Southeast Asia, Consultant

Title: Southeast Asia, Consultant

Reports to: Tina Rosenberg, co-founder 

Position Type: Independent Contractor

Compensation: $864 USD / per month, up to 32 hours a month, plus $2K for travel

Duration: 12 months, possibility of renewal

Location: Southeast Asia-- (remote) This role is specific to Southeast Asia– the person in this role must currently live in Southeast Asia and reside there for the duration of this engagement (including in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, and introduce the approach to local journalists and newsrooms elsewhere, including Brunei, East Timor, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.)

Timeline:

Application Closes:  Aug 12 midnight EST
Interviews Aug 17 - Aug 21
Contract begins: late August

Background:

Since 2013, the Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) has worked to legitimize and spread solutions journalism — rigorous reporting that examines not just problems, but also effective efforts to respond to them — in order to rebalance the news. We’ve made a strong case for how and why audiences and society benefit when solutions journalism is integrated into the news — and we’ve had real success. We’ve worked with over 600 news organizations and 25,000 individual journalists and, based on growing demand for our work, currently staff are working across the United States as well as in Africa and Europe. Around the world, solutions reporting is being adopted by news organizations because it increases audience trust and engagement, sharpens accountability and can open up new sources of revenue.  

Today we believe it is more urgent than ever that we take bold action and significantly broaden our reach. Building on our foundational work with newsrooms, we are embarking upon an ambitious new strategy aimed at advancing a system-level change across the field of journalism, in which strong communications will play a critical role. Working with a core group of journalists, content creator journalists, educators and allies, we aim to engage tens of thousands more along with hundreds of news organizations in a movement to ensure ready access to news that is informed by solutions reporting. Our vision of success is sweeping but achievable. With broad adoption of solutions journalism, we envision an increase in society’s capacity to solve problems, widespread reach of more complete and accurate coverage, advances in fairness in reporting and a public that is actively involved in the stories being told about their communities

Role Description: 

We seek a part-time consultant for a 12-month engagement (with the possibility of renewal) of five to ten hours per week to increase the reach, practice and impact of solutions journalism in Southeast Asia. 

The consultant will become the regional solutions journalism expert, able to speak with confidence to newsrooms and journalists and to present at conferences about when and how to apply a solutions journalism approach, its impact and why it matters. After completing the Introduction to Solutions Journalism and the Train The Trainers (ToT)  training and certification themselves, they will forge relationships with journalists and news outlets and connect them via a peer network, develop or adapt training resources, and provide coaching and support on solutions journalism stories that lead to publication.   

They will provide quarterly reports tracking the impact of their work and support and grow our current roster of Southeast Asia accredited solutions journalism trainers, including in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, and introduce the approach to local journalists and newsrooms elsewhere, including Brunei, East Timor, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. 

This role is modeled on prior and ongoing work in other countries and regions of the world including Latin America, Brazil and India. Our Latin America Consultant helped to increase the practice of solutions journalism. Specific accomplishments include providing one-on-one coaching, compiling  resources for trainers and practitioners, helping establish peer networks and creating a local WhatsApp group to connect previously isolated solutions journalism practitioners. Our work in India and Brazil utilizes a quarterly impact progress report to ensure consistent, meaningful tracking. Using these models as a guide, we will work with the SE Asia solutions journalism Consultant to set achievable goals in a region where solutions journalism is not widely known or practiced. 

Deliverables:

In collaboration with their supervisor, and others as needed, the consultant will responsible for the following deliverables:
 
Training and Support
• Complete the Introduction to Solutions Journalism and Solutions Journalism Train-the-Trainers 
• Increase the number of accredited solutions journalism trainers in Southeast Asia
• Lead presentations about solutions journalism for newsrooms and journalists in Southeast Asia
• Provide coaching and support for journalists and newsrooms that leads to published solutions journalism in Southeast Asia
 
Relationship Development
• Foster relationships with journalists and news outlets in Southeast Asia interested in incorporating solutions journalism
• Initiate relationships with universities, or NGOs and other entities interested in supporting solutions journalism and hosting events and activities
• Create and grow a peer network for solutions journalism in Southeast Asia
 
Reach and Impact
• Document and provide quarterly updates on the impact of solutions journalism trainings, stories and related other events in the region in accordance with SJN’s approach to impact tracking 
• Work with communications team to ensure both training opportunities and impact are shared in accordance with SJN best practices
• Work with SJN staff to identify and fill gaps in SoJo training resources for Southeast Asian countries
• Track solutions stories produced by regional newsrooms and journalists

Must-Have Skills and Strengths for this role include:

Must be fluent in English. Fluency in one or more Southeast Asian language is a plus.
Demonstrated experience reporting and/or editing strong solutions journalism, with a deep understanding of its principles. 
Experience as a journalism trainer  (Solutions journalism training experience is a plus).
Broad knowledge of Southeast Asian countries. (Deep knowledge of one country is a plus.). 
Creative thinking. You can design systems for sustaining the support needed by journalists, newsrooms and trainers  
Project management skills. You are organized, disciplined and focused. 
Cultural competency and empathy. You value and understand diverse viewpoints.  
Collaborative spirit and adaptability. You have experience collaborating with diverse stakeholders, including trainers, journalists, newsrooms, and partners.
Communication.You consistently communicate with clarity and transparency and welcome constructive feedback. 
Networking and relationship-building skills. You can cultivate relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including journalists, academics, community leaders, and business professionals.