Journalist - Today Programme

CONTRACT TYPE: Full-time, Fixed-term 6 Months

DEPARTMENT: BBC News

LOCATION: London

PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £27,600 - £37,500 depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.

The Today Programme is staffed 24 hours a day, 6 days a week and the successful candidate will be required to work a significant number of night shifts and weekends. Please note this is an in-person role based in New Broadcasting House in London. There is also a requirement to work off-base on occasion. There may also be times when the journalist does some work for other Radio 4 programmes.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

We’re looking for a creative, resourceful journalist for the Today programme. You’ll be working with some of the biggest names in news broadcasting and your work will be heard by around 6 million people. You will be dealing with breaking news, finding the best new takes and guests on stories, creating original audio, working on OBs and preparing material for digital platforms.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

Today has the biggest radio news audience around. Our journalism has impact and as a producer here, we want you to help us set the agenda for others to follow, find the guests and angles which break new ground and create great moments of radio which make people stop and listen.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT

• Contributing original ideas and treatments for the day’s stories
• Finding and booking guests for live interviews and discussions
• Commissioning two-ways and packages from newsgathering correspondents
• Making pieces of audio which meet the highest editorial and technical standards. This role involves working a significant amount of night, early and weekend shifts.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Significant recent experience as a journalist – a resilient self-starter with a strong track record of producing radio content for flagship programmes, fixing contributors and editing audio to the highest editorial standards and tight deadlines.
• Strong knowledge of the domestic news agenda, with in-depth knowledge of politics.
• Ability to use radio recording technology (Marantz or equivalent) to gather and edit material for broadcast on location.
• Excellent news judgment; the ability to identify news lines or news making interviewees, and a strong understanding of what programmes want to get out of interviews.
• Creativity; proven ability to originate relevant content for a national audience in news or current affairs, and a solid track record of pitching ideas that get on air.

DESIRED BUT NOT REQUIRED:

• Understanding of how material can make an impact on digital platforms
• Experience of working on news podcasts

If you can bring some of these skills and experiences, along with transferable strengths, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.

Disclaimer

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

Information at a Glance

This is your BBC At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world’s best loved content, and the BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain.

Find out more about the BBC Life at BBC Here you will benefit from:

• Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
• Excellent career and professional development.
• Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer.
• A values-based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.

Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis or on an orchestra conditions contract. Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.

You belong

We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual’s unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential. We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.

Diversity, inclusion & belonging strategy

Disability confident

We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email and we’d be happy to discuss: reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk