Journalist

JOB BAND: C
CONTRACT TYPE: twelve-month Attachment, full-time / fixed-term contract, full-time.
DEPARTMENT: News and Current Affairs, BBC World Service Group, BBC Monitoring
LOCATION: London - Hybrid - the team are in 2 days a week minimum (team days are Monday and Tuesday)
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £33,000 - £37,000pa plus London Weighting (£5,441pa), depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.

We're happy to discuss flexible working. If you'd like to, please indicate your preference in the application - though there's no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

BBC Monitoring (BBCM) is part of the BBC's newsgathering operation, with journalists based in the UK and international offices. It provides news and information based on monitoring open source media from over 150 countries in more than 70 languages. Our extensive operation enables us to provide insightful and reliable coverage of political, economic, security and media news. Our content and expertise based on round-the-clock monitoring of TV, radio, press, digital and social media is used by a range of BBC platforms and is also provided to the UK government and commercial clients.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM
Join a high-performing team and help BBC Monitoring's customers understand the Chinese media environment, narratives aimed at domestic and international audiences, media trends, as well as China's global influence as discerned from a range of international and regional media, including those in Hong Kong and Taiwan. We increasingly do data-led journalism and use technology to mine the media for information and story ideas. You will be based in London.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:
As a Journalist you will:

• Follow Chinese broadcast, print and online media daily to report on latest developments and track China's response to big international stories
• Use your expertise to produce a full range of output in native-level English and in approved BBC Monitoring formats, in line with our style and content guides
• Collaborate with colleagues in other BBCM and BBC teams to share insights and work on output capturing China's global influence
• Task, support and mentor freelancers
• Keep up to date with global news agenda and come up with unique news angles of interest to BBCM customers
• Keep up to date with technological advances and be able to engage with data-led journalism

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Proven editorial judgement, flair and excellent news writing
• Native-level fluency in Mandarin Chinese, a thorough knowledge and understanding of China's media narratives and expertise in the media environment
• Ability to write in engaging, native-level English for the intended audience, suitable for delivery on multiple platforms
• An interest in international news and media developments globally
• Able to show how you demonstrate the BBC's values across your work

DESIRABLE:

• Some experience in data-led journalism
• Proficiency with new technologies, including potential AI uses and guardrails

If you can bring some of these skills and experiences, along with transferable strengths, we'd love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Contracts of Employment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

Close 16 August 2026

There will be a written assessment, to assess your language skills, as part of the recruitment process.

Disclaimer

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Recruitment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

Information at a Glance

This is your BBC

Find out more about the BBC

Life at BBC

Here you will benefit from:

• Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pensionscheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
• Excellent career and professional development.
• Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer.
• A values-based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.

Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis or on an orchestra conditions contract.

Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.

Candidate pack

You belong

We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.

Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.

Diversity, inclusion & belonging strategy

Disability confident

We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email and we'd be happy to discuss:

BBC Group and Public Services, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, United Kingdom, W1A 1AA. BBC Studios Distribution Limited, company no: , registered address: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, United Kingdom W12 7FA.