Job Description
Idea Lab: Youth dialogues need innovation!
How do young people communicate, receive, analyze and interpret media messages? What topics are interesting for young people in Ethiopia and what channels do they use for dialogues? What goes wrong on social media and leads to toxic communication and hate speech? What kind of communication channels and dialogue formats might open a safe and constructive space for dialogue? How could the youth engage in constructive dialogues on different platforms? These and many other questions will be in the center of an idea lab that Mersa Media Institute (MMI) and DW Akademie plan to run with the aim of developing and testing an innovative multimedia format for the youth.
Who can get engaged?
The aim is to bring multiple experts of different fields together in order to jointly develop ideas for a multimedia dialogue format. Therefore, MMI and DW Akademie are looking for inspired Ethiopian experts with a wide sphere of expertise in a variety of fields that are willing to participate in a joint ideation process and be available for 5-10 working days in July and August in 2022. We would love to hear from you if one or more of the following descriptions fit your profile:
If you are,
- A (social) media expert, CSO expert close to the youth and engaged in youth-related topics;
- A journalist that works on youth-related content and/or you run the social media of a youth related NGO successfully;
- A member of the Start-Up/Tech Scene in Ethiopia working on youth-oriented communication or products;
- An influencer on the youth in your social media engagement and/or you have been successful in your social media engagement with the youth;
- Experienced with dialogue format, consultative processes and or represent key dialogue topics in Ethiopia;
What skills do we look for?
Apart from bringing in your very own expertise, you should enjoy developing and testing new ideas and be interested in learning how a new project can be developed using a human-centered design process.
You should enjoy talking to young people and inquiring about their ideas and wishes and want to support the youth to be part of dialogue on issues that affect their lives.
Are these skills within your portfolio?
If yes, then we warmly invite you to apply to be part of the interdisciplinary expert group!
What would your role be?
MMI and DWA would invite you to a series of workshops (five to ten workshops, each three and half hours long and stretched across three weeks). In between the workshops, the trainer will give offline assignments, including the conduction of short interviews with young people.
What we expect you to do (duties and responsibilities):
- Fully participate in the ideation process for five to ten days (5-10 half day workshops and assignments) which will stretch across three weeks.
- Commit three and half hours for each workshop with mandatory physical presence at Mersa Media Institute.
- Conduct in-person interviews with different youth representatives in Addis Ababa City.
- Hold a total of up to five interviews, with each interview being around 45 minutes long.
- Complete assignments with rigor and dedication and submit them in time.
- Contribute to piloting a dialogue in one or more of the following capacities: co- hosting, as panelists, format co-developer etc.
- Maintain smooth and collaborative communication with MMI and the rest of the participants throughout the workshop series.
When: workshop series and assignment in July and August 2022 (with up to 10 days)
Where: all workshop sessions will take place at MMI office which is located around Signal area, Signal Business Center, 4th floor, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Who are we?
MERSA Media Institute is a nonprofit media policy think tank. We work to help create vibrant, responsible, and independent media institutions, professional unions, and education centers through research, capacity building, and institutional support in Ethiopia.
DW Akademie is Deutsche Welle’s center for international media development. As a strategic partner of the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, DW Akademie carries out media development projects that strengthen the human right to freedom of opinion and promote free access to information.
Remuneration: We believe this process is a learning opportunity for all experts included on how to design projects that correspond to the needs of the target group youth. For your expert contribution which will take up to 8 days of engagement, MMI will be paying you an expert fee upon the delivery of expected results (preparation and participation in workshops, interviews with youth, contribution to piloting etc.).
How to apply
Qualified and interested experts are asked to send a resume and a short letter of interest (1 Page) that explains why you qualify for the idea lab expert group to mersamultimedia@gmail.com until June 15 th at 5.30 pm EAT. In your letter of interest, kindly focus on your respective experiences in producing content which runs on radio, television, and social media on youth-oriented issues, how long you have been engaged in producing youth-oriented content, your interaction with the youth on social media as an expert who successfully runs the social media of a youth related NGO, your influence on the youth in your social media engagement, your participation in any kind of product or service design and development in relation to the youth communication etc. You can also highlight any technique (method of approach)
you might have used to increase the productivity of your engagement (preparation of dialogue on issues pertinent to the youth group) with the youth and success etc.
MERSA Media Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type and afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.