The Student View is a UK national charity on a mission to create a newsroom in every school. We aim to improve diversity in the media, media literacy, and revitalise local news deserts.

Our work recently won The News/Media Literacy Award category of the 2019 Global Youth & News Media Prize. We launch pop up newsrooms where pupil journalists write local news stories, focused on the issues that our young people care about most.

Current partners include the Google News Initiative and the Financial Times. We also work with media literacy partners and news organisations across the UK and wider world.

Job Description

You will be working with the global-award-winning Student View team on a project supported by the Financial Times. The role is broadly split into two parts:

• Facilitating workshops in schools, developing stories led by young people with the support of Financial Times volunteers,
• Gathering stories through FOIs between workshops.

You will play a key role in combating misinformation and helping young people from underserved backgrounds understand the media landscape, all while getting an unparalleled view into their world and concerns.

The role lasts between mid-February and mid-July during which around half will be spent in schools around London leading workshops, while the other half will be focused on developing the local news stories the pupils have been working on.

In schools, the curriculum you will be teaching is focused on key media literacy topics, such as the media landscape, anti-misinformation tactics and basic journalism skills.

Outside of schools, you will be filing Freedom of Information requests, ensuring their timely return, and editing and improving the pupils’ local news copy.

The role is relatively independent, with flexibility to work from wherever you want, barring those days in schools. Your main points of contact will be our Programme Manager, who oversees our projects and work within schools, and our Digital Platforms editor, who oversees and coordinates our content output.

Training will be provided and The Student View is committed to the personal and professional development of its staff. This is an exciting chance to join a growing and influential charity with real potential to shape the programmes and future direction of The Student View.

We are an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all and champion diversity. Access needs will be accommodated and flexible working requests accommodated whenever possible. Applicants need permission to live and work in the UK.

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Skills Required

• Ability to work with children from a variety of backgrounds and of varying academic ability
• Good public speaker
• Able to break down complex issues into accessible ideas
• Comfortable with data using either Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel
• Enthusiastic about working with teenagers and supporting the mission of the charity
• Willingness to learn new skills on the job, such as filing FOIs effectively
• Good research skills
• Emotionally responsive and able to adapt to pupils’ needs
• Ability to tackle challenging topics head-on, such as violent crime, racism, and homophobia, while showing sensitivity to the lived experience of pupils in the classroom
• Good time management – both in and out of the school environment
• Independence, able to establish your own workflow
• Able to follow The Student View’s and our partner schools’ safeguarding policies
• Able to coordinate between multiple stakeholders including teachers and journalists

Desirable Skills

• An educator with journalism skills or a journalist with teaching skills or experience with working with children is highly desirable
• Ability to spot a news story in a dataset, and able to manipulate data on the fly
• Knowledgeable about identity issues
• Experience with filing, chasing, and managing Freedom of Information requests
• Knowledge of how local authorities operate and their respective responsibilities

Supplementary Benefits

• Employer-provided pension scheme
• Generous holiday allowance (18 days annual leave + statutory holidays + Birthdays off)

Further Details

The role is based in London and is on a fixed-term basis for six months.

Pay is competitive, and travel to schools and other reasonable work expenses are covered.

How to Apply

Stage One: Application form Please submit a cover letter, CV and examples of your work to info@thestudentview.org.

We ask that you outline in your cover letter why you want to work for The Student View and why you believe you are a suitable candidate for this role.

Stage Two: Interview The closing date for applications is Friday 31st January at midnight. We will be reviewing applications as they are submitted, so early applications are highly encouraged.

The appointment is subject to a final sign off from The Student View’s board of trustees.

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