Position Title: Media Landscape Researcher

Location: This is a remote position for candidates in Kyrgyzstan

Type: Paid contractor position

Application Deadline: Rolling

Time period: August 2021

About New Media Advocacy Project:

New Media Advocacy Project (NMAP) is a team of narrative strategists working at the intersection of communications, movement building, and cultural engagement. We recognize the power of story and narrative to change power structures and to promote equity and justice, and to accomplish that, we partner with and train nonprofits, activists, and coalitions around the world. Our roots are in human rights advocacy and visual storytelling, but we work across barriers to design narrative strategies informed by the science of framing, measurement, and strategic distribution. A leader in the narrative change space, we’ve established a global network through more than 100 civil society partnerships in 30 countries over the last decade.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: 

NMAP is committed to building and maintaining an inclusive, anti-racist, multicultural workplace. As a human rights organization that addresses systemic injustices in all facets of society, we strive to promote the kind of equitable world we fight for alongside our global partners. We see diversity, equity, and inclusion as a core part of our mission and responsibility. 

Position Overview:

NMAP is looking for an experienced and organized media researcher to conduct a media landscape in Kyrgyzstan. 

For the past two months, NMAP has been conducting research to identify shifting societal values that may have emerged due to the disruption of regular life caused by COVID-19, and to study how these shifts present opportunities for centering human rights values as societies shape a new path to the future. 

Currently, our current Lead Researcher is conducting the first “Discovery” phase of this work. This Discovery phase will help us understand the changing trends in media narratives and will provide recommendations for issue areas or topics to examine more closely in the “Media Landscape” phase. Once the “Discovery” and “Media Landscape” phases are completed, and all the research synthesized, NMAP will share the findings with activists and civil society groups working in the region to spark discussions and make existing movements aware of the opportunities we uncover.

We are currently finalizing the “Discovery” phase of the research, so the exact topic for the media landscape is not yet confirmed. The topic will be focused on human rights/social justice issues in Kyrgyzstan. We would like to have a candidate lined up so once the “Discovery” phase is complete in May, we can get started with the “Media Landscape” shortly after.

We are looking for a Researcher who is based in Kyrgyzstan, that has experience conducting media research, and is familiar with the process of completing a media landscape analysis.

The Media Landscape Researcher will be responsible for identifying a list of sources (mainstream news, newspapers, TV, radio, social media, etc.), collecting a data sample, and analyzing the data collected. This research project will involve searching for articles on online news sites (using set search parameters), weeding out any non-relevant articles, reading the relevant articles and writing brief summaries, and doing a deeper analysis on language, tone and values of the stories and media samples collected.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Media Landscape Researcher will:

  • Compile a comprehensive list of the most popular new sources in Kyrgyzstan, including, but not limited to, newspapers, television, radio, and digital formats
  • Collect media samples from the list of sources (following a set search criteria) as well as any relevant social media or other internet sources
  • Assess the data sample to ensure it is a representative sample, and identify any limitations to the data
  • Synthesize and analyze data, identifying trends observed in the data, such as dominant narratives, common story types and values, and top media channels and individuals
  • Draft a summary of the research findings

We are looking for someone who:

  • Has a familiarity with and/or previous experience conducting media landscapes or other kinds of media research
  • Is detail-oriented and organized
  • Has the ability to analyze data and concisely summarise research results
  • Has a demonstrated interest in narrative change or strategic communications, PR, or other media-related fields a plus
  • Has excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Russian

Compensation:

This is a contract position that will pay a flat fee of $1500 for the completion of the project, which will include a set of deliverables (list of sources, list of data collected, data analysis, and a summary of the findings) over the course of a few weeks.

The exact timeline and project details will be determined at the start of the contract with the Researcher. This position is not eligible for benefits.

How to Apply:

Please send your resume, a brief cover letter outlining your interests and qualifications, and any relevant research work examples to jobs@newmediaadvocacy.org with the subject line “KG Media Landscape Researcher”. 

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

**Please note: Only short-listed candidates will be notified.