Journalism Programs Specialist

Job Description

PRB is seeking a Journalism Programs Specialist to train and support journalists internationally and to help sustain, grow, and champion its media work on population, health, and development topics. This position is an opportunity to advance good journalism and to assist journalists and advocates through a range of programs, from in-depth training workshops for seasoned reporters and editors to podcast and social media coaching for youth. The media programs specialist will work in close collaboration with the international programs team to define and expand PRB’s media programs strategy, seeking new and progressive ways to foster the exchange of knowledge globally.

PRB has worked for more than 25 years to deepen coverage of population, health, and development topics internationally through direct support for media. Much of PRB’s work focuses on reproductive health and gender themes, including family planning, maternal health, and women’s leadership.

As an ideal candidate for the journalism programs specialist role, you recognize the vital importance of accurate and compelling journalism. You want to foster a culture of information and responsibility across social media and online media platforms, teaching and empowering new generations to craft messages that lead to change. You understand health and development challenges in an international context, and you’re excited to work with PRB’s team of demographers, researchers, and development experts.

Primary Responsibilities

With the manager of media programs and the PRB team, you will:

• Organize and lead training activities for international participants. This includes facilitation of multi-day workshops and virtual and in-person instruction.
• Create and refine curricula for training on a variety of health and development themes.
• Support projects holistically: Select program participants, create training agendas, invite expert presenters, and arrange site visits for groups of journalists.
• Manage relationships with a range of international consultants, partners, and project participants.
• Become versed in and use systems to organize PRB’s media work, including calendars, timelines, and budgets.
• Position PRB’s media work for growth: help establish models for media training, identify new funding opportunities, and look for new frontiers in media around the world.
• Manage deadlines and deliverables for assigned projects.
• Contribute to a variety of writing projects, including proposals and activity reports.
• Contribute to other projects as directed.

Immediate Assignments

First assignments for the media programs specialist include:

• Facilitation of a journalist training about non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to take place in the United Arab Emirates in February 2020.
• Planning for 2019-20 media training activities under PRB’s existing projects, including Policy, Advocacy, and Communication Enhanced for Population and Reproductive Health (PACE) and SAFE ENGAGE.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• At least six years of experience in journalism and/or international development.
• Experience organizing and leading training activities, preferably with a variety of themes and participant levels.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Familiarity with global reproductive health and demography topics a plus.
• Ability to learn and adapt, including to shifting priorities and timelines.
• Experience living and/or working in a developing country.
• Sensitivity to cross-cultural dynamics.
• French communication skills are a plus.
• Ability to travel to and work in developing countries up to 30%.
• Resourceful and adaptive

Salary and Benefits: Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. PRB has an excellent benefits package, including generous health, leave, and retirement programs.

Applications: Please remember to upload resume and cover letter in the “resume” section. Only finalists will be contacted. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

About the Organization

The Population Reference Bureau informs people around the world about population, health, and the environment, and empowers them to use that information to advance the well-being of current and future generations. Inform. PRB analyzes complex demographic data and research to provide the most objective, accurate, and up-to-date population information in a format that is easily understood by advocates, journalists, and decision makers alike. Empower. Our commitment to putting information into action sets us apart. PRB builds coalitions and conducts workshops around the world to give our key audiences the tools they need to understand and communicate effectively about population issues. Advance. PRB works to ensure that policymakers in developing countries and in the United States rely on sound evidence, rather than anecdotal or outdated information, when creating population, health, and environmental policies.