openDemocracy, Head of Multimedia (Homeworking)
- Employer
- openDemocracy
- Location
- Global (remote working)
- Salary
- Competitive salary and benefits, benchmarked to location.
- Closing date
- Oct 30, 2020
View more
- Industry
- Journalist
- Job Type
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
- Sector
- Broadcast, Online, Digital, Politics
- Discipline
- Video Producer, Video Editor, Digital Production Editor, Multimedia Journalist
Job Details
openDemocracy is a global media outlet. We produce high-quality journalism, and we build journalism skills and capacity among groups under-represented in the media. Our mission is to challenge power and inspire change.
We are seeking a talented and visionary journalist to lead a step-change in our multimedia storytelling and impact. You will have an impressive track record in journalism and/or film, TV or audio production with a strong journalistic reputation, and an excellent professional network.
You’ll have a bold vision for how our major stories and investigations can reach and engage wider audiences, and have deeper impact, through multimedia.
You’ll have ambitious ideas about the types of stories we should be telling through film, audio or other channels, and be excited to get stuck in to producing them.
You’ll be joining our team during an exciting period of growth – building on a strong recent record where our journalism has triggered law change, parliamentary probes, criminal investigations, and much more.
Our stories frequently get picked up across the global media, including The New York Times, Washington Post, New Yorker, Guardian, Daily Mail, CNN, BBC, Deutsche Welle, Al-Jazeera, el Pais, Mail & Guardian and more. Our site currently attracts more than 11 million visits per year, and we host a diverse range of independent projects – including those publishing in Russian, Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese as well as English.
We are a mission-focused organisation, which means we always think about the impact our journalism can have. We’re looking for someone who is rigorous about facts, passionate about public interest journalism, and has a strong track record of producing stories which lead to change.
This is both a hands-on and a strategic role. You’ll be doing some filming, recording or editing yourself, and you’ll be working with colleagues to help lift the general quality of openDemocracy multimedia content across different projects.
But you’ll also have a strategic focus on pitching, developing and delivering ambitious projects in collaboration with external partners (for example broadcasters), so that our stories and investigations reach wider and more diverse audiences beyond our own platform.
One of our key priorities is to help build a more inclusive international media ecosystem. We strongly encourage applications from all groups that are under-represented in the media.
Reports to: Editor-in-chief
Purpose of the role:
Lead a step-change in the quality, reach and impact of openDemocracy’s multimedia journalism – both in-house and through strategic partnerships.
Key responsibilities:
- Develop our in-house multimedia storytelling skills and capacity, working with trainee fellows, reporters and senior editors to expand and lift the quality and reach of our multimedia content
- Identify opportunities for – and produce – short multimedia stories or other products as part of major openDemocracy investigations and projects
- Work closely with the audience & development team and oD editors to ensure that our multimedia stories reach wider and more diverse audiences
- Pitch, develop and run major strategic partnerships for openDemocracy (film, audio, or TV), to ensure our stories reach audiences beyond our platform
- Lead on developing a signature openDemocracy multimedia product – be it podcast, video, live event or other – to help enhance our brand and reach
- By working closely on at least 2-3 major stories a year, help to increase knowledge, skills and confidence among the oD team on how to build the impact and reach of their work
- As needed, pitch in to ensure that major oD stories or investigations hit a high bar and land big – from interviews and reporting, to media strategy and outreach, to briefing and liaising with partners around the world
Person specification:
Essential values and skills
- A strong commitment to openDemocracy’s mission to challenge power and inspire change
- Ability to work independently and within a team, to plan and manage a complex workload, problem-solve and respond swiftly and on deadline to new/unplanned demands
- A clear understanding of how to practice a non-judgemental and empowering approach to support diverse women, LGBTIQ people, people of colour and other groups underrepresented in the media
- Ability to communicate effectively and persuasively with diverse people, organisations and professionals
Essential experience
- At least 7 years’ experience in journalism, audio, film or television production
- Highly skilled in multimedia storytelling: producing, commissioning and delivering quality film, audio and/or other multimedia journalism
- Experience in pitching, raising funds for and/or producing successful multimedia projects
- Ability to shoot and edit video, or to record and edit audio to a high standard
- Good understanding of video and audio standards for broadcast and online
- Understanding of the requirements of different AV productions for different channels and audiences (for example social media vs broadcast)
- A track record in producing stories which have impact/lead to change, and a clear understanding of the strategies that make change happen
- Experience in and willingness to lead a mixture of hands-on and strategic work – from producing short film or audio on minimal budgets, to identifying and securing major partnerships or collaborations
Desirable
- Professional fluency in more than one language
- Experience with live online video production
- Experience in producing podcasts
- Communications, advocacy, campaigns, strategic litigation or other civil society experience relevant to openDemocracy’s mission
How to apply
Candidates must be able to provide evidence they have the skills, knowledge and experience detailed in the person specification section of the job description.
Plase click 'APPLY' to submit your CV and a personalised cover letter outlining your suitability for the role, where you want to take openDemocracy’s multimedia journalism and how you’d do it.
If you have any questions about the role please email recruitment@opendemocracy.net.
Application deadline: 30 October, 2020 at 5.00pm (UK time)
openDemocracy is committed to being an equal opportunities employer that values and respects the people who work with us. We positively encourage applications from suitably experienced candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.
We are open to accommodating family-friendly hours and other caring responsibilities.
Company
openDemocracy is an independent international media platform. We produce high-quality journalism which challenges power, inspires change and builds leadership among groups underrepresented in the media. Headquartered in London, we have team members across four continents.
We are a mission-focused organisation, which means we always think about the impact our journalism can have. Our investigative journalism has triggered legal changes, parliamentary probes, lawsuits and criminal investigations and we also offer a rich diversity of stories and perspectives from across the world. We help voices otherwise excluded from the media to reach larger audiences, and we campaign on key stories, pushing for a more open, democratic and egalitarian world.
Our stories frequently get picked up across the global media, including The New York Times, CNN, France 24, El País, National Geographic, Sky News, ITV News, Newsnight, BBC Radio 4’s Today, The World This Weekend and File on Four, Daily Mail, Daily Express, Daily Mirror, Financial Times, The Times, Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Observer, The Independent, Channel 4 News, LBC and Private Eye in 2021 alone.
openDemocracy.net attracts more than 11 million visits per year, and we provide a vital space for analysis, comment, and debate on issues ranging from democracy, gender and human rights to economics and climate change. We have projects publishing in Russian, Spanish and Portuguese as well as English. In the past two years, we’ve been nominated for and won a number of prestigious journalism prizes, from the Gabo Award to the Paul Foot and British Journalism Awards.[
- Website
- http://opendemocracy.net/
- Telephone
- 02074594068
- Location
-
18-22 Ashwin Street
London
Hackney
E8 3DL
United Kingdom
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