprehensive understanding of journalism ethics
Preferred Qualifications
Litigation experience, particularly with libel, copyright, and/or FOI issues
Prior in-house experience, specifically within a radio, television, or digital media environment
Strong background in drafting and negotiating contracts and releases
Demonstrated experience with non-commercial or public media
Education Requirements
J.D. from an accredited law school
Work Location & Requirements
Hybrid Permitted: This is a hybrid permitted role. The employee will be required to be in the office at the Washington, D.C location at least four (4) days a month. The employee must also reside in the Washington, D.C. / Maryland / Virginia region.
Required Skills/Competencies
Legal Judgment: Ability to deliver clear, understandable, and decisive legal advice under tight deadlines.
Resilience: A thoughtful and calm demeanor, especially when navigating high-pressure editorial or legal situations.
Analytical Thinking: Ability to see a broad range of views and interpretations while remaining grounded in ethics.
Communication: Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to translate complex legal requirements for non-legal stakeholders.
Leadership: Demonstrated ability to supervise junior staff (e.g., Fellows) and lead cross-functional projects.
Adaptability: Proficiency in managing a dual-focus workload and prioritizing tasks across different legal disciplines.
Job Type
This is a full-time, exempt position.
Compensation
Salary Range: The U.S. based anticipated salary range for this opportunity is $182,500-$215,000 plus benefits. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salaries NPR expects to provide for new hires for the position across all US locations.
NPR Benefits: NPR offers access to comprehensive benefits for employees and dependents. Regular, full-time employees scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week are eligible to enroll in NPR’s benefits options. Benefits include access to health and wellness, paid time off, and financial well-being. Plan options include medical, dental, vision, life/ accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability, short-term disability, and voluntary retirement savings to all eligible NPR employees.
Does this sound like you? If so, we want to hear from you.
Here's what to include when you apply
To ensure your application receives the attention it deserves, please include a copy of your current resume and a cover letter. Your cover letter must specifically address the following:
Media Law Expertise: Detail your experience providing high-stakes legal vetting for journalistic content. Please highlight your approach to navigating libel, copyright, and newsgathering protections in a dynamic editorial environment.
Data Privacy Strategy: Describe your knowledge of or experience with managing global compliance frameworks (such as GDPR and CCPA/CPRA).
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