View the English job description

Founded in 1999, Mongabay is a global environmental news organization that delivers original, fact-based, science-based reporting daily. Our editorial staff serves a global audience of conservation scientists, industry and government decision-makers, civil society organizations, journalists, and the general public. Mongabay’s readership positions it as one of the leading sources of environmental news, analysis, and inspiration online.

In 2023, Mongabay launched the Africa desk to strengthen coverage of key biodiversity hotspots and raise awareness of the continent’s environmental challenges. In order to make our international newsroom the go-to source for conservation news on the African continent, Mongabay Africa embarked on a new strategy in the last quarter of 2023. The goal: to inspire the diverse actors connected to the conservation community to take action to address Africa’s many environmental challenges. Mongabay Africa’s strategy aims to continue producing award-winning investigations and quality journalism while adopting a solutions-oriented approach. To this end, our strategy focuses on developing multimedia products – both visual and audiovisual – and expanding reporting in Francophone Africa.

WHAT DOES THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DO?

The Reporter-Journalist is primarily responsible for proposing news stories and stories. The Reporter-Journalist will develop and produce stories in close collaboration with colleagues from Mongabay’s editorial team to discuss story ideas and reporting plans. This position is expected to both propose story ideas that align with Mongabay’s editorial priorities and carry out assignments assigned by the editors. This individual must have strong analytical skills and the ability to discern which stories are important and of interest to readers. In-depth knowledge and familiarity with environmental issues and/or forest conservation is a strong asset.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

WRITING, REPORTING, REVISION, PUBLISHING (90% of the time)

• Work collaboratively with Mongabay editors to produce multiple stories per week
• Investigate, research and pitch story ideas
• Conduct interviews, phone calls, attend meetings, and gather background information to plan reporting series
• Cultivate a network of trusted sources
• Commissioning and occasional writing of articles from independent journalists;
• Occasional travel for reporting
• Research, fact-check and review articles before publication;
• Consider producing visual content, including photos, in collaboration with the multimedia editor and the video graphics and mapping team
• Factcheck information from third-party sources
• Write, edit and publish articles via Mongabay’s content software (WordPress);
• Work collaboratively with the rest of the team to ensure that content meets Mongabay’s high standards of professionalism, consistency, authenticity, and reliability.

STRATEGIC PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION (10% of time)

• report regularly to the Mongabay Africa Program Director and the Program Vice President on progress made in meeting reporting targets;
• Support editorial planning to achieve the objectives established in the established schedule;
• Collect data on the impact of stories, including examples of re-editing for use in grant reports;

EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS 

• At least three years of work experience in journalism, freelance or writing
• Exceptional fluency in French and English is required, for French-speaking and English-speaking reporters respectively. Fluency in a second language is appreciated.
• Knowledge and familiarity with African environmental conservation issues, particularly around the Congo Basin and the Sahel
• Professional experience as a journalist in the Congo Basin, West Africa or Africa in general is also desirable.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work with a variety of content, including formatting featured articles with graphics, photo captions and HTML code
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office, WordPress (or other), Google Drive, social media (Twitter/Facebook) and project management software
• Reliable high-speed Internet access is required
• Be willing to work a full-time position and be available during regular business hours
• Must be based in any part of West or Central Africa

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

This position will be critical to Mongabay’s growing environmental reporting efforts in Francophone West and Central Africa. Due to our organization’s culture and global work-from-home environment, Mongabay’s top performers are expected to work independently and produce consistent, high-quality journalism through initiative and on-the-go thinking. In this context, we are looking for someone who:

• is extremely autonomous, motivated and reliable
• demonstrates writing talent
• operates independently and produces high quality work under tight deadlines
• Understands ethical and editorial journalistic standards
• Integrates intercultural dynamics into his/her thinking
• Maintains a strong sense of professionalism and communication
• Adjusts its approaches based on feedback from its editors
• Contributes to the Mongabay team by communicating and working collaboratively with the team to achieve its goals
• promotes a virtuous circle with colleagues and partner media
• Demonstrates personal integrity and ability to ensure confidentiality

REMUNERATION AND LOGISTICS

The work of our organization is changing as we continually seek to make a greater impact. All members of our team must be flexible and able to adapt to short- and long-term changes in their tasks. As a globally distributed organization, there is no required location for this position (however, we expect the final candidate to be based in West or Central Africa). However, location is a consideration, and the ability to coordinate with colleagues working in various time zones is strongly preferred. This position will initially be filled on a 12-month contract. Mongabay aims to offer competitive compensation rates that will attract, retain, and motivate our full-time staff. Please provide a salary range when applying. 

TO APPLY

Nous n’acceptons plus les candidatures pour ce poste. Applications are open on a rolling basis until the position is filled. In this form, you will be asked to provide your contact information, compensation expectations, provide contact information for two referees, and upload and download the following documents:

1. Cover Letter – Please provide specific examples of your experience related to this position, as well as specific examples of your ability to work effectively from home and meet deadlines (1 page)
2. CV – (1 to 2 pages)
3. Two references
4. Requests from French-speaking reporters should be made in French; for English-speaking writers, they should be made in English. Letters of recommendation are not required, and referees will not be contacted without your permission.

Applications must be submitted in French. Please note that you do not need to provide letters of recommendation and we will not contact references until we have your permission.

BENEFITS, PUBLIC HOLIDAYS AND PAID LEAVE 

The entire team needs breaks to step back and recover. That’s why Mongabay offers generous paid time off (PTO) for professional development, vacation, sick leave, rest and relaxation, and flexible work schedules. We observe 11 national holidays and support team members who wish to celebrate other personal and religious holidays.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Mongabay is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)/Affirmative Action employer and welcomes applicants of any race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability.

 

*The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications. Management reserves the right to modify these duties as needed. All personnel are responsible for following applicable Mongabay policies and procedures as defined by their manager and the Job Guide.