MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Based in South Africa, the Multimedia Editor will report to the Editor and will develop and implement strategies to build audiences and engagement with The Conversation Africa content across Africa.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

OUTPUT 1: Audience Development

• Drive the conceptualisation and implementation of an audience development strategy for The Conversation Africa across all channels including:
  • Onsite reach and retention through SEO strategies, optimisation of traffic acquisition levers and audience led commissioning
  • Social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Mastodon and others where appropriate
  • Newsletters

• Ensure effective analysis of audience data to support editorial decision-making, and increasing reach and impact

OUTPUT 2: Multimedia and Podcasts

• Work with editorial team to tell their stories in new and interesting ways with a combination of text, audio, video, graphs, maps, interactives and other visual aids
• Source relevant tools to support the development of infographics and other multimedia elements
• Generate ideas for multimedia content
• Produce digital elements for inclusion in TC Africa articles
• Develop dissemination methods for infographics and digital elements to reach a wide audience
• Train and develop commissioning editors to a level where they can think multimedia when generating article ideas
• Work with editorial team and audience development team to commission and oversee the development and improvement of TC Africa podcast offering, identifying new areas for development, introduction of new podcast products, and integration of podcasts into existing editorial offering
• Work with audience development team to ensure the widest possible reach of TC Africa’s podcast output
• Monitor podcast analytics and report on podcast performance into editorial and audience teams regularly

OUTPUT 3: Republication

• Work with the audience development and editorial teams to establish and maintain a republication management plan and process to ensure ongoing support to republishing partners, and continuous outreach to new potential partners.
• Develop relationships with media outlets in the Southern Africa region to partner with them for republication
• Work with editors to promote and pitch specific stories to media and develop productive relationships with websites and media outlets
• Develop repeatable processes to distribute content to high-traffic sites
• Develop and maintain content syndication partnerships, including development and building of databases of Southern Africa media titles and publishing houses
  • Monitor and implement tracking processes and systems and engage with relevant contacts to ensure content partners and other republishers comply with republishing guidelines

OUTPUT 4: Manage audience development team

• Manage audience development managers (collaborating with regional editors as matrix managers of regional staff) in line with available funding and organisation objectives
• Manage the performance of the audience team to ensure that they are able to meet their performance objectives. This includes providing ongoing coaching and mentoring support
• Reviewing performance

QUALIFATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• At least 10 years experience in multimedia production in an journalistic environment
• A relevant qualification (production, journalism, or other relevant field)
• Knowledge of special-interest or niche markets in a multi-platform media company, content distribution and partnership development
• Experience recording and editing audio or video
• An understanding of data visualisation
• Strong editing, design and writing skills
• Creativity and the ability to generate compelling ideas for new ways to present stories
• Highly developed research and analytical skills
• Excellent presentation and communication skills
• The ability to produce high-quality written material in English
• Good sense of the news and strong grasp of audiences
• Excellent attention to detail
• Proven ability to produce social media output
• Time-management and organizational skills
• Flexibility and the ability to act quickly in a dynamic and fast-moving organisation
• Creativity to communicate in different ways
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to form and maintain relationships through teamwork and networking