Journalist, BBC Swahili

Job Overview

The BBC Swahili service, a major and rapidly expanding segment of the BBC World Service, connects millions of Swahili-speaking audiences across East Africa and beyond through multiple platforms including radio, TV, and digital media. This role is pivotal within the BBC Swahili team, tasked with delivering impartial and trusted news despite challenges such as political restrictions and misinformation prevalent in the region.

Main Responsibilities

• Compose precise, engaging, and well-structured articles daily for the BBC Swahili website, ensuring proper sourcing, SEO optimization, and adherence to publishing schedules.
• Produce and present short-form videos such as news highlights, explainers, interviews, and reactions tailored for social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook, and YouTube Shorts within daily content plans.
• Independently record, present, and edit short video segments using mobile or camera equipment, employing strong visual judgment, clear audio capture, effective framing, and basic graphic or caption enhancements to uphold BBC Swahili's production standards.
• Contribute to both visualized and linear radio content, delivering on-air and on-screen presentations that address the dual demands of radio broadcasting and YouTube streaming audiences.
• Research, script, film, and edit television packages solo or in cooperation with Video Journalists, ensuring content integrity and suitability for designated broadcast slots.
• Establish and sustain a broad network of contacts throughout East Africa to enhance original news gathering, provide exclusive leads, and create fresh story angles outside agency-fed news.
• Participate actively in live coverage of breaking news across all platforms including livestreaming, producing timely, accurate content while upholding BBC editorial standards.

Required Expertise and Skills

• Proven experience creating content across diverse digital and broadcast channels including news websites, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook, TV, and radio with a nuanced understanding of each platform's editorial and production needs.
• Exceptional digital writing abilities to craft clear, accurate, and SEO-friendly articles in Swahili that captivate online audiences.
• Practical experience producing and presenting engaging short-form videos optimized for social networks, especially vertical formats for TikTok and Instagram Reels, with insights into viewer engagement drivers.
• Hands-on skills in shooting videos autonomously with appropriate equipment, demonstrating strong aesthetic sense and adaptability to various environments like studios, locations, interviews, and news zones.
• Confidence and clarity in on-camera presenting, enabling natural delivery of scripts, interviews, and live interactions suitable for broadcast and streaming viewers.
• Background in radio content creation including scripting, voice recording, and live interviews tailored for auditory audiences.
• Strong news sourcing, verification, and impartial reporting under deadlines, including competence in validating social media and user-generated content.
• Fluent proficiency in both written and spoken Swahili and English languages, capable of high-quality writing, sub-editing, and presentation in both tongues.

Additional Information

This permanent, full-time position is based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania within the BBC World Service. While onsite presence is mandatory, flexible working arrangements can be discussed during the offer stage, reflecting the organisation’s openness to varied working preferences.

Selected candidates will undergo thorough employment screening, including reference, work eligibility, safeguarding, and media-related checks. Disclosure of any unspent convictions may be required prior to starting employment to ensure appropriate support and risk management.

Applications are accepted exclusively through the designated online process; CV submissions via other channels are not considered. For further queries, contact bbchr@bbc.co.uk.