Reporter - Durban at Believe Resourcing Group

Purpose:

The incumbent would be required to report on news stories of the day through, live content and packages.

Job Output

Interpersonal and team relationships:

• Building, supporting, and maintaining interpersonal and team relationships to ensure a stable working environment and achievement of team objectives

Personal development:

• Completing Individual Development Plan.
• Attending learning and development courses. Participating in peer and team learning initiatives.

Budget Compliance:

• Complying with work rules, standards, and methods.
• Taking care to minimise waste.

Research:

• Conduct research and write scripts on topics prior to broadcasts.
• Identify newsworthy events and developments and generate unique story ideas from this.
• Attend weekly diary meetings to pitch, discuss story ideas and developments, and plan the week ahead with the team
• Generate thought-provoking and compelling stories.
• Check electronic media (wires), social media, and articles of interest. Check archives for specified and appropriate visuals.

Interviews:

• Represent the organization at conferences, press briefings, events, and interviews.
• Interview eyewitnesses, authorities, and people of interest in news stories.
• Assign & Brief the Camera Operator and Interviewee prior to broadcast. 
• Conduct preliminary telephonic interviews. Ask probing and follow-up questions.
• Ensure interviews contain a variety of voices and/or angles.

Script Writing:

• Write scripts in line with visuals.
• Transcribe and summarize events for further news purposes. Provide a time-coded shortlist with all scripts for Sub-Editors.
• Check facts with relevant stakeholders to ensure that stories are accurate and unbiased.
• Deliver a well-researched story including a video that has unique angles for our client's online audience.

Reporting:

• Update and maintain a strong contact base for story ideas. Knowledge of current local, national, and international news.
• Travel to events and ensure the proper maintenance, security, and care of recording equipment.
• Work collaboratively with cameramen and other members of a reporting team. Attend and report on events that are of interest to the public.
• Deliver scripted, spontaneous, live, and prerecorded reports on newsworthy events.
• Provide compelling packages with content for television.
• Conduct live and on-camera interviews that are hard-hitting and probing. Conduct live reports from the field ensuring accuracy and objectivity.
• Ensure that stories have depth and quality.
• Conduct in-studio lives that are professional and informative.
• Provide the news desk with regular updates on stories by adhering to the editorial deadlines.
• Ensure that there is adherence to story deadlines.
• Take a multi-media approach to individual stories done by use of graphics and animations thereby ensuring good sound quality, still pictures as well as 
• moving visuals and overall content are shared, prepared, and edited properly, and ready for air.
• Ensure a professional appearance, language use, and manner throughout reports.

Requirements

Qualifications:

National Senior Certificate NQF level 4

National Diploma Media Studies/Television/Journalism and/or Communications NQF 6

Experience:

• 5 years of experience in news, Television, and/or Broadcast Journalism is essential.

Competencies:

• Code EB, an Articulated motor vehicle license is essential.
• Own Vehicle is recommended
• Intermediate knowledge of MS Office Suite
• Ethical and professional research and reporting skills. Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Able to form and ask probing questions to interviewees.
• Passionate about the news and current events.
• Well-spoken, engaging, and knowledgeable about news events.
• Critically minded meticulous, and excellent recall of facts.
• Adventurous, calm under pressure, and determined to uncover the truth.
• Great interpersonal and rapport-building skills.

Behaviours

Mutual Respect

• Acts and behaves in accordance with his/her words.
• Commits to honesty/truth in every facet of behavior and demonstrates ethical and legal conduct.
• Keeps confidence, admits mistakes, and does not misrepresent self for personal gain.

Commitment and Discipline

• Fully supports and implements decisions taken.
• Is 100% committed to achieving agreed-upon targets Pursues targets with a need to finish.
• Does not give up, especially in the face of adversity.

Communication and Collaboration

• Communicates in an open, clear, complete, timely, and consistent manner.
• Listens effectively and invites response.
• Genuinely cares for people and demonstrates empathy Is a team player.

Accountability

• Sets clear performance targets and a well-defined ‘playing field’ with corresponding personal accountability
• Involves the right people, in the right situation, at the right time
• Fully utilizes diversity of team members to achieve superior business success
• Shares consequences of results with all involved

Applies Integrative Thinking

• Comes up with a lot of new and unique ideas that can enhance workflows and the business environment.
• Draws logical and insightful conclusions from diverse information.
• Is able to adapt to changes in the business environment and implement changes in workflows in area of expertise.