Journalist, BBC Somali

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

• BBC World Service is creating a new Horn of Africa Language Services Unit in Nairobi, bringing together BBC Somali, BBC Afaan Oromo, BBC Tigrinya and BBC Amharic under a single editorial leadership structure for the first time.
• BBC Somali is one of the most trusted international news services for Somali-speaking audiences in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and across a substantial and highly engaged diaspora. It is a service with strong editorial heritage and, under this new structure, significant opportunity: the transformation to a digital-first, video-led operation that can reach a new generation of Somali audiences who consume news primarily through smartphones, YouTube and social media.
• BBC Somali is now transforming into a story-led model built around two complementary editorial streams: On the Day and On Demand.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

• The Journalist is the core production resource of both On the Day and On Demand streams. Whether working a morning, afternoon or night shift within On the Day, or contributing to planned video and podcast production within On Demand, the Journalist is expected to move fluently between platforms, formats and roles (such as writing a web article, filming, editing, presenting videos and voicing a radio package and publishing a social post), often on the same story, within the same shift.
• This transformation demands journalists who are not simply willing to work across platforms, but who think across platforms instinctively. That means asking, before production begins, how a story will serve audiences on multiple platforms like, the website, on YouTube, on TikTok and on radio and making deliberate choices about format, length and angle for each content.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• Write clear, accurate and engaging articles for the BBC Somali website daily, producing content that is well-structured, properly sourced, SEO-aware and published to deadline.
• Produce and present short-form video contents including news moments, explainers, interviews and reaction pieces optimised for publication on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook and YouTube Shorts, as a standard part of daily output.
• Produce and present radio programmes or visualised podcast as needed.
• Self-shoot, present and edit short video contents using mobile or camera equipment, applying strong visual judgement, clear audio, appropriate framing and basic graphic or caption overlays to produce content that meets BBC Somali’s production standards.
• Contribute to BBC Somali’s visualised podcast and linear radio output, performing on screen as well as on air and understanding the specific demands of presenting and reporting for a simultaneous radio and YouTube streaming audience.
• Research, script, film and edit video contents independently or in collaboration with Video Journalists, ensuring content is well-sourced, clearly structured and appropriate for the target platform.
• Develop and maintain a range of contacts across Horn of Africa to support original newsgathering, tip-offs and on-the-ground reporting, and use those contacts to contribute stories and angles that go beyond wire and agency copy.
• Contribute to live coverage of breaking news events across all platforms including livestreaming, producing timely, accurate content at pace while maintaining BBC editorial standards.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Proven ability to produce content across multiple digital platforms including a news website, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram reels and Facebook and radio with an understanding of the editorial and production requirements of each.
• Strong digital writing skills, including the ability to produce clear, accurate, well-structured articles in Somali that are engaging for online readers and appropriately optimised for search.
• Experience of producing and presenting short-form video content for social media platforms, including vertical formats for TikTok and Instagram reels, with a clear understanding of what makes short video content hold attention and drive shares. Practical experience of self-shooting video using mobile or camera equipment, with the ability to apply sound visual judgement in a range of settings including studio, location, interview and news-gathering environments.
• Confidence presenting to camera, with the ability to deliver scripts, interviews and two-ways clearly and naturally for both broadcast and streaming audiences.
• Experience of producing content for radio, including writing scripts for the ear, voicing packages and conducting interviews for broadcast.
• Solid experience of sourcing, verifying and reporting news accurately and impartially under deadline pressure, including the ability to apply verification techniques to social media content and user-generated material.
• Fluency in written and spoken Somali and English with the ability to write, sub-edit and present in both languages to a high professional standard.
• Knowledge about data-driven approach to content development, with experience using audience analytics and platform insights to inform commissioning, optimise performance and grow engagement, particularly among younger and female audiences.