Job Description
Responsibilities
- The Associated Press seeks a talented and aggressive visual journalist with a history of successful television and online video storytelling to join its team in West Africa as a videojournalist.
- Reporting to the West Africa senior producer, this videojournalist will primarily shoot, write and edit video – including LIVE video – stories from Nigeria for AP’s broadcast, digital and mobile customers and platforms.
- As a member of a dynamic, round-the-clock operation that covers Nigeria and West Africa, the successful candidate must also pitch, develop and research enterprise stories and contribute reporting in other media formats – including text, photos and audio – to help produce a competitive and comprehensive all-formats news report.
- The successful candidate will use video, graphics and editing techniques to deliver visually engaging journalism, and must also be prepared to travel – often at short notice – extensively, including outside of Nigeria, to cover breaking news.
- This newsperson must have the ability and willingness to work at night and on weekends, or as coverage demands, since AP is a 24/7 operation.
The Successful Candidate will:
- Have a demonstrated history of success as a videojournalist, with a record of creating compelling visual journalism on deadline and the production of visual enterprise that is illuminating and entertaining.
- Work among a team of journalists, reporters and editors to deliver spot, sports and enterprise video that breaks news, has impact and is exclusive to AP.
- Have strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with the diverse team of journalists at the AP who operate in all formats: text, photo, video, audio, digital/social, interactive and graphics.
- Have a great news sense, with the ability to communicate stories that people will want to share, like and talk about on social media and other platforms.
- Routinely contribute to the text and photo report as coverage needs require and pursue innovative coverage techniques while maintaining AP’s standards for integrity and objectivity.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience.
- All applicants must be able to work in Nigeria or be able to gain permission to work in Nigeria.
- Advanced-level professional competency in written and spoken English. Professional competency in a language in addition to English is a plus.
- Advanced-level professional competency in video shooting and non-linear editing, preferably with Adobe Premiere.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to juggle multiple projects across formats and deliver success on a complex, challenging story lines.
Other Qualifications:
- Candidates must possess advanced individual technical skills in the creation of video content, as well as the ability to work within an all-formats team to apply those skills from start to finish on breaking news and short- and long-term projects.
- The successful candidate will be creative, innovative and agile, and work effectively in a deadline-driven, dynamic and competitive newsroom and field environment. Strong interpersonal, organizational and planning skills, including the ability to prioritize work, are a must, as is strong news judgment and a quick reaction — at all hours — to breaking news.
- The successful candidate should have at least three years of full-time news experience as a video journalist at a daily newspaper, broadcast station, online or digital news outlet, or an AP bureau or regional desk.