BBC WORLD SERVICE
JOB SPECIFICATION
Designation: Senior Broadcast Journalist, Swahili service
Reports to: Editor Swahili service
Location: Dar Es Salaam
Working pattern: Continuing Contract
At the BBC you will be have a chance to work on ground-breaking content which will be seen and used by millions of people.
Job Introduction
BBC Swahili is part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the world’s largest public broadcaster. In Africa the BBC reaches a weekly audience of more than 90 million people on Radio, TV, Digital, Mobile and Social Media. We currently broadcast to Africa in English, Hausa, Somali, French, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi, Kiswahili and Arabic.
In this role you’ll be leading the BBC Swahili digital effort. So we are looking for an experienced digital journalist to provide the creative leadership and vision needed to deliver a mobile, social and online strategy which ensures that our editorial impact in Africa and beyond remains the best.
Role Responsibility
We are looking for a senior digital journalist to shape digital editorial development and delivery across all our digital platforms. They’ll be expected to help influence the growth of digital skills and approaches across the whole of the BBC Swahili team. Our ambitions are high for BBC Swahili and that includes expanding our digital footprint globally. You’ll be expected to lead our push in our key market, Tanzania were your role will be based.
Above all else, you’re a journalist. One who finds great stories and content that the world needs to know. In this role, you’ll be expected to retain your news instinctand using your skills at digital storytelling, come up with new ways in which our digital audiences can consume that content. That will, more often than not be a mobile first approach. It will be snappy, it will be on demand, it will be intriguing; without ever losing sight of the authority and presence that a BBC news story carries.
We’ll also want you to ensure that your colleagues work in the same way, and truly understand the vision you hold. So influence, authority, creativity and delivery will be essential to your success in this role.
The Ideal Candidate
It goes without saying that you will be an innovator, who is always looking for the next best way that our audiences can consume their media, but you will still need to make sure we are looking after our current digital platforms. How can you visually represent a story in a few pictures? How can you create a quick video that is easy to digest and delivers the facts?You tell us how you can do all that and we’ll give you the tools to make it happen.
You will bring demonstrable experience in a previous paid journalist role, as well as first class written and spoken Kiswahiliand English.
You will need sound editorial judgment, understand the African news agenda with particular specialist bias towards the East and Central Africa region. Candidates should enjoy working in a busy newsroom and bring plenty of story and treatment ideas to the role
MAIN DUTIES
· BBC Swahili thinks mobile first and you will be expected to use your extensive knowledge about the user experience to deliver exciting, visual journalism. You will be responsible for ensuring we continue to deliver best practice. You will have ideas about the mixture of content, frequency, packaging and discoverability for the mobile audience.
· You will be expected to produce content that will prove to be sharable for online and social - including text stories, picture stories and videos. In order to do that you will have accurate editing and writing skills in Kiswahili and also be able to reversion English text into Kiswahili
· To be responsible for a moving story, amending and updating material as required. To think through and take a lead around editorial problems, developing realistic alternative strategies and approaches for yourself and others.
· To line manage staff, give regular feedback and engage in their development.
· The BBC has been one of the global leaders in experimenting with the latest social and digital tools in journalism. We’re looking to you to help us continue our development but also push the innovation further.
· You’ll be expected to work with the Africa Digital Editor to identify the latest apps, trends and digital story treatments which BBC Swahili should be using.
· To engage with audiences, often through close collaboration with other teams in BBC Swahili as well as the wider BBC. To make the best use of data in order to drive and inform tactical decisions about the type, format and timing of content produced and posted as well as tracking how content performs.
· As a senior digital expert to the service, you will be a main point of reference for supporting training needs for your team and the department.
· To identify or create highly shareable BBC content and compose posts, including pictures and video where relevant, to drive high level engagement, and referral back to BBC Swahili output.
· To co-ordinate coverage of major events across all output. To be responsible for wider planning and coverage.
· To liaise with overseas BBC offices and reporters.
· To offer ideas for stories and items, programmes and series, take a lead in pre-production and planning meetings as required. To suggest new angles and formats on existing stories in order to bring them to life for the audience. To take a lead in tri-media production which includes producing and reversioning material for radio, TV and online.
· To travel inside and outside the East Africa region at short notice on reporting or field producing trips and assignments.
· To deputise for the Swahili Editor in their absence as required.
SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
We are looking for an exceptional digital journalist who has the following skills, knowledge and experience:-
· A full command and up to date knowledge of spoken and written Kiswahili as a first language.
· A good knowledge of English including complete comprehension of written and spoken English and the ability to communicate effectively.
· Significant recent experience as a digital journalist both in originating ideas and material and in editing the work of others.
· Excellent news and editorial judgment.
· Ability to supervise the journalistic work of others and manage staff including assisting in their training and development. A good understanding of how to manage and motivate others.
· Demonstrable track record of imaginative and advance understanding of social media and mobile platforms.
· Wide, thorough and up to date familiarity with the target areas and an in-depth understanding of its news and current affairs, history, politics, social issues and culture as well as the changing needs of the audience.
· Visual editing experience in either editing video or creating social media content
· Experience of managing digital communities and the ability to communicate diplomatically with audiences.
· Understanding and appreciation of the aims of the BBC World Service.
· Flexibility and willing to learn and work if needed on other media platforms.
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.
· Imagination/Creative Thinking - able to transform creative ideas into practical reality. Can look at existing situations and problems in novel ways and come up with creative solutions.
· Strategic Thinking - can identify a vision along with the plans which need to be implemented to meet the end goal. Evaluates situations, decisions, issues etc. in the short, medium and longer-term.
· Planning & 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.
· Influencing & 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 & Team Working - able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people. Works co-operatively with others to be part of a team, as opposed to working separately or competitively.
