Position is located in Voice of America (VOA), Programming Directorate. Incumbent reports to the VOA Programming Director and provides editorial oversite, advice, and guidance to VOA senior management and staff involving standards applied to VOA broadcast and online content, including that related to journalistic ethics, plagiarism, attribution, sourcing, and similar issues. Incumbent is responsible for ensuring the highest journalistic standards across VOA for content on all platforms.

Duties

As News Standards and Best Practices Editor, you will be responsible for duties to include, but are not limited to: 1. Serves as the primary advisor in VOA with regard to interpretation of ethical standards, including journalistic codes of ethical conduct and the VOA Charter, and advises senior leadership throughout the agency on amending, revising, or supplementing the Charter and legislative initiatives to support journalist independence. Maintains the VOA Best Practices Guide, and for updating journalistic standards and practices under the VOA Charter. S/he advises on journalistic and editorial guidelines, and whether they are practiced consistently throughout VOA. The incumbent is actively involved in editorial and production issues involving potentially sensitive and/or controversial subject matter. Works closely with the Office of General Counsel on issues that address journalistic and government ethics. S/he, in conjunction with OGC's Ethics Staff and the VOA Director of Public Relations, evaluates all requests for outside work by full-time VOA employees and VOA contract personnel, and recommends approval or denial. Works with the Office of Human Resources/Labor Employee Relations on possible instances of plagiarism and other violations of the highest journalistic standards by VOA employees. S/he reviews the work in question and provides expert opinion and guidance to LER. Participates with significant influence in any efforts to revise or update the VOA Charter and other legislation related to journalistic independence. 2. Develops and presents rigorous training on standards and best practices to VOA staff, including introductory sessions for new staff, regular refresher training, and specialized sessions to address emergent standards issues. These may include new technologies, novel media platforms, evolving political situations, and more. Presents regular sessions on journalistic best practices to new VOA employees. Develops and presents high-level mandatory training related to the highest journalistic standards and their application within VOA. Works with the Media Asset Management Branch to present and discuss journalistic best practices as they relate to VOA's contracts with external newsfeed providers. Ensures that all VOA broadcasting personnel complete online annual review of VOA's standards and practices, and other journalistic training that may be required by VOA management. 3. ,Oversees and supervises subordinate editor(s) and serves as VOA's Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) for Agency contracts with external news agencies for video, photos and text. The incumbent ensures that technical, editorial and budget requirements are being met and that evolving needs of VOA are taken into account, both within current agreements and in future agreements. The incumbent monitors the Contractors' performance to ensure that all the technical requirements under the contract including, but not limited to, review and approval of invoices. The incumbent can provide suggestions to the Contracting Officer for improvements and changes that would facilitate better work performance to the advantage of the Government and/or the contractors. The incumbent is required to report any suspected procurement fraud, waste, abuse, bribery, conflict of interest or other improper conduct to the Contracting Officer, and report such actions to other Agency officials if warranted.4. Serves as VOA's primary representative, in concert with the Office of General Counsel and the Office of Strategy and Development, in the process of approval of long-term subscription requests for domestic dissemination of VOA news reports and/or programs. In addition, the incumbent reviews and recommends approval or denial of outside activities, and one-time-only usage of VOA news reports and/or programs. 4. Serves as VOA's primary representative, in concert with the Office of General Counsel and the Office of Strategy and Development, in the process of approval of long-term subscription requests for domestic dissemination of VOA news reports and/or programs. In addition, the incumbent reviews and recommends approval or denial of outside activities, and one-time-only usage of VOA news reports and/or programs.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National
• This is a national security position. If selected, this position requires the completion of the SF-86.
• Suitability Determination: If selected, you may be subject to a background investigation to establish your suitability for federal employment. The background investigation may include, among other aspects, a review of your credit and legal history.
• This position is not covered by a union agreement.
• This position has been designated supervisory requiring that the selectee on an initial appointment as a supervisor or manager serve a one-year probationary period.
• If selected for this vacancy, you may be required to file the OGE Form 450 (Confidential Financial Disclosure Report).
• The full performance grade level for this position is GS-15.
• If you are a male applicant who is born after 12/31/59, you are required to be registered for the Selective Service.

Qualifications

Applicants must have a minimum of one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility comparable to the GS-14 or comparable pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience includes: Editorial work applying the VOA Charter, Journalistic Code, and Best Practices Guide, or equivalent guidance, standards, and requirements governing ethical conduct in a news journalism or news broadcasting environment, and reviewing text, video, audio, and equivalent multimedia content, which was prepared by others, to determine adherence to these criteria. News journalism and/or broadcasting assignments that provided an in-depth exposure to U.S. Foreign policy, economy, politics, history, and similar U.S. foreign and domestic policy issues and concerns. Performs senior level editing functions for a major national, or international newspaper or the news division of a major national media organization.

Education

Education is not required for this grade level. It cannot be used for qualification purposes.

Contacts

• Address
• Name: Robert Diamond
• Phone: 202-920-2400
• Email: [email protected]