Apprenticeship Newsroom Manager At Media Challenge Initiative

Apprenticeship Newsroom Manager

Uganda * Full-time

Media Challenge Initiative

About Media Challenge Initiative (MCI)

Media Challenge Initiative (MCI) envisions a humane and healthy media ecosystem shaping the future. At the core of this vision is Africa’s first apprenticeship-driven social newsroom — a living system where young journalists, creators, editors, designers, researchers, and media entrepreneurs learn by doing, shape culture, and build sustainable media futures.

The newsroom is experienced through Switch Africa — a multi-channel, youth-first media ecosystem — and Solutions Now Africa, our long-form and solutions journalism platform. This is a living media ecosystem where learning happens through real production, real deadlines, real audiences, and real responsibility.

Category: Administration Total Positions: 01 Location: Uganda Full-time Salary: not mentioned Posted 2 months ago

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Role: Apprenticeship Newsroom Manager

We are seeking an Apprenticeship Newsroom Manager to run the day-to-day engine of MCI’s newsroom. This role is part editor, part coach, part systems operator.

You are responsible for:

Managing apprentices who run niched social channels
Ensuring consistent, high-quality, youth-relevant content
Translating learning objectives into production workflows
Holding the newsroom to both creative excellence and discipline

You ensure that the newsroom:

Produces meaningful content
Trains future-ready journalists and creators
Operates calmly, ethically, and sustainably

Core Mandate

You are the custodian of the apprenticeship newsroom experience.

Your success is measured by:

The quality of content produced
The growth of apprentices
The health and rhythm of the newsroom
The credibility of Switch Africa and Solutions Now Africa

Key Responsibilities

Run the Apprenticeship-Driven Newsroom

You will:

Design and manage the daily, weekly, and monthly newsroom rhythm
Translate the fellowship curriculum into learn-by-doing newsroom workflows
Ensure every apprentice:
- Has a clear role and desk
- Knows what they are producing and why
- Receives regular feedback and mentorship
Balance learning with production — without exploitation or chaos

Manage Multi-Channel Editorial Desks

You will oversee apprentices producing content for:

Switch Africa (short-form, social-first channels):
Solutions Now Africa (long-form, solutions journalism)

You will:

Ensure each channel has:
- A clear editorial focus
- Consistent tone and quality
- Appropriate publishing cadence
Coordinate cross-channel collaboration
Prevent duplication, burnout, or mission drift

Editorial Oversight & Quality Control

You will:

Set and enforce editorial standards
Review and approve content before publication (or assign editors)
Ensure accuracy, ethics, and relevance
Embed solutions journalism, youth voice, and cultural intelligence
Handle editorial corrections and learning moments constructively

Mentorship, Coaching & Growth

You are not just managing output — you are growing people.

You will:

Coach apprentices through:
- Feedback
- Reflection
- Portfolio development
Identify strengths and growth areas
Support apprentices to become:
- One-person media teams
- Channel leads
- Future editors, producers, or creators
Work closely with the HODs and People & Culture Officer on:
- Performance reviews
- Learning milestones
- Transitions and exits

Newsroom Systems & Workflow Design

You will:

Design efficient editorial workflows
Use planning tools (content calendars, pitch meetings, editorial boards)
Ensure documentation of processes
Reduce reliance on heroics
Build a calm, disciplined newsroom culture

6. Community Building (News Needs Belonging)

You understand that news does not thrive in isolation.

You will:

Guide apprentices to think beyond publishing into community engagement
Encourage formats that invite participation, response, and shared ownership
Support offline and online activations linked to Switch Africa channels

This includes:

Audience feedback loops
Community-led storytelling
Events, pop-ups, dialogues, and collaborations

7. Conversation Enhancement (From Content to Dialogue)

You ensure the newsroom does not just publish stories — it leads conversations.

You will:

Help apprentices design stories as conversation starters
Encourage follow-ups, explainers, responses, and reflections
Model how journalism can heal, not inflame

This includes:

Moderating sensitive issues responsibly
Expanding stories into ongoing youth dialogues
Teaching apprentices how to hold space for disagreement with care

8. Connections for Business & Sustainability

You recognize that journalism needs new business models rooted in trust and community.

Working with the Sustainability Officer and Business Development team, you will:

Help apprentices understand the relationship between stories, audiences, and revenue
Support ethical brand, partner, and campaign collaborations
Protect editorial integrity while enabling sustainability

You will help the newsroom answer:

How does this story create value — socially and economically?
Who could responsibly support this work?

Collaboration Across MCI

You will work closely with:

CEO – vision, priorities, public positioning
People & Culture Officer – apprenticeship structure, mentoring, performance
Sustainability Officer –. Build and coordinate synergies with to harmonise narrative and sponsored content
Production Team – video, audio, graphics, editing and events production
Research & Learning – insights, knowledge extraction and capacity building of apprentices

Safeguarding the Information Ecosystem (S4)

You will:

Ensure newsroom content supports information integrity
Guide apprentices on:
- Fact-checking
- Responsible storytelling
- Digital safety
Respond calmly and ethically to misinformation risks

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QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

Who We Are Looking For

A coach-first leader who enjoys mentoring young journalists and turning mistakes into learning moments
A youth-centered editor who understands culture, social media, and how young people learn, earn, belong, and become
A strong newsroom practitioner with hands-on experience in journalism, digital media, or content production
A systems thinker who can design clear newsroom rhythms, schedules, and accountability without killing creativity
A conversation leader who sees stories as dialogue starters, not just published outputs
A community builder who believes journalism only thrives when audiences feel ownership and belonging
A bridge between impact and sustainability, comfortable engaging ethical partnerships without compromising editorial values
A calm, emotionally intelligent presence who can hold pressure, conflict, and care in a humane way
A future-facing media thinker excited about apprenticeship models, innovation, and reimagining how newsrooms work in Africa