Countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania

Organization: Farm Radio International

Closing date: 29 Jan 2021

Contract term: Consultant – Part-time (2-3 days per week)

About the organization:

Farm Radio International is a Canadian organization that has been working since 1979 to harness the power of radio to meet the needs of small-scale farmers. We work with more than 1,000 radio organizations located in more than 40 African countries to fight poverty and food insecurity. With the benefit of FRI resources and training, our broadcasting partners deliver practical, relevant, and timely information to tens of millions of farmers, including women farmers. We also work with a range of partners to implement radio projects that address specific development challenges and community needs. Farm Radio has offices in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Tanzania, Senegal, and Uganda, and works closely with a strategic partner in Malawi.

About Barza Wire:

Barza Wire is an online news service focused on family farmers in Africa. This news service is an information tool for radio broadcasters interested in sharing stories about the realities facing farmers and rural communities in Africa. It provides broadcasters with themes, stories, and resources that they can use in planning and producing radio programs about agricultural and community development issues.

Barza Wire publishes original stories written by freelance African journalists. It also publishes resources, a script of the week, spotlights on radio partners, and opportunities. New content is published every two weeks and all content is published in English and French, with some stories available in Hausa, Swahili, and Amharic.

Barza Wire is available at wire.farmradio.fm and is also shared via email to more than 6,000 subscribers, which includes more than 3,000 radio broadcasting partners in Farm Radio's network.

Barza Wire values:

Barza Wire puts family farmers and rural communities at the core of its stories. We strive to represent the views and concerns of family farmers in order to serve their information needs. When farmers face injustice or worry their rights have been violated, we aim to provide a forum for them to voice their grievances adn to be heard by a wider audience. We see news shaped by how farmers and their livelihoods are affected.

Barza Wire is particularly interested in promoting environmentally-sustainable farming practices, particularly those that have been proven effective by African family farmers.

Barza Wire aims to represent all regions of sub-Saharan Africa and strives to publish stories from as many countries as possible.

Barza Wire attempts to represent the voices of women and men. We research and produce our work in a way that emphasizes the work of women as farmers, as well as community leaders, government officials, etc. We strive to cover issues that rural women find important, but also explicitly seek female and male sources for all stories.

Description of tasks:

The bureau chief must be based in an African country. They must:

• Follow African news closely and be up-to-date on the latest developments in news about farming and rural livelihoods.
• Coordinate a network of freelance writers, including recruiting and screening new writers.
• With the editorial team, suggest story topics to potential freelance writers, evaluate proposals from writers.
• Read attentively and suggest changes or ask for clarifications on proposals.
• Follow up with writers by phone, email, and social media, as necessary.
• Be familiar with Barza Wire's writing and editorial style.
• Edit about 2-3 stories per month.
• Edit stories from freelance writers, ensuring they follow Barza Wire's writing style, are accurate, and well-written.
• Give feedback to writers to improve their stories.
• With the editorial team, ensure the story is ready for publishing, including photos.
• Ensure the freelance writers sign a contract and are paid by the FRI finance team.
• When possible, share resources to help improve the skills of FRI's freelance writers.

Skills and experience

• Diploma in journalism or communication, or training in a related field
• 3-5 years of professional experience in journalism.
• Excellent writing and editing skills.
• Experience in capacity building and training of journalists.
• Knowledge of agricultural and rural development issues.
• Good understanding of writing for radio.
• Good understanding of digital tools, including WhatsApp.
• Good time management and organization skills.
• Able to work independently and with a team at a distance.
• Demonstrate interpersonal skills and openness.
• Previous experience supervising and managing a team of journalists (an asset)
• Knowledge of gender issues.

How to apply:

Applications:

FRI is an equal opportunity employer. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

To submit your application, send your CV, two writing samples, and salary expectations to barza.fm@farmradio.org