Vacancy/Title: Media Mentors/Trainers for women journalists in Iraq
Contract Duration: October 1st, 2024 – February 28th, 2026
Position working hours: Part-time, 20 hours a week
Location: Remote or based in Iraq
About MiCT:
Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) gGmbH is a German media development organisation that implements projects in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. MiCT’s activities focus on the interplay between conflict, media coverage and reconciliation.
For the past 12 years MiCT has been conducting investigative reporting training and has produced investigative reports in cooperation with local journalists in Iraq, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan & South Sudan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, as well as several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
For more information on MiCT please visit our website: https://mict-international.org/
About the Project:
This initiative empowers Iraqi female journalists through collaborative journalism, equipping them to drive change, promote accountability, and produce impactful investigations on pressing issues. The regular exchange between regional and national media professionals enhances the entire Iraqi media sector, strengthening its resilience. MiCT will support 15 journalists in groups of five, offering a fellowship with in-person and online mentoring sessions and workshops to facilitate successful collaborative investigations.
MiCT seeks two trainers/mentors to provide guidance and mentorship to program participants with little or no collaborative journalism experience. The journalist mentors will support in-depth and independent journalism, particularly as the 5 teams design, research, and investigate their collaborative media projects. The program includes six in-person and online workshops in Iraq covering the essentials of collaborative journalism skills and best practices and small group training sessions led by journalist trainers.
These position(s) requires a collaborative attitude, a passion for investigative projects, and a mastery of a range of journalism skills (radio, podcasting, writing, investigative, data), especially in collaborative journalism. The ideal candidate is a journalist with conflict-sensitive reporting experience and editing chops, who is comfortable teaching and mentoring others, especially women. A freelancer, contractor, or full-time journalist with a flexible schedule is preferred.
Key Responsibilities:
- Support in selecting candidates for the program and advise in team formation
- Lead program participants through in-person and virtual training sessions, facilitating activities that build on reporting skills taught during workshops and providing guidance as participants develop a story idea, conduct research, interview sources, outline articles, and write and edit news stories
- Mentor teams on designing their research design, implementation, and budget management
- Mentor journalists in improving their reporting, writing, and multimedia storytelling skills.
- Expose participants to local or regional events, programs, and resources and connect them with other journalists, community members, and sources who may be helpful for their reporting.
- Guide teams in collaborative reporting projects, fostering effective communication and teamwork between team members.
- Conduct review and edits for each participants’ story, which may require individual meetings and follow-up mentoring with participants.
- Provide expertise on ethical journalism practices and standards in a collaborative environment.
- Assist in implementing new technologies and platforms to enhance collaborative reporting.
- Help teams troubleshoot issues that may arise during the reporting process.
- Coordinate with local and regional media outlets to support the media productions
- Provide monthly updates to program coordinators on the status of participant/team stories and outcomes from training sessions.
- Write mid-term and final report on progress of mentees, media productions, and successes.
Required Qualifications:
- Minimum of 8 years of professional experience managing a media outlet, conducting training for journalists or editors, and/or producing/editing quality online news or featured content.
- Demonstrated expertise as a trainer, editorial or managerial consultant/mentor, or in a related educational role working with media professionals, particularly in online training.
- Professional fluency in modern techniques for digital storytelling, audience engagement, and multi-platform reporting preferred.
- Strong knowledge of the media sector in Iraq.
- Fluency in Arabic and proficiency in English (speaking, reading, writing) are essential.
- High professionalism, self-motivation, efficiency, and results-oriented delivery on short timelines, ensuring your mentoring is the best quality for the participants.
- Risk management – good understanding of the full range of health and safety and risk management issues affecting productions.
- Experience with data collection in vulnerable settings, taking conflict sensitive journalism into account.
- Demonstrated cultural sensitivity, negotiation, gender reporting and diplomatic skills.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
Additional Qualifications:
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Experience and familiarity with gender related issues and the political situation in Iraq.
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Ideally based in Iraq
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Understanding of the principles of behaviour /social change communication (SBCC)
The consultancy offers 1,300EUR – 1,500EUR/month (2,178,792 IQD) depending on experience.
How to apply
Please send your Cover Letter and CV in English, in 1 PDF, with the title of the position in the subject line (Median Trainer) for immediate consideration to christa@mict-international.org.
CV and cover letter should be labelled with your last name and document type, e.g. “Johnson CV”. The cover letter must outline specifically how you meet the Required Qualifications. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Note: Candidates selected for interviews should be able to explain their reporting process for two original stories and their process for editing at least one published story completed by another writer. Include examples of mentoring successes and challenges from your previous experience would also be an added asset.