Journalist – EXTEND

BBC Radio WM is an ambitious radio station that puts real people at the centre of everything it does. It knows and loves its audience, serving a TSA of more than 2 million people across Birmingham, the Black Country , Staffordshire and Solihull.

Job Requisition ID: 28329

Job Closing Date: 16/09/2025

Birmingham, GBR, B1 1AY

JOB DETAILS

JOB BAND: C
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent
DEPARTMENT: NEWS
LOCATION: BIRMINGHAM OFFICE BASED
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £27,600 – £32,000 on a pro rata basis 14 hours per week depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.

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. (EXTEND code: EX2324).

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

We’re looking for a journalist with sharp writing skills and a great broadcasting voice to present our weekend news bulletins. The role involves preparing and reading news and sport for radio and smart speaker bulletins at breakfast time, through until lunchtime on Saturdays and Sundays. You’ll also prep bulletin copy and breaking news stories to handover to the Monday breakfast team. You’ll be an organised, technically competent and self-reliant broadcast professional who is comfortable with lone working, as well as within in a team. You’ll be skilled at delivering complex news stories in a clear and conversational way. There may also be an opportunity for extra hours to cover our newsreaders who work on weekdays.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

The right person will be able to demonstrate:

• Recent experience of live radio production and/or presenting timed news bulletins.
• Sound editorial and presentation decisions based on a thorough understanding of BBC news and current affairs, the BBC’s values and our local BBC audience.
• A thorough understanding of the law relating to journalism.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Experience of reading radio News Bulletins.
• Originate and produce in a lone-working environment, but also as part of a team, a wide variety of news and current affairs content for relevant output.
• Use a range of video, audio and digital equipment and information technology to research, write, assemble, edit and deliver outputs in the appropriate medium, to the highest professional standards.
• Demonstrates sound editorial and policy decisions based upon a clear understanding of the BBC’s distinctive news agenda, the requirements of news and current affairs coverage and the audience.
• Demonstrates a commitment to improving diversity in the BBC and understands how individual differences can benefit the BBC.
• High level of responsibility and decision making.

DESIRED BUT NOT REQUIRED:

Be able to write stories online using Optimo
Have experience of reporting on news stories out in the field.
Have a good knowledge of Birmingham and the Black Country.

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.

Disclaimer

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

For any general queries, please contact: [email protected]

Redeployment

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.