Journalist, Nigeria

Package description

Contract: Continuing/Permanent/full time

Band: C

Location: Lagos, Nigeria

Salary: Local terms and conditions apply

Job board closing: 11:59 9th November (UK time)

Interviews to be held: 16th November (flexible)

Any offer of employment with the BBC will be conditional upon you having the right to work in Nigeria.

Introduction

BBC Yoruba is the Yoruba language service of the BBC World Service meant primarily for the Yoruba-speaking communities in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo and Yoruba speakers in diaspora. It is part of the 12 new language services incorporated by the BBC World Service. BBC Yoruba was launched on 19 February 2018 by the BBC as part of the expansion to accommodate twelve new languages under the funding of United Kingdom Government through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). This expansion is termed the BBC biggest expansion since the 1940's and it incorporated Yoruba language and few other Nigerian languages.

We are recruiting a Broadcast Journalist who will output, produce and present digital content across news and features, ensuring we deliver timely and engaging programmes of the highest journalistic quality across our digital platforms. You need to demonstrate strong editorial judgement and multimedia production skills, as well as a desire to report news and current affairs in a fair and unbiased way for a global audience.

Main responsibilities

As a BBC Broadcast Journalist you will work creatively across all digital platforms, audio/video and text, to ensure that the Yoruba Service output develops and grows a distinctive character and status in its target area. On a daily basis, you will engage actively with the audience ensuring consistency of output and required occasionally to do field reporting. In addition, you will:

Create bespoke optimized content including social media posts, reports, compilations, interviews, discussions, 'explainers', features video, photos, infographics and other editorial content for social media networks and on all BBC Yoruba platforms. Ensure that any output material for which the post holder is responsible meets the standards required by the BBC. Work with other members of the Yoruba and Nigeria team, and the wider BBC Africa newsroom, to identify and produce creative and innovative audio, text and video news content. Originate innovative formats for BBC Yoruba social media posts best suited for each social network, including Facebook and Instagram and optimize these formats using social analytics and then champion the use of successful formats across the team. Re-version BBC material with a mobile audience in mind. Create multimedia content for publication on social media and the BBC Yoruba mobile audiences, as appropriate and to the required specification whilst maintaining professional journalistic standards of accuracy, impartiality and adhering to the BBC's Editorial guidelines. Create headlines and video teasers to promote our stories and reach to as wide an audience as possible. Show visual creativity in the use of pictures and graphics to illustrate and explain fast-moving events and complex stories. Create headlines and video teasers to promote our stories and reach to as wide an audience as possible. Contribute ideas and angles to meetings on how to cover the main news of the day. Work to short deadlines for breaking and developing stories. Work and think collaboratively at all times; both within World Service and across the wider BBC.

Are you the right candidate?

You will have some journalism experience within a media environment, it is essential that you are fluent in Yoruba and English (written and spoken), you will have experience of delivering creative output on online platforms. You will have the knowledge of local, regional. international news and current affair and have recent experience of living in the target area, including a good understanding of the complexities of Nigeria. In addition you will have:

Ability to work under pressure and to react to breaking news is essential. A strong journalistic track record with knowledge of Africa and African affairs. Experience in digital journalism content production and audience engagement. Ability to work well with other producers, reporters and teams. Wide and up to date familiarity with the area/s to which the Service broadcasts including Africa , Nigeria and West African affairs and an in-depth understanding of the area/s history, politics, social issues and culture as well as the changing needs of the audience. An extensive knowledge of the media situation in the target area and the way it is developing. Proven editorial judgment and flair, able to make sound decisions quickly. Knowledge of the BBCâs Editorial Guidelines and commitment to the editorial aims of BBC News. Must be able to work well and calmly in a live newsroom environment; handle a rapidly changing news agenda, and have the temperament to enjoy the process. Must be able to demonstrate sense of visual awareness as well as technical aptitude. Knowledge of Health and Safety policies and practices.

Note - you may be required to work with or move to other teams, and to have the ability to work across a range of skills and in a flexible manner, and to carry out these responsibilities in accordance with the BBCâs overall standards and values. You may be required to travel off base on short reporting trips and assignments and take part in shift work which will include early mornings, late nights, weekends and public holidays.

About the BBC

We donât focus simply on what we do â we also care how we do it. Our values and the way we behave are important to us. 

Diversity matters at the BBC. We have a working environment where we value and respect every individualâs unique contribution, enabling all of our employees to thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to be part of the BBC â whether thatâs to contribute to our programming or our wide range of non-production roles. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.

We will consider flexible working requests for all roles, unless operational requirements prevent otherwise.