Correspondent, BBC South West – EXTEND

CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full-time
DEPARTMENT: BBC South West News
LOCATION: Plymouth
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: 51,000 – 61,833 per annum depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.

We’re happy to discuss flexible working. If you’d like to, please indicate your preference in the application – though there’s no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

BBC EXTEND

This role is advertised as part of our BBC Extend programme for disabled people. To apply for this role you should identify as deaf, disabled or neurodivergent and must meet either the definition of disability in the Equality Act (2010), or the definition of disability in the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) if applying in Northern Ireland. You’re broadly defined as disabled under both acts if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative or adverse effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. This definition includes both apparent and non-apparent conditions and impairments, and medical conditions such as Cancer, HIV or Multiple Sclerosis.

We are committed to making the process of applying for this role as accessible as possible. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the application process, or have any questions about our Extend programme, please contact [email protected].

The BBC are fully committed to providing workplace adjustments to help eliminate barriers in the workface that disabled people face. To do this, we have our own dedicated BBC Access and Disability Service that provides assessments and support throughout employment with us. If you are successful in applying for this role and require workplace adjustments, we will work with you to get your adjustments in place.

If you’d like more information on BBC Extend, please visit the BBC Extend webpage.

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PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

BBC South West is looking for a new Home and Social Affairs Correspondent to get to the root of issues in Devon and Cornwall. The role covers everything from crime, high profile court cases and inquests to housing and cost of living issues. We’re looking for someone to tell these often complex stories to our audience in a relatable, engaging, and creative manner. You will provide a level of context, analysis, and explanation that helps everyone understand how those topics impact our lives.
We pride ourselves on the quality of our journalism across our digital, television, and radio output. The ideal candidate will have considerable editorial experience at a senior level across all platforms. We are looking for a correspondent who is a talented storyteller with an engaging writing style and flair for live performance.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM
We’re a passionate team of story tellers covering big stories from across Devon and Cornwall, including the Isles of Scilly. We’re a digital first operation, but our television and radio audience remain as important as ever. In our world, no two days are ever the same and we guarantee you will never be bored!

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

You will be expected to respond to breaking on the day stories, available to offer insight and analysis on your brief, while also working on your own original content across our output.
You will work closely with our Planning Team, as well as wider news and audio teams to ensure we’re reaching our underserved audiences.
This is a demanding role with plenty to juggle, so excellent organisational and communication skills are essential.
You will be expected to film and edit stories both with crews and on your Mojo kit as well as write content for online and deliver audio for radio – ensuring your material reaches all platforms.
You will have a thorough understanding of the BBC’s editorial guidelines, as well as media law and be able to demonstrate the BBC’s values in your work and workplace.
You will be a team player who is also adept at working independently and managing the demands placed on you effectively.
The stories you tell will really cut through in a crowded news marketplace.
You’ll deliver content across all our platforms (digital, TV and radio) and adapt your storytelling accordingly to successfully engage with the different audiences we serve.
Your stories will sometimes travel further than our region through the quality of your storytelling and your creativity.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Editorial experience at a senior level
• A proven interest in home and social affairs
• A passion for telling stories creatively
• Experience in multi-platform working to ensure stories are shared across all platforms
• The ability to tell often complex stories in a way that connects with our audiences

If you can bring some of these skills and experience, along with transferable strengths, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.