Fresh Opportunities at The Citizen News

Purpose of the Job:

• To cover news events assigned by the Editors and to produce accurate and well-written stories daily for our publication.

Main Responsibilities:

• Plan and write fresh, accurate copy to deadline for all platforms, in co-operation with the Digital Editor and Deputy Digital Editor.
• Manage your own daily diary, and pitch unique story ideas, with creative angles and elements.
• Create, publish, and promote multimedia content, working independently as well as with the multimedia team.
• Researching of articles.
• Gathering of news from a variety of reliable sources.
• Interviewing sources.
• Covering important events/issues timeously.
• Staying up to date with privacy, contempt and defamation laws.
• Establishing and maintaining a network of contacts.
• Adhere to Code of Ethics and Editorial Standards and Practices.
• Monitor and effectively use social media to pick up news leads and story ideas, as well as promote your work.
• Upload and publish stories using the company’s CMS.
• Assist with online administrative functions as directed.
• Mentor and coach junior staff members.
• Monitor analytics constantly.
• Utilise analytics to maximise all stories and articles published on citizen.co.za.
• Adhere to Google algorithm requirements and write with SEO and Google search in mind.
• Study and adhere to The Citizen and citizen.co.za’s Voice and Style Guide.

Core Competencies Required:

Knowledge:

• Bachelor’s degree or Diploma in Journalism.
• Minimum 3 years’ mainstream journalism experience.
• Talent for writing, coupled with a keen interest in breaking news and current affairs and politics.
• Established network of contacts.
• Newsroom and current affairs writing experience.
• Ability to adapt to changing news and media scene, with a keen interest in new media

Skills:

• Experience using any CMS (WordPress, Joomla, etc.)
• Experience in using Adobe CS, Final Cut or other video editing tools, or audio editing tools.
• Basic Photography/videography skills
• Communication skills.
• Relationship-building skills.

Aptitude:

• Ability to work under pressure.
• Deadline driven.
• High degree of professional journalistic conduct.
• Ability to work both independently and in a team.
• Availability to work overtime and on weekends.
• Ability to work speedily but accurately.

Other Requirements:

• Valid driver’s license
• Own reliable vehicle

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SCOPE

• The Digital Editor at The Citizen reports to the Digital Editor and is responsible for overseeing and ensuring the quality of all content published online under the banner of this established news brand in South Africa.
• The ideal candidate is someone with a passion for breaking news and what drives the conversation every day in South Africa.
• They should be able to work well with a young, committed team of online journalists chasing breaking news, writing engaging headlines and creating the kind of buzz that comes from keeping a finger on the pulse of what it means to be South African.
• If you are bright and competitive, willing to work odd hours at times, have insatiable curiosity and a passion for being the first to publish a story, and aren’t afraid to voice your opinion and stamp your character on a website, then this is the job for you.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and implement strategies for generating meaningful and engaging content (primarily in news, sport, lifestyle and business) that garners a high volume of visits and encourages awareness and excitement among South African readers.
• Maintain quality and consistency across all citizen.co.za platforms with special attention to driving increased traffic, subscriptions and brand visibility.
• Lead the processes that will follow the pipeline of brainstorming, assignment, production, editing and publication.
• Ensure overall quality and relevance of content on all of The Citizen’s digital platforms are of a high standard.
• Analyse statistics by working closely with the data analyst and discuss these on a regular basis with the relevant role players in order to grow the digital audience
• Grow and develop multimedia content.
• Ensure that social media platforms are used optimally.
• Manage the process of taking consumer-targeted web content from concept to publication by overseeing and working with the digital editorial and sales teams.

REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum five years’ experience in a similar position
• Target-driven
• Relevant degree or diploma in journalism
• Proven journalistic track record
• Knowledge of media and publishing law
• Knowledge of online business and advertising an advantage
• Proven social media and multimedia experience
• Excellent writing skills and ability to create editorial and multimedia content
• Excellent communication and people skills
• Ability to work individually on a project or in a team environment

Other Requirements:

• Valid driver’s licence
• Own reliable vehicle
• Solid references
• No criminal record

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The Citizen currently has a vacancy for a Direct Sales Representative in its sales department, selling advertising space in The Citizen newspaper. The suitable candidate will be part of a vibrant, forward-thinking team, and be responsible for selling advertising opportunities to direct advertisers.

It is the ideal opportunity for an energetic, self-motivated person with a passion for sales. The successful candidate will report directly to the Direct Advertising Sales Manager.

Requirements for the position

• Minimum qualification: National Senior Certificate (Grade 12) or similar
• Minimum of six years’ experience in a direct sales environment, related to the specific portfolio which will be discussed during the interview
• Sales or marketing diploma (IMM/AAA) will be an advantage
• Market knowledge and insight
• Strong customer service ability
• Strong negotiation skills
• Must be able to establish and maintain business relationships
• Proven references in terms of client basis within the portfolio field
• Be able to cold canvass and must be target-driven
• Strong admin and planning skills and computer literate
• Proven experience on direct sales
• Tenacity and initiative
• Own reliable transport and driver’s license: not negotiable
• Own cell phone

Key responsibilities

• Ensure targets are met and exceeded
• Grow existing and new business by effectively identifying new opportunities
• Needs analysis

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The Campaign Administrator coordinates the creative, trafficking and reporting for the client and is responsible and accountable for setting up, managing, optimising and troubleshooting campaigns. This position requires excellent organisational skills along with the ability to manage critical follow-up on a wide variety of issues.

The ideal candidate will be a detail-oriented, self-motivated individual able to work effectively within a team environment. He or she must possess the ability to manage significant volumes of digital campaign details and issues while remaining organised and highly responsive to internal and external client needs.

Accountabilities

Campaign management and advertising administration

• Manage direct and programmatic advertising campaign trafficking through the company’s ad server technology platforms.
• Reserving and booking of online campaigns in line management and reporting of client campaigns.
• Providing screenshots on the appropriate The Citizen template for live campaigns.
• Set up and implement advertising campaigns in accordance with contractual obligations.

Digital advertising campaigns, including performance optimisation and implementation of advertising

• Actively manage the operational advertising relationship between the business and advertising clients, communicating with and updating advertisers regularly.
• Ensure advertising set-ups and click-through URLs are correct at all times during the campaign period, optimising campaigns to meet client expectations.
• Manage the online campaigns by monitoring the campaign results to ensure accurate and effective implementation, management and reporting of client campaigns.

Campaign reporting and ad server reporting including inventory reporting and forecasting

• Detailed post campaign reporting, analysis and recommendations on improving campaign performance and compiling inventory checks for the sales team.
• Provide feedback and meet the required reporting requirements as requested by advertising clients (either manual or automated reporting).
• Check all campaigns that have ended and send through campaign ending reports to relevant people.
• Inform the relevant parties of campaign status weekly.
• Run inventory reports and forecast reports to determine amount of traffic on sites and by request.
• Monthly reports for inventory; provide the team with accurate forecasts on available inventory when requested.

Other Requirements

• Valid driver’s license
• Own reliable vehicle
• Own cellphone
• Solid employment references
• Clean criminal record

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Main Responsibilities

• Grow the print advertising revenue.
• Analyse and identify business solutions for The Citizen and sell it trelevant advertisers.
• Service and maintain good customer relationships with client direct and advertising agencies.
• Create tailored solutions, which meet the client’s advertising objectives.
• Identify and actively target new business.

Requirements

• Minimum 4 years’ print advertising/media sales experience on advertising agency level and client direct level.
• Market knowledge and insights.
• Ability testablish and maintain solid business relationships with direct clients.
• Sales or marketing diploma (IMM/AAA) an advantage.
• Previous experience within the media industry.
• Must be an absolute go-getter
• Highly goal oriented and target driven
• Innovative and strategic thinker

Other Requirements

• Matric qualification a must
• Valid driver’s license a must
• Own transport essential
• Own cell phone