Journalist Safety Program Manager Job at James W. Foley Legacy Foundation in Mil

Program Overview: Today, the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation (JWFLF or Foley Foundation) produces and delivers safety curricula, resources, and materials to aspiring journalists primarily through partnerships with colleges and universities and ad-hoc engagement with local newsrooms. With funding from the Knight Foundation, JWFLF will develop an online journalist safety education toolkit for aspiring, freelance, and local journalists who often lack access to quality safety training.

Journalists face a myriad threats to their safety and well-being including physical violence, online harassment, digital vulnerabilities, and harassment in the workplace. Today, local newsrooms are shuttering at an increasing rate and many that remain are forced to tighten budgets meaning safety education for journalists is scarce. This project aims to ensure that journalists accessing JWFLF materials will receive safety resources that will help them mitigate physical, mental, and digital risks.

To develop these tools, the Foundation will adapt its existing curricula to enable an interactive, self-guided online platform for recipients to access, engage with, and learn its content. This will entail collaborating with academic researchers, industry experts, nonprofit partners, and co-design work with the intended users of the platform to ensure their requirements are addressed.

Job Description: This is a two-year contracted position with the potential for long-term employment. The individual selected for this role will perform three critically important duties: (1) partner with a JWFLF-selected IT developer in an agile process to create the online platform; (2) adapt and enhance JWFLF safety education content for interactive delivery online; and (3) conduct outreach to and engage potential users of the toolkit and subject matter experts. Compensation for this role will be $65,000 - $80,000 annually based on experience, location, and other factors. While this contracted position is remote, approved travel at the Foundation’s expense will be required for academic conferences, panels, and to engage stakeholders, etc.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development of an online journalism safety toolkit, partnering with a contracted IT developer
• Develop new modules/lessons, as needed, by leveraging existing partnerships with universities implementing Foley Safety Modules and collaborating with safety experts, including the Foley Foundation’s Safety Task Force
• Cultivate and develop relationships with JWFLF partners, including colleges/universities and media organizations (e.g., A Culture of Safety Alliance, Report for America, Committee to Protect Journalists, Online News Association, International Women’s Media Foundation, Dart Center) to capture expert input and increase access to the JWFLF safety curriculum
• Create and deliver scalable virtual safety training for two- and four-year colleges and university students and instructors, freelance journalists, and local newsrooms, especially those in underserved areas
• Develop and implement a communications strategy to publicize and promote the toolkit to maximize its usage
• Engage curriculum users to improve quality and efficacy of the online toolkit and maintain a database of toolkit users
• Support the education program director to deliver an updated version of the safety modules annually by May 3 (World Press Freedom Day)

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree (or equivalent work experience) in a relevant field such as journalism, political science, English, history, etc. AND/OR undergraduate degree (or equivalent work experience) in project management, business, or a related field
• Relevant work experience in related fields such as journalism, education, and project management
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work with individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds
• Capability to interact successfully with journalism industry experts, newsroom managers, students, and instructors as well as IT developers
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Experience working successfully in professional environments requiring responsiveness, occasionally outside of traditional work hours

Preferred skills and background

• Experienced journalist
• Understanding of threats faced by journalists and safety best practices
• Program management experience
• Familiarity with digital education tools or platforms

Application Requirements

• Cover letter describing how your skills and experiences align to the requirements of this position
• Resume/CV
• 2-3 references