The Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism is excited to announce that its team is expanding.
We have vacancies for two more health journalists and one impact and engagement officer.
Bhekisisa specialises in solutions journalism aimed at policymakers in the fields of health and social justice in South Africa. What does that mean?
We don’t only tell our audience about problems — we also critically evaluate what’s being done to fix them.
Our reporting includes science and policy explainers as well as narrative storytelling that showcase the stories of real people to help media consumers understand issues better and be a part of real change.
The centre has a solid track record of producing impactful, award-winning reporting both locally and internationally. Bhekisisa reporters have gone on to become health editors at leading publications and their work has appeared in international publications such as the UK’s Guardian and Spain’s El País.
Bhekisisa’s stories and events are also frequently referenced in science journals such as The Lancet and British Medical Journal.
The Centre syndicates copy to major South African outlets such as the Mail & Guardian, the Daily Maverick, News24 and Financial Mail. We’re a small, donor-funded newsroom that doesn’t shy away from hard work that pushes us outside our comfort zones and allows us to grow and learn together.
Read on to find out more about the three vacancies that are available. All these positions are based at our Johannesburg office and include opportunities for future growth in line with the candidate’s interest and performance track record.
1. Health journalist
The Centre is seeking to employ a health journalist who will be responsible for producing regular health and social justice policy and news analysis. The position is based at our Johannesburg office.
Interested but don’t have a background in health? Don’t worry, you can learn if you’re passionate, hard-working and self-motivated. If you’re looking for a nine to five job where you only focus on your own stories, this isn’t for you. But if you’re willing to put in some extra hours and learn some new skills to tell health stories differently, then you might be suited to our latest vacancy.
Preference will be given to Black women when filling this position.
Here’s more information about the expected qualifications for this role and how to apply.
Apply by 10 pm on 18 July 2022.
2. Senior health journalist
The Centre is seeking to employ a senior health journalist who will be responsible for producing in-depth health and social justice policy and news analysis, as well as narrative features. The position is based at our Johannesburg office.
Interested candidates should have at least five years of dedicated health reporting experience. You should be familiar with health policies and plans, for instance, the National Health Insurance scheme and the country’s national strategic plan for HIV, TB and sexually transmitted infections. Being familiar with solutions journalism will be an advantage.
If you like combining science with policy, breaking down complex concepts into easy language, documenting how policies affect the lives of ordinary people, and if you’re keen to get involved in creative ways to promote your stories, then this position might be for you.
Preference will be given to Black women when filling this position.
Get your application in by 10 pm on 18 July 2022.
3. Engagement and impact officer
What is an engagement and impact officer? It’s someone who helps us find creative ways to interact with our audience and who helps to track the impact of our stories and events. You’ll be managing Bhekisisa’s social media platforms, create and design newsletters that promote our stories and manage the production part of our training workshops and public discussion forums. Moreover, you’ll help to create branding strategies for the centre and manage the process of tracking the impact of our work.
This is not a position for someone without a news background. To promote our stories, you’d need to have a keen interest in the framing of news and translating health policy stories into quirky tweets, Instagram reels and posts, as well Facebook and LinkedIn posts. If you have experience with TikTok, that will be an added advantage.
Our engagement and impact officer will have access to a group of other engagement and impact officers from around the world, who regularly interact and explore impact-tracking methods. The officer will also receive training in our impact-tracking methods and software.
You’ll work on projects that bring our audience and journalists together to create new venues for journalism, such as hosting listening sessions with newsrooms and their communities to identify areas for collaboration and help create new models for public engagement around narrative health reporting.
We are looking for someone who is a self-starter, has big ideas and knows what it takes to guide healthy, efficient collaborations.
You must be able to juggle a variety of ongoing projects and look for ways to tie them together. The ideal candidate thrives on experimentation with a team spirit — someone who likes to stay organised and on track but is open to serendipity and exploring opportunities outside the box.
Preference will be given to Black women when filling this position. The position is based in our Johannesburg office.
Click here to see the expected duties and qualifications that go with this position.
Apply by 10 pm on 18 July 2022.
