Overview
The internship aims to enhance the international visibility of development results and UNDP's contributions in Côte d'Ivoire by identifying, writing, and pitching compelling stories to international media.
Key Responsibilities
- Proactively identify newsworthy stories, results, innovations and human-interest angles emerging from UNDP Côte d’Ivoire's work.
- Transform programme information into compelling story ideas relevant to international audiences.
- Research journalists, correspondents, editors, publications, television networks, radio, podcasts and digital media covering Africa and international development.
- Prepare targeted and concise pitches for individual journalists and media outlets.
- Support direct outreach and follow-up with journalists and editors.
- Develop and regularly update a database of relevant national and international media contacts.
- Monitor international news agendas and identify opportunities to connect developments in Côte d’Ivoire with broader African and global conversations.
- Support interviews, media visits, press briefings and field missions.
- Track stories pitched, media engagement and resulting coverage.
- Research and draft op-eds, commentaries and opinion pieces in English, particularly for international audiences.
- Work with senior management and technical teams to transform development expertise and programme results into compelling arguments and narratives.
- Identify timely opportunities for UNDP Côte d’Ivoire to contribute to national, African and global policy debates.
- Research appropriate international publications for each proposed article or op-ed.
- Prepare pitches to editors and support submission and follow-up until publication.
- Adapt technical reports, speeches and programme documents into accessible editorial content.
- Support the preparation of talking points, speeches, key messages and briefing materials as required.
- Conduct interviews with programme participants, young entrepreneurs, community leaders, government counterparts, private-sector partners and experts.
- Produce strong human-interest, feature and solutions-oriented stories.
- Combine personal narratives with credible data and measurable development results.
- Participate, where appropriate, in field missions to identify stories and gather interviews, photographs and other communications material.
- Identify stories from Côte d’Ivoire with the potential to resonate beyond the country and contribute to wider African and international discussions.
- Draft, edit and publish high-quality content for the UNDP Côte d’Ivoire website.
- Help ensure that website content remains current, engaging and focused on results.
- Prepare English-language content and, where appropriate, support French-language content for social media platforms.
- Develop engaging posts, short stories, interviews and other digital content.
- Support multimedia storytelling, including short-form video, photography and interviews.
- Repurpose longer articles, reports and programme results into accessible digital formats.
- Monitor engagement and identify opportunities to strengthen the reach of UNDP Côte d’Ivoire's digital content.
Required Experience
Excellent journalistic writing and editing skills. Strong ability to write compellingly and accurately in English. Demonstrated interest in journalism, international affairs, Africa and/or international development. Ability to identify a strong story angle from complex or technical information. Strong research skills. Understanding of digital and social media. Ability to work proactively and meet editorial deadlines. Previous internship or experience with a newspaper, magazine, news website, television/radio organization or other media outlet. Experience writing articles, features, interviews or opinion pieces. Experience pitching stories to journalists or editors. Familiarity with international media and African affairs. Experience with website content management and social media. Photography, video or other multimedia storytelling skills. Published journalistic work or a strong writing portfolio.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet one of the following educational requirements: Be in the final year of a master’s program; or Be enrolled in a master’s program; or Have graduated from a master’s program or equivalent studies within the past year. Field of Study: Journalism; International Journalism; Media and Communications; Digital Journalism; Communications; or another closely related field
