Role Purpose

The Global Media Officer will join a fast-paced, dynamic media team working hard to maximize Plan International’s presence across a range of global media print, broadcast and digital with an additional remit to support and guide media relations activity across the Plan International federation. The post holder will be expected to use strong news judgement skills to react quickly and strategically to the international news agenda and proactively develop and secure coverage for stories that position Plan International as the go-to development and humanitarian organization advancing children’s rights and equality for girls.

Dimensions of the Role

• Develop and own relationships with key global media outlets and journalists, building and promoting Plan International’s external profile as a leading humanitarian and girls’ rights organization.
• Support media colleagues across the Plan International federation to promote our work and priority issues in their respective national markets. This includes developing key media messaging, content, and handling advice.
• Building regional and country office capacity, by providing technical advice, guidance, and quality improvement coaching, to further media outreach, both globally and at point of impact.
• The role is primarily to support external communications. However, the post holder is expected to work collaboratively, which requires flexibility and transferable skills.
• The post holder will report to the Global Media Manager and may be asked from time to time to manage external freelancers (e.g., photographers).

Accountabilities

• Lead on Plan International’s global media monitoring and reporting, compiling regular media horizon scanning reports and a quarterly media hits report.
• Using strong news judgement and knowledge of the global media landscape, build relationships with a wide range of journalists at influential global media outlets, resulting in consistent high-quality media coverage.
• Develop, deliver, and evaluate media and communication strategies to raise the profile of Plan International’s humanitarian and development programmes, and our fundraising, policy, advocacy, and influencing campaigns.
• Proactively spot opportunities to respond to the news agenda and position Plan International as a key girls’ rights and humanitarian organization, drafting spokesperson quotes, social media posts, and press releases at speed and coordinating quick signoff.
• Respond quickly and effectively to calls and emails from journalists, liaising with our technical experts and country/regional office colleagues to provide a timely service to global media. This will include being part of an on-call media rota during evenings and weekends.
• Maintain an up-to-date list of expert and youth spokespeople across key subject areas and operational countries/regions.
• Provide briefings and training for media spokespeople, including youth spokespeople, as required.
• Produce high-quality media content, working both remotely, and when possible, traveling to programme countries. This could include interviewing case studies and/or Plan International experts, organizing photography, or ghost-writing blogs/op-eds.
• Develop a range of innovative media packages and pitch these to print, broadcast, and online media. Work with digital team colleagues and other offices across Plan to ensure content can be used across all channels, owned, and earned.
• Work collaboratively with digital team colleagues to ensure maximum amplification of media and news content across all platforms, including suggesting social media posts and managing the upload of press releases to the global website.
• Ensure the media team’s work is visible across Plan International, attending, and contributing to meetings and working groups, and compiling highlight presentations.
• Undertake reasonable additional duties and responsibilities as requested by the Global Media Manager.
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.