Editor for Investigative News Story Production

Digital Broadcast Initiative Equal Access

Digital Broadcast Initiative Equal Access (DBI EA) is a nonprofit, non-government organization established in February 2004 in Nepal with a goal to create positive change by providing critical information using Communication for Development (C4D) approaches. DBI EA aims to accomplish this goal by using the media, state of the art information and communication technology (ICT), effective partnerships and local community engagement. Since its inception in 2004, DBI-EA has implemented projects on an array of thematic areas including media development, health, agriculture and livelihood, human rights and transitional justice, good governance, primary education and early childhood development, gender issues, adolescent issues, and local development among others. DBI-EA creates customized communication and outreach solutions to address the critical issues across Nepal. This is accomplished through close partnerships with community radios and local media, which ensures greater local ownership, impact and sustainability. The communication component includes designing, producing compelling multilingual audio and multimedia content and broadcasting through national and local FM networks. Outreach activities include a wide range of activities like training, orientation, local partnerships, local content, Radio Discussion Groups (RDGs), public hearing, discussion forum, and edutainment fair. All activities are guided by DBI EA’s experiences in Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC).

Details / requirements:

Civil Society: Mutual Accountability Project (CS:MAP)

Scope of Work 

For 

“Editor for Investigative News Story Production”

Background

The ‘Civil Society: Mutual Accountability Project’ (CS:MAP) goal is to foster a more legitimate, accountable and resilient Nepali civil society, capable of advancing public interest. To achieve this goal, it has the following four objectives:

  • to strengthen the enabling environment for civil society and media;
  • to improve civil society and media capacity for effective policy advocacy and government engagement;
  • to ensure more coordinated and effective civil society and media oversight of public resource use and public service delivery; and
  • to strengthen organizational capacity and sustainability of CSOs working in USAID priority sectors to advance local solutions. 

CS:MAP is a five-year (April 2016 – April 2021) project funded by USAID and being implemented in 34 districts of Nepal by FHI 360. As a partner on this project, Equal Access oversees the media components of CS:MAP through the development and implementation of a set of activities under all objectives, including direct capacity building, technical assistance and implementation oversight. In order to strengthen CSO and media capacity for effective policy advocacy and government engagement and in order for CSOs and media to carry out coordinated and effective oversight of public resource use and public service delivery, Equal Access led a series of trainings in June, July and August 2017 for CSOs and media (journalists) on participatory evidence based research; investigative journalism; and advocacy monitoring and oversight. These capacity building initiatives were aimed at building research and investigative capacity among journalists to enable them to carry out effective lobbying, engagement and advocacy that is evidence-based and hence, credible. 

Activity Description

This activity follows on from two investigative journalism trainings and an investigative journalism study visit for selected journalists conducted by Equal Access earlier in June, July and September, 2017. The aim of this activity is to provide fellowship to the 18 journalists (selected from among 44 journalists from the two trainings who participated in the investigative journalism study visit) to cover in-depth stories of public interest mainly related to public resource use and public service delivery at the subnational level. The editors selected through this call will provide close guidance and mentorship to the journalists. This scope of work outlines the specific duties, responsibilities and requisite profile of the editor to be eligible for this assignment:

Duties and Responsibilities: 

  • Support the assigned journalists to identify a relevant and pertinent case for investigation that is related to subnational governance, which through in-depth, long-form reporting has the potential to uncover discrepancies, challenges and pathways for reform. This case should form the basis for the news story that the journalists aim to cover utilizing investigative techniques that they have learnt through their participation in the trainings and study visit. Ideally, such stories should have high public interest value and should result from monitoring and oversight of public resource use and public service delivery in sectoral areas such as health, education, agriculture and disaster risk reduction.  
  • Support the journalists to identify a format and angle that supports their individual stories and review and revise the format and angle as per need as the story evolves.
  • Support the journalists to identify relevant sources of information or starting points for investigation and guide them through the investigation process. These sources could be formal government documents including policies, plans and reports; news reports; reports from non-governmental agencies; related research reports; and/ or relevant individuals, office or institutions who can provide data, facts and other forms of information, including further referral.  
  • To take the responsibility of overall editorial guidance for each of the insightful news report production. 
  • Ensure that the produced reports maintain high editorial standards, are balanced and impartial and comply fully to journalistic values and ethics. 
  • Ensure that the data and references used in the report are relevant, factual and credible. 
  • Work with the Equal Access Media Manager to ensure that all investigative news reports meet the required investigative news production objectives and journalistic standards.
  • Be proactive in reaching out to the assigned journalists to ensure that the work that they produce is timely and of an acceptable standard. 
  • Ensure that the journalists remain aware at all times of the sensitivities surrounding the news stories they produce and adhere to standard safety measures.  
  • Support in the publication of the news stories from various media outlets at the subnational level, or as relevant, at the national level. 

Required profile

 

  • A strong background in editing investigative news-report of health, education, agriculture and disaster risk reduction with an in-depth knowledge of policy and laws on the same topic. 
  • A minimum of 10 years' experience in editing and producing an insightful news-report.  
  • Excellent editorial judgment and knowledge of media ethics especially surrounding reporting related to women, children and marginalized communities. 
  • Excellent writing skills for print and online media. 
  • A thorough understanding of the processes of investigative or insightful news-report production. 
  • Fairness and strong ethics to avoid prejudice and biasness in investigative news report. 
  • Fluent in Nepali writing and speaking and good communication skills. 
  • Should be a Nepali citizen. 

 

Interested applicants are requested to send the below documents to eanepal@equalaccess.org specifying in the subject “Editor for Investigative News Production”.

  • Letter of intent. 
  • Applicant's curriculum vitae (CV). 
  • An active link to or electronic copies of three published investigative news stories written or edited by her/him.  
  • A financial proposal that outlines costs for the support provided per story. All stories are expected to be initiated, completed and published within a time-frame of five months (December 2017 until April 2018).

The closing date for application for bids will be October 31, 2017

Overview

Category Media / Journalism
Openings 1
Experience 10+ years
Education Please check vacancy details
Posted Date 12 Oct, 2017
Apply Before 31 Oct, 2017
City Lalitpur