Journalist, Focus On Africa

Focus on Africa is the BBC's flagship news and current affairs program, providing a comprehensive view of the diverse experiences, cultures, and challenges facing African nations and their people to audiences in Africa and globally. The program aims to bridge the gap between African societies and global audiences, fostering understanding and celebrating the richness of African life through high-quality journalism.

Focus on Africa is the BBC's main news and current affairs program for African audiences and those interested in African stories worldwide, delivered across TV, radio, and digital platforms. It aims to offer a comprehensive perspective on the diverse experiences, cultures, and challenges within African nations, covering topics such as politics, economics, environment, health, and social issues, while also highlighting achievements and innovations. The program strives to connect African societies with global audiences, providing a platform for often unheard voices, promoting understanding and dialogue, and celebrating African life through high-quality, informative, and educational journalism. The successful candidate will be responsible for creating impactful content for Focus on Africa TV, its digital livestreams, and other digital assets. This role demands excellent technical skills, visual creativity, experience in managing breaking news and continuous coverage, and a deep understanding of audience requirements. Extensive experience in video production and in-depth knowledge of digital production are essential. Demonstrable knowledge of North African affairs and proficiency in Arabic would be considered an advantage.

1. Shoot and edit high-quality video segments for broadcast and digital platforms, ensuring visual engagement and adherence to BBC standards.
2. Create informative, accurate, and engaging content that reflects the diversity of the audience's experiences and perspectives.
3. Write clear, concise, and engaging scripts for video reports, ensuring accuracy and effective communication of the intended story.
4. Attend events, press conferences, and breaking news situations to gather firsthand information and visual documentation.
5. Present news stories, reports, and features live on air for both visualized radio/podcast and digital video, adapting style and tone for different formats and audiences.
6. Ensure compliance with BBC Editorial principles and all relevant legal, contractual, and copyright requirements, escalating issues when necessary.
7. Collaborate closely with editorial colleagues, producers, and field reporters to develop and execute story ideas, contributing to the overall editorial direction of Focus on Africa.
8. Oversee the digital presence of Focus on Africa, including social media platforms.

1. Demonstrable experience in producing impactful original short and mid-form videos that have reached new audiences, along with knowledge of social media best practices.
2. Strong storytelling abilities, capable of transforming complex issues into compelling video narratives.
3. In-depth knowledge of the news agenda across Africa and its diaspora, with the ability to identify interesting, shareable stories and generate eye-catching headlines and content.
4. Excellent communication and interviewing skills, enabling effective engagement with diverse subjects and audiences.
5. Proven creativity in using pictures, graphics, and audio to illustrate and explain fast-moving events and complex stories.
6. Experience working under pressure and meeting tight deadlines, demonstrating self-starting initiative to conceptualize, commission, produce, and deliver ideas efficiently.
7. Excellent writing, editing, and communication skills in English are essential.
8. Bachelor's Degree qualification.
9. Minimum of 3 years of experience.
10. Demonstrable knowledge of North African affairs (added advantage).
11. Proficiency in Arabic (added advantage).