Location: Phnom Penh
Work Status: Part Time
Effective Period: July 1 to September 30, 2020
Summary of Duties:
The Covid-19 News Reporter is responsible for producing feature and investigative news reports, and occasional daily news stories, for VOD’s Khmer and English websites, as well as audio, photo and video components as assigned. Two reporters will be hired to work part-time, approximately 20 hours/week, excluding travel time.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Cover the Covid-19 beat, from top to bottom, with a local lens and remembering the big picture
- Attend morning editorial meetings and others as scheduled (when not in the field)
- Research, report and pitch original, ambitious news stories in consultation with news editors, building a list of themes, issues and stories to pursue during three-month work term
- Find, investigate and break stories on Covid-19 not seen in other news outlets, focusing on government response to the pandemic and under-covered communities and issues
- Submit stories to editors by agreed upon deadlines
- File text stories in English, translate final drafts to Khmer, and audio and video components in Khmer
- Regularly meet with news editors regarding stories in progress, reporting challenges and editorial planning
- Follow VOD news operational guideline standards and editors’ directions
- Produce in-depth features
- Produce 1 in-depth feature (1,000-1,200 words) about every two weeks, as agreed with editors (4-6 features should be produced during three month work period)
- Produces investigations
- Produce 1-2 long-form investigations (1,200-1,500 words) over the course of the three-month work term. These stories may evolve from in-depth features that require more reporting time and investigation, and warrant a longer word count, as agreed by editors.
- Produce occasional daily news, breaking news, as assigned
- Produce occasional daily, spot or breaking news stories, as assigned.
- Priority will be on in-depth news coverage.
- Other duties as required
Position criteria:
- Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field
- At least last two year’s successful work experience in a news reporter position
- Successful experience in producing breaking news, in-depth, feature and investigative reports
- Good interpersonal and written communications skills
- Good computer literacy in MS Office programs, Khmer Unicode (for Khmer candidate) and Adobe Audition (preferred but not required)
- Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English
- Effective use of social media networks, internet and email for research and investigation
- Wide understanding of social issues and capable of critical thinking and discussion
- Able to work over holidays or on weekend, and to travel to the provinces when required
- A passionate and energetic team member with a genuine interest in working to develop independent and professional media, promote human rights and democratic governance
- Preferred candidates will have experience reporting on health and science, have been covering the Covid-19 pandemic in some capacity since January 2020 and have a record of finding and breaking news stories
- Preferred candidate is also a proactive journalist, self-starter and works well independently as well as part of a team, including with Cambodian and foreign editors
- Preferred candidate has experience producing multimedia news stories, including audio, photo and video stories
- Both Cambodian (proficient English speaking and writing) and foreign (native-level English speaking and writing) candidates will be considered
Application Information
Application Information
Interested candidates are invited to send a brief application letter (300 words or less) describing why they are interested in the position and well suited for it, a CV and 3 relevant English-language news clips (links or PDFs) to: jobapplications@ccimcambodia.
The submission of applications is open until 24 June or until the positions are filled. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and contacted for an interview. Application documents received will not be returned. Interviews will be held at CCIM’s office at #14A, St. 392, BKK1, Phnom Penh.