Reporter at BBC

Job Reference: BBC/TP/653414/30831
Department: BBC Africa 
Reports to: Deployment Editor, west Africa
Contract Type: Permanent - Full Time
Grade: Local Terms and Conditions

The Job

• We have an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and creative reporter to join our team to report in English and Hausa.
• The successful candidate will have a strong journalistic background together with lots of ideas for how to engage audiences in our content.
• A career at the BBC offers you an opportunity to tell stories that can change lives. The aim of BBC Africa is to showcase the diverse ideas and aspirations from across the continent.

The Job

• The post holder will be responsible for creating and presenting expert, authoritative and entertaining coverage from Abuja and the surrounding area. S/he will report in English and Hausa for multi-platform outlets, including TV, online, social media and radio.
• The Reporter will deliver content for daily and weekly programmes on a variety of topics from sport to health, lifestyle, women’s affairs and children’s programmes. S/he will be expected to contribute innovative ideas, drive the creative vision and present the content. S/he will also plan and produce video and TV packages, desk top editing and arrange for guests to appear on our output.

Main Duties

• To compile and present engaging content offering new perspectives and deeper exploration of issues ranging from programmes on sport, health, lifestyle, women’s affairs and children’s content.
• To plan, structure, write and produce content in English and Hausa for use on TV, Digital and Radio and to develop treatments of the highest quality and with journalism at the heart.
• To pitch original stories with both TV and digital treatments, making sure that they work for online, social and TV platforms.
• To work closely with the BBC Africa teams in Lagos, London, Dakar, Johannesburg and Nairobi.
• To prepare edited material working with a shoot edit to produce inserts and packages for the various outlets such as Business TV features, News bulletins, Online or social.
• To find and brief contributors for live and edited stories and interview them for broadcast.
• To develop original ideas for digital content and create engaging blogs and vlogs for BBC online sites.
• To alert Editors to breaking news and be ready to file accurate, immediate on-the-spot reports.
• To adhere to Editorial Guidelines and BBC Industry Codes of Practice and be responsible for ensuring safe working practices and the observance of BBC’s Health and Safety Regulations.
• To strive for diversity of contributors, in terms of gender, ethnicity, disability and age.
• Appreciate and demonstrate the BBC Values.
• To maintain regular and clear communication with the African Service and BBC Newsgathering teams so that colleagues are briefed on the Reporter’s movements and contact numbers at all times, through the assignment.
• To ensure stories from northern Nigerian cut through the agenda and are fairly and represented to audiences across Africa.

Skills and Experience

• Exceptional knowledge of business, in particular business stories that appeal to an African audience and an understanding of what audiences are looking for in digital and social media business coverage.
• Excellent contacts within the business sector.
• Knowledge and practical experience of weekly and/or daily journalism.
• Authoritative microphone voice and ability to communicate effectively to listeners and viewers with experience of high quality on air reporting and presentation, particularly in video.
• A full command of written and spoken English and Hausa is essential. Knowledge of an additional Nigerian language would be desirable.
• Ability to write creatively, accurately and succinctly, and understand how to find and generate original and engaging business stories that can work across all platforms.
• Strong digital understanding an awareness of the latest broadcast technology and the ability to learn new skills.
• Experience of making sound judgements on matters of editorial sensitivity.
• Creativity and ideas generation with the ability to think originally and to contribute fully to the planning process.
• Well-developed organisational skills with the ability to remain calm while working to deadlines, apply sensible work priorities and pace throughout assignments.
• Good team working skills both as a team leader and a team player.
• An awareness of budget issues and delivering value for money.
• Resilience, determination, ambition, energy and enthusiasm.
• Experience of using a camera to film professionally
• Excellent independent and balanced editorial judgement. A thorough familiarity with the region, an in depth knowledge of the audience requirements and a good understanding of youth issues and the media interests of various age groups.
• A good understanding of digital platforms and the types of content which do well on them. Knowledge of and aptitude for information technology skills. 
• A demonstrable interest and proven track record in social media. Ability to present programmes appropriate to the needs of BBC Africa.
• Travel within Abuja and further afield when required – always working in a flexible, appropriate manner.
• Have a good sense of spotting stories and subjects that would trend or go viral digitally.

Competencies:

• Editorial Judgement - Makes the right editorial and policy decisions based upon a clear understanding of the BBC’s Producer guidelines and Editorial Policy.
• Subject Knowledge - Demonstrates a good knowledge of business. Develops increasingly useful contacts and sources.
• Decision Making - Is ready and able to take initiative, and make decisions to tight deadlines.
• Planning and Organising - Is able to think ahead in order to establish an effective and appropriate course of action for self and others. Prioritises and plans activities taking into account all the relevant issues and factors such as deadlines, staffing and resources requirements.
• Analytical Thinking - Able to simplify complex problems, process projects into component parts, explore and evaluate them systematically.
• Imagination and Creative Thinking - Translates business stories and events into high quality content through a detailed understanding of the requirements of the broadcast media and possession of the necessary writing, directing and reporting skills.
• Resilience - Can maintain personal effectiveness by managing own emotions in the face of pressure, setbacks or when dealing with provocative situations. Can demonstrate an approach to work that is characterised by commitment, motivation and energy.
• Communication -The ability to get one’s message understood clearly by adopting a range of styles, tools and techniques appropriate to the audience and the nature of the information.
• Influencing and Persuasion - Ability to present sound and well-reasoned arguments to convince others.
• Can draw from a range of strategies to persuade people in a way that results in agreement or behaviour change.
• Managing Relationships and Team Working - Able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people. Highly effective team player; works for the benefit of the whole team.
• Understanding Diversity - Understands and appreciates the uniqueness of self and others.
• Demonstrates, and is committed to improving, understanding of why people react in particular ways.
• Understanding diversity in its widest sense. Demonstrates a commitment to improving diversity in the BBC. Takes a balanced approach to discussing and taking action on diversity issues. Articulates how individual differences can benefit the BBC.