Opinion Journalism Curriculum Development Expert

The Thomson Reuters Foundation seeks an Opinion Journalism curriculum development expert to work closely with them, their partners and other consultants to develop an academic course for a university partner in Moldova.

This is a short-term consultancy, the consultant is expected to work up to 20 days in the period of October 2024 – April 2025.

Scope of Work

The purpose of this assignment is to develop a high-quality curriculum covering the aspects of op-ed and commentary writing for journalism students which will be taught from January 2025 onwards at TRFs partner University in Moldova independently.

For this, the curriculum development expert will:

• Provide a review of the current curriculum on the subject, ensuring that it addresses learning objectives, has relevant teaching methods and is congruent with the wider journalism programme.
• In collaboration with the benefitting partner and (if needed) learning and development expert, define learning objectives, topics and learning framework of the course. It is expected that the course will ensure that:
  a) Students gain an extensive understanding of Op-ed journalism, its application and implications, along with strong sense of ethical considerations.
  b) Students develop critical thinking skills when writing the op-eds, understand the limitations and purposes of the pieces and how they align with the editorial policies and standards.
• Develop the practical handbook for the course that corresponds with the university accreditation needs and ensures that the most innovative approaches and learning techniques are captured in the teaching delivery.
• Supply the curricula with relevant reading and/or writing materials and/or tools (subject to further discussions with TRF).
• Deliver an induction training on the curriculum to the university teaching staff as required by the partner University.

Essential Skillsets and Expertise

• Experience in teaching opinion journalism at graduate and/or postgraduate levels.
• Extensive journalism experience of writing and publishing op-eds as a journalist;
• A track record of designing, developing, facilitating and evaluating journalism academic programmes in a variety of formats (online, in-person and hybrid) for different audiences and contexts
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse teams.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.

Desired Skills

• An up-to-date understanding of the trends and specifics of journalism in Central and Eastern European contexts.
• A knowledge of Romanian would be an advantage, though it is not a requirement.

How to apply

The application deadline for this is October 5, 2024. To learn more and apply, please click here.