Journalist (Planner/Producer) Focus on Africa
Introduction
Focus on Africa is BBC’s flagship news and current affairs
program for our audiences in Africa and those interested in African stories
across the world. The programme, across TV, radio and digital platforms, aims
to provide a comprehensive view of the diverse experiences, cultures, and
challenges facing African nations and their people. This includes engaging
stories on politics, economics, environment, health, and social issues, along
with highlighting achievements and innovations within Africa.
Focus on Africa aims to bridge the gap between African
societies and global audiences, offering a platform for voices that often go
unheard. The programme seeks to foster understanding, promote dialogue, and
celebrate the richness of African life by presenting high-quality journalism
that motivates, educates, and informs viewers.
We are looking for two highly successful Journalists to plan
and produce impactful content for Focus on Africa TV and radio programmes as
well as its digital livestreams and assets. The successful candidate will be an
experienced journalist with a good understanding of our audience needs. You
will have extensive experience of working on a TV, radio or podcast programme
and in-depth knowledge of digital production.
Main responsibilities
- Liaise
closely with other team members and with other departments in the BBC, to
ensure that output material is shared, duplication is avoided, and best
practice is upheld.
- Take a
lead within a team setting or on delivering a specific piece of journalism
or project as appropriate.
- Planning
for big events, commissioning, developing and remote producing TV, radio
and digital content to the highest quality.
- Build
and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people for
gathering in African countries.
- Research,
pitch, and produce compelling news stories and features tailored for TV
and radio/podcast broadcasts. Ensure content is informative, accurate, and
engaging, reflecting the diversity of African experiences and perspectives
- Conduct
interviews and gather information from various sources, including
government officials, community leaders, and ordinary citizens
- To
ensure that BBC Editorial principles and all relevant legal, contractual
and copyright requirements are met, referring upwards in cases of
difficulty or doubt
- Work
closely with editorial colleagues, producers, and field reporters to
develop and execute story ideas. Participate in team discussions and
contribute to the overall editorial direction of Focus on Africa
- Maintain
up-to-date knowledge of current affairs, cultural happenings, and
developments within Africa and beyond. Analyze trends and issues impacting
the continent in order to produce timely and relevant news
- Oversee
the digital presence of Focus on Africa, including social media
platforms
- Coordinate
with other BBC departments and international bureaux to source stories,
enhance coverage, and collaborate on cross-platform features
- Build
and maintain relationships with correspondents and contributors as needed
- Foster
a culture of creativity and innovation within the team and to encourage
the exploration of new formats and technologies, enhancing audience
interaction and participation
- Build
and maintain diverse contact lists; compile and distribute information
with other members of the team
Are you the right candidate?
The successful candidates will have demonstrable experience
in originating, editing and curating engaging social and digital content
and;
- Demonstrable
experience of producing original content that has been impactful and
reached new audiences with knowledge of social media best practice
- Proven
ability to work independently, or collaboratively as required, on original
journalism for underserved audiences across a range of specialisms
- In-depth
knowledge of the news agenda across the African continent and its
diaspora; ability to spot an interesting, shareable story – and generate
eye-catching headlines and content to go with it
- Ability
to find interesting, alternative angles on established/on-going stories
that dominate the news agenda
- Track
record of creativity in the use of pictures, graphics and audio to
illustrate and explain fast-moving events and complex stories
- Experience
of working under pressure and meeting tight deadlines. A
self-starting individual, you will be able to come up with ideas, get them
commissioned made and delivered efficiently
- Strong
verbal communication skills in English, with the confidence to present on
camera and on air
- Ability
to write creatively in English in an engaging manner as well as the
ability to adapt material with accuracy, clarity and a style appropriate
to differing audiences and forms of media
- Strong
working knowledge of the data and analytics tools available and
demonstrable evidence of using them effectively
- Strong
research abilities to prepare for broadcasts, with the capability to
analyse and distil complex information for audience consumption
- An
understanding of and respect for diverse cultural perspectives, enabling
thoughtful engagement with various community topics and issues