OVERVIEW

The Rooted in Trust project aims to disrupt and mitigate the flow of misleading, inaccurate or malign information for vulnerable populations affected by humanitarian crises during COVID-19. Internews' methodologies are part of the wider humanitarian Community Engagement and Accountability efforts and contribute to Risk Communication & Community Engagement (RCCE) efforts from health and humanitarian partners, by ensuring that community perspectives are captured to inform RCCE strategies and that concerns, rumors and questions are addressed with reliable information that comes from, and is created by, local media and other reliable information providers on a variety of both traditional and social media platforms.

This approach galvanizes and supports local media, particularly those trusted and used by vulnerable communities experiencing humanitarian crises, to fully play their role as information providers, as facilitators of conversations within their communities, and as watchdogs and agents of accountability for responders and service providers. Internews will ensure that the work of humanitarian and health organizations is shaped by and responsive to the expressed needs of vulnerable communities and local contexts as the pandemic unfolds.

The Media Liaison Officer will manage relationships between the project team and the local media. They will help to better understand and respond to the needs of journalists in this crisis in relation to information, content and skills and approaches in combatting misinformation.

SCOPE OF WORK

• Media Roundtables: Organize semi-regular roundtable events designed to discuss pressing, timely issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • This will include: choosing the appropriate date/platform/venue; identifying guests and topics; etc.
  • Identify small media and Internews partners to invite to the event, including large and small media houses, freelance journalists and influencers;
  • Design feedback methodology to evaluate event(s).
• Media Support
  • Create a database of media organizations and prominent journalists in Mali, including basic brief of capacity, language needs and key contacts;
  • Create or support existing peer-to-peer learning platforms for journalists in Mali to share story ideas, ask questions and receive support from Internews experts and health and humanitarian partners;
  • Connect with smaller, community-based media and media who may broadcast in different languages to assess their needs;
  • Investigate what platforms (if any) are being used in Mali to share COVID-19 related information - particularly media and news outlets known to be utilized by refugee populations;
  • Establish, or contribute to existing, information sharing platforms to connect media with verified information and Internews products and support;
  • Track the use of Internews partner-generated content and information;
  • Connect with Media Engagement and training specialists in Internews offices in the region to provide support in accessing COVID-19 information and resources to support programming.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 5 years of relevant working experience in the media in Mali;
• Strong experience with communication, media development, social media monitoring, or similar;
• Experience working in humanitarian contexts and/or working in challenging environments and having a strong understanding of how to work with local authorities, international agencies like the UN, INGOs and local organizations and community representatives;
• Excellent information management skills;
• Strong interpersonal communication, organizational, teamwork, facilitation and presentation skills;
• Strong writing skills and proven ability to produce high-quality reports and to working under tight deadlines;
• Fluent written and spoken French;
• Strong written and spoken English required;
• Understanding of and demonstrated commitment to upholding Internews' Core Values.