Journalism trainer/mentor

Job title: Journalism trainer/mentor

Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Reports to: Senior mentor/trainer

Duration: 12 months (with possible extension)

Special requirements: The right to live and work in Tanzania. Fluent in English and Swahili with ability to write reports and scripts in these languages.

Only applicants with separate cover letter will be considered. Please do not send certificates or other attachments. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

BBC Media Action:

BBC Media Action is the BBC’s international development organisation, and we believe in the power of media and communication for good. We work in more than 20 countries around the world, supporting the independent media essential to democracy and development. Each year our projects and programmes reach over 100 million people facing poverty, inequality and insecurity with information they can trust, helping to improve health, bridge divides, challenge prejudice, and save and change lives. We follow the editorial standards and values of the BBC, but we rely on funding from donors and partners to carry out our work.

Job purpose:

BBC Media Action is seeking a journalism trainer/mentor to support a range of partner stations and their staff to produce varied, high quality and editorially robust programmes.

The successful candidate will work closely with the senior trainer mentor and partnerships development manager to develop training plans that meet the needs of rural radio stations in line with a range of project objectives. The trainer/mentor will deliver training and mentoring on location at the partner stations’ studios and during centrally organised training events. The mentoring and training will include a focus on editorial standards, production quality, audience needs, public interest journalism, and gender and safeguarding.

The post holder will be required to spend up to 80% of their time outside of their duty station, working with rural radio stations across Tanzania.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• To develop and deliver the partner training and capacity-building elements of BBC Media Action’s rural radio project; to reach the highest standards in terms of quality, effectiveness, impact and relevance, meeting the objectives clearly defined for the project
• Liaise with the research team to identify training needs, capacities and capacity gaps of partner radio stations, to inform development/update of training packages that meet the unique needs of rural radio stations
• To work with the senior trainer/mentor and partnerships development manager to design a formal and on the job training guide for partner radio stations and to independently deliver these trainings to radio producers at assigned partner stations. This document will guide the entire period of mentorship and serve as a frame of reference for evaluating the trainer/mentor’s performance
• Support and advise management team(s) within partner radio stations on issues related to the institutional development of stations
• Analyse and spot-check partner radio stations’ media content in order to provide feedback to journalists to ensure media content of partner radio stations addresses broad development objectives such as accountability, governance, gender equality and social inclusion etc.
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• Provide face-to-face and remote mentoring to media practitioners from partner radio stations
• To deliver a series of training workshops and events using agreed training guides
• To support the radio stations and their staff to understand research findings and audience feedback in order to develop content that meets the needs of their audiences
• To work closely with radio partner producers on all aspects of training and programme production to ensure maximum ownership
• To champion gender equality and safeguarding within the partner radio stations
• To submit weekly reports and work plans within the agreed BBC Media Action reporting mechanism
• To link with other BBC Media Action mentor/trainers to coordinate overall mentoring and training across the group of rural radio station partners
• To support all trainers visiting to train our partner media houses
• To ensure all project activities meet BBC standards, as well as delivering the projects development objectives
• To initiate and help build relationships between technical NGO experts and local radio partners in development of radio products and manage those relationships
• Understand and comply with BBC Media Action’s safeguarding policy and the staff code of conduct.
• Participate in relevant mandatory training on safeguarding and respect at work.
• Report any safeguarding concerns immediately, either to the Country Director, or using the whistleblowing policy.
• Support the project with other duties if required.

Required skills, knowledge, and experience:

• A minimum qualification of Diploma in Journalism or Mass Communication
• At least 3-years experience in planning training courses and training journalists in Africa essential.
• Strong editorial judgment and substantial radio production experience within Tanzania is essential (3 years minimum with a reputable organisation)
• Experience in training journalists
• Strong understanding of the Tanzanian media sector; rural radio landscape and media laws
• Good English language skills
• Sound understanding of safeguarding principles and experience in their implementation
• Excellent interpersonal skills, communication and influencing skills
• Strong understanding of and commitment towards BBC editorial values
• Strong understanding of the role of media and communications in development
• Ability to work in teams

HOW TO APPLY

Candidates should send their CV and a cover letter (in English, PDF or Microsoft Word format) which outlines their experience and suitability for the role by email to: recruitment@tz.bbcmediaaction.org – please include the title of the position applied for in the subject line and send by 5pm on 17th July 2022.

The role may involve working with groups of vulnerable children and adults. For the successful candidate, mandatory training will be provided on BBC Media Action’s safeguarding policy and staff code of conduct. A police background check may form part of the recruitment process. BBC Media Action operates a zero-tolerance policy concerning all forms of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people.

BBC Media Action has zero tolerance for fraud and exploitation. If you have any concerns, please share with us through whistleblower@tz.bbcmediaaction.org.