Journalist, Booking Producer

The BBC is the world’s leading public broadcaster and BBC News is at the heart of it. We provide trusted news and analysis output to a global audience of millions per week, making us the largest broadcast news operation in the world.

It is an exciting time right now as we have expanded our teams in North America. We are looking to recruit a journalist who will mainly act as booking producer for our new primetime evening and weekend news coverage. Based in Washington DC, you will deliver high quality guests that bring nuance and context to the biggest stories making headlines worldwide.

Role Responsibility

As a multiskilled Journalist you will act as a booking producer for several hours of daily live rolling news coverage. The position provides a variety of editorial and production support to the News Editor, Assistant Editor, and Senior Journalists, and is an integral part of a team. You will be responsible for pitching, sourcing, and booking pertinent, diverse, nuanced live, or taped interviews with journalists, experts and key players in the world’s top news stories, considering the various viewpoints different people have on all topics. You will also be involved in the research, writing, video editing, graphic creation, questions and talking points for the segments booked guests will appear. You will also be required to contribute to BBC digital video, text, live pages, and social media platforms as assigned. You will be expected to be on top of and have a thorough understanding of global events that define the editorial brand of the network and make full use of the breadth of the BBC newsroom and field resources around the world. The role will will work nights (until midnight) including weekends.

Are you the right candidate?

To be successful in this role candidates must be creative, curious, efficient, a problem solver, a team player, and demonstrate experience and understanding of live broadcasting and/or digital platforms.

You are passionate about global news and the importance of impartiality. We are looking for somebody who will bring creativity and innovation to how we serve our audiences, on every platform, worldwide.

The successful candidate must have:

· Thorough knowledge of domestic US and world affairs, current events, geopolitics, foreign policy, and history

· Strong editorial skills: Ability to recognize stories with high potential for provocative, compelling television

· Strong understanding of social media storytelling and news gathering

· Extensive networking and network building skills

· Excellent communication and people skills

· Able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people.

· Detail oriented and able to work under pressure and meet multiple daily deadlines both on-air and online

· Understanding of newsgathering and/or newsroom production

· Understanding of the fundamentals of news writing and video editing

· Ability to use technology as required, to gather material for broadcast.

· Demonstrates a commitment to improving diversity in the BBC and understands how individual differences can benefit the BBC.

· Effective planning and organizational skills, ability to multi-task and deliver consistently to deadlines

· Positive attitude and ability to adapt to changes and evolving priorities.

· An understanding of health and safety procedures and how they apply to broadcasting.

• Ability to work night time hours (up to midnight) everyday including weekends.

• Flexibility to work on other tasks where needed due to output and rota needs