THE JOB

Reporting and editing stories about Kenya and the rest of the East Africa region covered by the Nairobi bureau. As well as Kenya, the office is responsible for coverage of Ethiopia, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Djibouti, Eritrea, Mauritius and the Seychelles. It is a fast-paced bureau. News from the East Africa is rich and varied but often complicated, with conflict, political tensions, human rights, health issues and climate disasters, as well as the economy and sport. In addition to news, you will be expected to work on features and focuses on subjects as varied as culture and lifestyle, technology, societal issues, people and the environment. 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 disasters. 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 reactive 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 a good contacts book.

✓ Sound news judgement, equally at home writing breaking news and focus/analysis pieces, as well as sparkling features.

✓ You need to demonstrate an ability to work well under pressure.

✓ Hostile environment training is required.

THE BUREAU

The Nairobi bureau has 11 journalists: a director, and her deputy, a photo coordinator, a video coordinator, two French-speaking text journalists, one English-speaking text journalist, two photo reporters, a video reporter and a journalist in charge of digital verification. Also part of the office: an administrative manager and his assistant, a technician and a marketing /sales manager. The Nairobi office is also in charge of a journalist based in Addis Ababa who is responsible for covering Ethiopia, the African Union, and for contributing to coverage of Djibouti and, as much as possible, of Eritrea, a non media-friendly country. The bureau also coordinates a network of text/video/photo freelancers across the region.

LIFE IN NAIROBI

Climate: Nairobi is close to the Equator but at an altitude of around 1,700 metres so the climate is generally pleasant most of the year.

The city has shopping malls, supermarkets, restaurants and cinemas but has a relatively high cost of living. Security should not be an obsession, but daily vigilance is necessary. Pickpocketing is commonplace. Armed attacks, including burglaries, take place from time to time. A major advantage of living in Nairobi is access to Kenya's stunning wildlife parks and beaches.

APPLICATIONS

Please send a resume and cover letter to: