Job Introduction

• BBC Monitoring (BBCM) provides news and information based on our monitoring of open source media from over 150 countries in more than 100 languages and across all platforms.
• As a centre of expertise and with journalists based in the UK and international bureaux, it is an important part of the BBC’s newsgathering operation.
• This extensive operation enables us to provide insightful and reliable coverage of political, economic, security and media news. Our round–the-clock reporting of TV, radio, press, online and social media is also provided to commercial clients, partners and the UK Government. https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk

Main Responsibilities

BBC Monitoring is recruiting a digital journalist with excellent working knowledge of French language to work as part of a team covering Africa in the BBC offices in Nairobi.

As a Journalist, you’ll play a pivotal role in meeting the needs of BBC Monitoring’s users by identifying news and key insights based on the monitoring of vernacular sources – TV, radio, newspapers and social media – across Africa.

Other duties include:

• You will produce engaging content in English and cover many news stories, including breaking news.
• You will work a shift pattern, feed into the global news agenda, acting as a point of reference on Sub-Saharan Africa.
• You’ll use a variety of tools and techniques to mine the media for story ideas, identify emerging trends and narratives and contribute to advance planning for coverage of key events.

Are you the right candidate?

• You’ll have excellent French, experience as a journalist and exceptional writing skills in idiomatic English.
• You’ll be able to record accurately, to report impartially, to provide context as necessary and to ensure all output is consistent with the BBC’s editorial guidelines.
• You’ll have a thorough understanding of Francophone Africa’s media environment, political, cultural, religious and economic issues and Africa’s key themes.
• You’ll be able to track breaking news and emerging trends on social media.
• You are willing and able to embrace new ways of working, to continually develop yourself and others around you and to actively seek feedback.
• You have good inter-personal communication skills and can work collaboratively with team members and with other parts of the BBC.

Job Impact

Decision making High level of responsibility and decision making; able to operate alone. No managerial responsibility. May be informally supported by junior staff i.e. Researchers, Coordinators and Assistants. Scope Covers a wide range of journalism activity, producing news content and supporting the production and presentation of programming