BBC - 5 Live News Placement (4 weeks)

BBC Future Media is the driving force behind the BBC’s digital media proposition. They design, develop and run digital services and products. Their aim is to allow audiences to enjoy the BBC’s best content via their preferred route, whether that’s online, tablet, mobile, or through internet-connected TV.

Radio 5 Live broadcasts continuous news, sport, and topical speech programming. We bring our listeners any major stories and news events as they happen and provide analysis and discussion of issues in the news or online. Our audience relationship is at the heart of all our output,  listeners interact with our topics minute by minute and we try hard to reach parts of the UK currently under served by other parts of the BBC.

What's On Offer?

A four-week paid work placement will give you the chance to work on a 5 Live News program in our newsroom at MediaCity UK.  You’ll get hands-on skills and experience and we’ll train you in our operating and editing systems as well. 

We are running 2 x 4-week placements in the autumn of 2023.  We will pay up to £200 of your travel expenses for your 4 week period too. 

We want BBC 5 Live’s output to reflect and understand the audiences we serve and the experience of people from underrepresented groups. We are therefore actively seeking individuals with skills or experience that can help contribute towards ensuring we maximise the diversity of our coverage and content and encourage applications from the global majority/ethnic minority backgrounds.

Are you?

• Passionate about news and sport and the issues facing our changing world.
• Regularly reading new articles in print or online and listening to the radio or news podcasts. Maybe you’re already on a media studies course or you’re working in community or student radio.
• A natural team player, able to build great relationships with the people you work with.     

Applications are now open!

The closing date is midnight on 19th June 2023  (assessments/interviews will take place after that).

Main Responsibilities
 
During your time at BBC 5 Live, you’ll get hands on experience working in a BBC Newsroom, working to a specific news programme.

You’ll take part in meetings, brainstorm ideas and complete a range of duties for production teams before and during live shows. 

You will be trained and given experience in a  number of areas.  You will help produce programme items and stories; spotting story ideas, fixing up guests, editing audio and writing scripts and briefs for presenters.

You will have a mentor, a senior member of the 5 Live team who will spend time with you every week to discuss how your placement is going as well as your future plans.  They will also talk you through the BBC job application system and give you advice on writing or updating your CV.

You may get the chance to go on an outside broadcast, where we take the show out of the studio to cover an event.  Previous outside broadcasts have included Eurovision, the King’s Coronation and Wimbledon.

You'll also need to be available for weekend shifts (we do our best to take into consideration personal circumstances when designing your schedule).

Note; Placements are to gain exposure/experience in production. If you want to be a presenter I’m afraid it’s not for you.

About the BBC
 
Reinventing the BBC for the next Generation

We don’t focus simply on what we do – we also care how we do it. Our values and the way we behave are important to us. 

Diversity matters at the BBC.  We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, enabling all of our employees to thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to be part of the BBC – whether that’s to contribute to our programming or our wide range of non-production roles.  The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity. 

We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, social background, religion and/or belief.  And we promote flexible working opportunities where operational needs allow.  

Who can Apply

• You must be 18 years or over and available to work in Salford for 4 weeks in the autumn of 2023.
• You must hold documentation that gives you the legal right to work in the UK between September and December 2023 for this placement.

The scheme isn’t open to those currently on a BBC contract.

Are you the right candidate?

• You need to be passionate about the news and telling stories. We want you to know about radio as well or how to use audio. 
• You’ll be creative, and full of ideas for news stories or story treatments for our target audience around the UK..
• You will be able to work to tight deadlines.
• You will have great communication skills and will be able to rapidly earn the trust of the presenter, producers and the program’s technical teams.