Women Affairs Journalist at BBC

Job Reference: BBC/TP/788768/22143
Location: Lagos
Department: Africa Hub, BBC World Service
Grade: Local terms & conditions
Reports to: Senior Broadcast Journalist Digital

Context

• Here the vision is simple- join a new African digital innovation team of multitalented journalists with the mandate to innovate and influence the next generation of African women.
• The BBC World Service is embarking on an exciting journey with unprecedented investment in digital content for Africa and your role will be critical to us in meeting our ambitions. The BBC will be launching a new digital innovation hub in Lagos with the ambition to develop digital journalism in Africa. Your role as Women Affairs Journalist will play a key role in helping our content reach underserved audiences – such as younger, more female and more diverse demographics in Africa.
• We have an exciting opportunity to create new forms of digital storytelling and journalism that reaches 111 million people in Africa. As a Women Affairs Journalist you will join a new multi-disciplinary digital team in Lagos made up of news gatherers, data journalists, software developers and social media specialists who will be working with journalists working across 12 language services (English, Amharic , Tigrinya, Afaan Oromo, Swahili, Somali, French, Great Lakes , Pidgin, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa)
• BBC Africa aims to make, explain and connect African and global stories by providing a unique insight into the main stories of the day in original formats. The African service digital offer consists of websites, mobile sites and Social Media with all services providing multimedia content in text, video, interactive and audio for radio, online, TV, mobile and social media platforms.

Job Purpose

• The BBC’s Africa Hub is looking for a creative journalist aware of the emerging and unreported stories about African women. This candidate will have a background creating content that represents and targets African women. As a creative you’re already creating compelling shareable digital content either professionally or in a personal capacity.
• This candidate must be literate in social media and experienced in content creation for social media, especially Facebook and Instagram.
• The candidate will play an integral role in brainstorming, creating and executing women’s content. We’re looking for someone who genuinely believes there are many stories about African women to be told who will source, curate and commission content on women’s issues from across Africa.
• Working with editors, digital TV editors and senior social media journalists from the region and wider BBC the Women Affairs Journalist would be expected to identify, sub and distribute compelling content back to the Africa services and where appropriate to BBC News Online. The journalist will be expected to contribute and occasionally present weekly TV women’s discussion programme.
• The post holder will report to a Senior Broadcast Journalist for Digital based in Lagos.
• S/he will be expected to work flexibly as required.

Main Duties

• To generate, research, produce and edit multi-media journalistic pieces aimed at BBC Africa’s female audience.
• To suggest ideas about new ways of engaging the female audience; and to put these ideas into practice.
• To identify compelling digital and TV content and translate into a form suitable for our multiple platforms
• To think of creative video/digital treatments for some content
• To present or report live for across digital platforms , TV and radio by providing up to date with the news agenda in the region and understand how it’s playing out in social spaces.
• To participate in short- and long-term planning, offer new ideas and to suggest new angles on existing stories and to put forward stories not yet covered.
• To produce and develop women’s blogging network within the Africa
• To work across platforms (online, social media, TV etc.) and ensure that the female agenda is covered across all of the Service’s output, in a relevant and engaging manner, in adherence to the BBC’s editorial guidelines
• To sub and curate content to a high standard
• To commission bloggers/contributors taking editorial responsibility for content.
• To work with website & social teams to ensure content is well placed and distributed appropriately
• To be aware of the distinctive news agenda across the BBC
• To bring ideas to wider planning and editorial meetings.
• To join or build dedicated communities around the subject and seed content where appropriate.
• To ensure that on- and off-site conversation with users is of the highest quality, from technical queries to questions about editorial direction.
• To work with other women’s affairs journalists across regions – identify themes and opportunities for collaboration
• The ability to travel to gather interviews and material for output.
• The ability to work flexibly and over weekends may be needed.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• A successful record in working in an online and social media production environment including demonstrable experience and enthusiasm for social media and interactivity
• Demonstrates an excellent knowledge of developments in social media and related areas.
• Excellent style and ability to adapt output to different platforms. Ability to engage audience
• A clear understanding of the needs and profile of the female audience and the ability to translate these into imaginative and compelling content solutions, specifically with reference to social media.
• Comprehensive knowledge of writing and editing content for publication to high editorial standards.
• Understanding of the women’s agenda in the target region and in the world.
• Evidence of sound editorial and community judgement as well as an understanding of the power of online communities.
• The ability to plan and organise time and resources effectively and to manage projects to conclusion according to deadlines.
• Demonstrable experience of making content behind or in front of a camera
• Conceive, shoot, write, edit content for Instagram channels, as well as emerging platforms
• A good knowledge of English including complete comprehension of written and spoken English and the ability to communicate effectively.
• The ability to work quickly, accurately and under pressure.
• A comprehensive knowledge of BBC health & safety procedures.

Competencies
The following competencies (behaviours and characteristics) have been identified as key to success in the job. Successful candidates are expected to demonstrate these competencies:

• Editorial Judgement - demonstrates balanced and objective judgement based on a thorough understanding of BBC editorial guidelines, target audience, programme and department objectives. Makes the right editorial decisions, taking account of conflicting views where necessary. Ability to take public comments on board and to make appropriate editorial changes to content.
• Creative Thinking - able to transform creative ideas into practical reality. Evidence of innovation and the ability to devise creative solutions by developing novel ideas or adapting existing ones in new ways. Evidence of a desire to create beautiful, quality content.
• Planning and organisation - able to think ahead in order to establish and efficient 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.
• Communication - able 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. As well as the ability to motivate and deal sensitively with people who may be working to tight deadlines
• Influencing and persuading - able 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. Works co-operatively with the ability to work with other teams in developing tools, features and services.
• Resilience - manages personal effectiveness by managing emotions in the face of pressure, setbacks or when dealing with provocative situations. Demonstrates an approach to work that is characterised by commitment and motivation.
• Flexibility - adapts and works effectively with a variety of situations, individuals or groups. Able to understand and appreciate different and opposing perspectives on an issue, to adapt an approach as the requirements of a situation change, and to change or easily accept changes in one’s own organisation or job requirements.

Package Description

• Contract: Continuing
• Salary: Local Terms and Conditions Apply