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Head of Project Reporters Without Borders Libya

Reporters Without Borders

Defends journalists, netizens and media assistants who are imprisoned or persecuted for gathering and disseminating news and information, and lets the outside world know when they are tortured or mistreated.
Combats censorship and laws designed to restrict freedom of information.
Distributes around 100 assistance grants every year to journalists, netizens and media in distress (to cover lawyer’s fees, medical fees, purchase of equipment and so on) and to the families of imprisoned journalists.
Works to improve journalists’ safety, especially in war zones.

Background

Reporters Without Borders has gone to Libya three times since the fall of Benghazi and the country’s subsequent liberation in order to evaluate the situation of the media, analyze their needs and identify the contribution it could make during the transition period.

In the course of these meetings, journalists and emerging civil society organizations have requested Reporters Without Borders’ help in preserving media freedom and providing material assistance and advice. They would like us to help with reorganizing the media system and drafting new laws. The Libyan authorities have taken a favourable view of these initiatives.

Reporters Without Borders would like to have a representative in Libya to monitor the reconstruction of the media system as closely as possible and to take whatever action is necessary to help ensure that the principles of independence and pluralism are fully implemented and respected.

The representative will cooperate closely with Libyan journalists, local media freedom organizations and the authorities, transferring skills and expertise that will eventually enable local organizations to carry out these activities.

Goals

Help the authorities establish lasting mechanisms that guarantee media freedom Support the creation of new independent media in Libya Reinforce the independent media that have emerged since the start of the mass uprising.

Funded by the European Union, this is an 18-month project.

Duties and activities

The person recruited by Reporters Without Borders will be its representative in Libya.

Working under the supervision of the Tunis bureau and the international secretariat in Paris, the head of project will be based in Libya. He or she will be able to count on the expertise of a jurist and the Reporters Without Borders legal committee and on the help of external contributors, if need be.

The head of project’s main duties will be to:

Monitor media freedom violations and cases of censorship with the aim of issuing press releases that will receive wide national and international distribution.
Provide expert advice on the creation of bodies to regulate traditional and online media (identify needs, analyze bodies that already exist in a similar environment, lobby the authorities and so on).
Provide expert advice on drafting regulations for the allocation of frequencies to broadcast media, and drafting terms and conditions for the media that are given frequencies.
Help draft a new media law and lobby the Libyan authorities (executive and legislative).
Help draft a code of professional conduct for media workers.
Provide advice and support to journalists who want to create new media (help set up the project, identify partners and investors, put them in contact with donors, find material resources and so on).
Support journalist training projects (identify needs and possible partners, evaluate the quality of the training provided by local universities).
Make the public aware of the importance of free expression and the need to safeguard it (getting articles published in the local print media, participating in radio and TV programmes, organizing poster campaigns and so on).
Set up a nationwide network of correspondents in order to carry out these activities in all of the other major cities as well as Tripoli.

Profile

Support for Reporters Without Borders’ mandate
Experience or training in journalism
Expertise in rebuilding media systems
Familiarity with the media in Northern Africa and the Middle East
Project management experience
Experience in lobbying/advocacy
Self-reliant
Attention to detail
Able to operate in challenging circumstances
Excellent writing and interpersonal skills
Bilingual in English and Arabic

Terms

18-month contract, salary according to experience, reimbursement of consular fees etc

Referring to “Head of Project, Libya,” please email your application (CV plus accompanying letter) to: libya-recruitment@rsf.org

Deadline: 1 July 2012