Content Researcher, Tanzania

Content Researcher, Tanzania

Department: BBC Media Action

Reports To: Senior Producer

Duration: 9 months

Application instructions: 

Candidates should send their CV and a covering letter, which outlines their experience and suitability for the role in English to: tzrecruitment@tz.bbcmediaaction.org by Thursday 2 July, 2015.  This is a local post applicable to people who have the legal right to live and work in Tanzania.  National terms and conditions will apply.

BBC Media Action

BBC Media Action uses media and communications to reduce poverty and support people in understanding their rights in developing countries. To achieve this, Media Action partners with civil society, local media and governments to:

• Produce creative programmes in multi-media formats, based on robust research, which inform and engage audiences around key development issues;

• Strengthen the media sector through building professional capacity and infrastructure.

BBC Media Action delivers a portfolio of media projects in Tanzania. It seeks to expand this portfolio of work, but also ensure that existing projects are delivered to time, to budget and to the highest standards and in accordance with BBC editorial values as well as BBC Media Action methodologies. 

Purpose of job

The Content Researcher will be responsible for researching, writing topic briefs and media monitoring of national and international news content for Niambie – BBC Media Action’s youth engagement radio programme.

Main duties

• Work with the Senior Producer to develop, refine and shape programme ideas;

• Carry out extensive research, gather and originate ideas for programme items and write briefs and scripts for presenters and liaise with contributors in the delivery of compelling public radio style content;

• Work with web teams to conceive, design, launch and manage web products such as blogs, community forums and the programme's social media platforms;

• Handle overall coverage of assigned stories on platforms throughout the weekly news cycle;

• Maintain a critical editorial eye and ensure consistency with BBC Media Action editorial guidelines and policy for on-air content and across the programmes' online content platforms;

• Work with the Research Department to develop and cultivate an understanding of audiences and how different programmes respond to different audience needs;

• Manage and lead creative development sessions - coming up with original ideas and building on existing ideas across the organisation's media output and help in their final execution.

Skills, knowledge and experience requirements

• Computer literacy, including extensive familiarity with Microsoft Office;

• Understanding and/or familiarity of radio programmes and other radio formats within Tanzania;

• Strong broadcast and BBC style writing skills;

• Familiarity of, and practice with, online and social media tools and ways of leveraging such tools for media monitoring purposes;

• Self-motivated and able to work in a fast-paced deadline-driven environment.