Job Introduction

BBC Sport online wants to continue developing its coverage of cricket heading into another huge year which will see England’s men host New Zealand and South Africa, compete in a T20 World Cup in Australia and tour Pakistan. It’s an even bigger year for England’s women with the current Ashes series down under being followed by the defence of their 50-over World Cup title and then the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The BBC will also be building on its coverage of The Hundred in the competition’s second year.

We already have large numbers visiting for cricket already across our app, website and social media but want to do more to better serve audiences.

We are looking for freelance journalists to help write our popular live text commentaries on both men’s and women’s cricket, and freelancers to help with our news and feature coverage as well. Suitable candidates will have experience of either writing live text commentaries, news or features for websites. For our live texts, you’ll be at home being knowledgeable, passionate and conversational to bring an event to life for our audiences. You’ll also need to be fast, accurate and comfortable writing within BBC rules around impartiality and style.

We want BBC Sport’s output to reflect and understand the audiences we serve - for example, the different geographical regions of the UK and the experience of people from underrepresented groups (eg people from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds, people with lived experience of disability, individuals within the LGBTQ+ community and those from lower socio economic groups).  We are therefore actively seeking individuals with skills or experience that can help contribute towards ensuring we maximise the diversity of our coverage and content.

Role Responsibility

It's important that you have a strong knowledge of international cricket, both men’s and women’s, and that you welcome the opportunity to report on diverse and under-represented aspects of the sport. Creativity is a must as we look to reach audiences of different ages and backgrounds.

The Ideal Candidate

As a freelancer you will work with our senior journalists for cricket who commission our digital coverage of the sport.

BBC Sport is based in Salford but we’d welcome applications from across the UK.

This is not an entry level role, please review the criteria for the role before applying.

Package Description

Contract type: Freelance Pool

Location: Office base Mediacity when required, home working to be discussed

We’re happy to discuss flexible working. Please indicate your choice under the flexible working question in the application. There is no obligation to raise this at the application stage but if you wish to do so, you are welcome to. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

The situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak is developing quickly and the BBC is keen to continue to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people across the BBC, while continuing to protect our services. To reduce the risk access to BBC buildings is limited to those essential to our broadcast output. From Wednesday 18th March 2020 until further notice all assessments and interviews will be conducted remotely. For more information go to https://www.bbc.co.uk/careers/

Mae’r sefyllfa gyda’r coronafeirws yn datblygu’n gyflym, ac mae’r BBC yn awyddus i barhau i sicrhau diogelwch a lles pobl ar draws y BBC, gan barhau i warchod ein gwasanaethau hefyd. I leihau’r risg, dim ond y bobl sy’n hanfodol i’n hallbwn darlledu fydd yn cael mynediad i adeiladau’r BBC. O ddydd Mercher 18fed Mawrth ymlaen, bydd pob asesiad a chyfweliad yn cael ei gynnal o bell, nes rhoddir gwybod yn wahanol. I gael mwy o wybodaeth, ewch i https://www.bbc.co.uk/careers/

About the Company

We don’t focus simply on what we do – we also care how we do it. Our values and the way we behave are important to us. Please make sure you’ve read about our values and behaviours in the document attached below.

Diversity matters at the BBC. We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, enabling all of our employees to thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to be part of the BBC – whether that’s to contribute to our programming or our wide range of non-production roles. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity. 

We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles, unless operational requirements prevent otherwise.

To find out more about Diversity and Inclusion at the BBC, please click here