Journalist, Nairobi
Starting date: EARLY 2025
Deadline for applications: November 24, 2024
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
THE JOB
You will report and edit stories about Kenya and the rest of the East Africa region covered by the Nairobi bureau, one of the largest in Africa.
As well as Kenya, the office is responsible for coverage of Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. It is a fast-paced bureau with a heavy news load. News from the East Africa is rich and varied but often complicated, with conflict, political tensions, human rights abuses, health and poverty issues and climate disasters, as well as the economy and sport.
In addition to news, you will need to generate enterprise reporting on the dynamic shifts taking place in African societies and economies, on topics such as lifestyle, business, technology, arts and culture, the exploding youth population and the Kenyan middle class. Coverage of the environment and climate change will also be an important part of the beat, in addition to wildlife and conservation. The bureau can also be often called upon to contribute to pan-African stories.
You should be prepared to travel to cover breaking news, at times in hostile environments such as conflict zones or natural disaster areas. Hostile environment training is required.
Working under the daily direction of the bureau chief and her deputy, you must respect the agency’s values and standards, ensuring that content is accurate, timely and impartial. You should have a keen eye for the visual and multimedia aspect of coverage and closely coordinate with the photo, video and graphics departments. It is important to stress that all AFP journalists contribute to AFP’s newsgathering process in all formats, working for the common goal of dynamic and high-quality multimedia journalism.
You should be familiar with the issues involved in handling user generated content and AFP’s guidelines concerning the use of UGC, especially to find and verify amateur videos. You will maintain the accuracy and journalistic integrity of our coverage, respecting the agency’s editorial policy and copyright guidelines. You will closely monitor social media and strictly adhere to the Agency’s guidelines on social media activity.
You will contribute to the fight against misinformation by helping factcheckers in the network and ensure you are trained in the various methods of online verification, now indispensable for all journalism.
You must be ready to work long days and a wide range of hours, including early mornings and late nights, as well as weekends.
In an ever-changing media environment, the nature of the job could evolve in line with coverage demands and the requirements of an increasingly diverse client base.
SKILLS REQUIRED
- Dynamic English-speaking journalist with several years of experience in reporting and editing.
- Native-level Swahili is a must, while some French would be a plus.
- Strong knowledge of Kenyan politics and society, and an excellent contacts book.
- Sound news judgement and a flair for writing, equally at home covering breaking news and putting together focus/analysis pieces, as well as sparkling features.
- A team player, with an ability to work well under pressure.
APPLICATIONS
Please send a resume and cover letter to:
Nairobi Bureau Chief: [email protected]
Africa HR manager: [email protected]
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
AFP is committed to equal opportunities and greater diversity within its teams. We therefore encourage all applications to preserve the wealth of profiles, cultures and languages that constitute the strength of our network.