Media Expert Consultant – Ethical Media, Counter-Narratives, and Mentoring

Sustainable Peace Foundation (SPF) is an Iraqi feminist Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) striving to build and sustain peace through vertical and horizontal approaches and participatory methods; addressing root causes of tensions and conflicts challenging positive peace in Iraq. SPF strives to achieve this by working on the grassroots level to reinstate and strengthen the lost trust between Iraq’s diverse ethno-religious communities; increase community resilience, empower and building the capacities of the very effected communities so they can mitigate and transform conflicts through dialogue and non-violent means.

SPF strives to achieve these objectives by working with vulnerable groups such as, youth, women and girls, people with special needs and IDPs through developing their capacities to take leadership roles and to actively participate in the peace and reconciliation processes; economically empower communities by offering them vocational trainings and providing them with livelihood means to ensure stability and a dignified living standard.

SPF also strives to engage local authority and security actors with the local communities through advocacy, round table dialogue sessions and developing local peace mechanisms and structures capable to acts as soundboards conveying their communities’ needs and challenges. Another pillar of SPF’s efforts is to support and capacitate Iraq’s civil society for example, SPF provide the technical coordination and the secretariat of Nineveh Peace Forum, which it is a founder.  

SPF also provides consultations for local and international NGOs on peacebuilding and social cohesion programming, such as: context analysis, needs assessments, actor and service mapping etc.

SPF’s focuses on minority protection, but through its Do-no-Harm approach, which ensures that SPF programming and implementation creates cohesion instead of doing harm.


Project Aims

The Project Manager will lead the implementation of “Voices Without Hate: Promoting Ethical Media and Protecting Minority Rights in Dohuk”, a three-month intervention implemented by the Sustainable Peace Foundation.

The project aims to reduce online hate speech and the risk of violence affecting minority communities in Dohuk by empowering minority youth and local media actors to detect early warning signs of incitement, apply ethical and fact-based media practices, and produce positive counter-narratives that promote human rights, peaceful coexistence, and social cohesion.

Purpose of Assignment

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide specialised media expertise and structured mentoring to minority youth and project staff, enabling them to:

• Apply ethical and conflict-sensitive media principles in practice

• Detect and respond to online hate speech and incitement using early-warning approaches

• Produce credible, rights-based digital content (podcasts, live shows, and online engagement)

• Safely manage online interactions and mitigate risks of escalation or backlash

 The consultant will support quality assurance, skills consolidation, and ethical consistency across all media outputs produced under the project.

Terms of Reference

The Media Expert Consultant will undertake the following responsibilities:

1. Mentoring and Technical Support
   • Provide structured mentoring to the 16 minority youth (30–40% young women) involved in media production
   • Support youth in applying ethical journalism principles, fact-checking, and responsible framing
   • Advise on safe and non-confrontational responses to online hate speech and misinformation
2. Content Development and Quality Assurance
   • Review and provide feedback on scripts, outlines, and concepts for podcasts and live shows
   • Ensure produced content is fact-based, non-inciting, rights-oriented, and conflict-sensitive
   • Support consistency in tone, messaging, and ethical standards across all outputs
3. Early Warning and Risk Mitigation
   • Guide youth in identifying early warning indicators of online hate speech escalation
   • Support the development of practical response strategies that prioritise de-escalation and safety
   • Advise on moderation approaches and digital safety measures
4. Support to Project Staff
   • Provide expert advice to project staff on media-related decision-making
   • Contribute to troubleshooting challenges related to online backlash, sensitive content, or audience reactions
5. Coordination and Documentation
   • Coordinate closely with the Project Manager to align mentoring with project indicators and timeline
   • Contribute to brief technical notes or inputs for reporting on media quality and learning outcomes

Deliverables 

The Media Expert Consultant is expected to deliver:

• A short mentoring plan outlining approach, focus areas, and schedule
• Ongoing mentoring sessions (in-person and/or online) for minority youth and project staff
• Technical review and feedback on media outputs produced during the project
• Inputs supporting the production and broadcasting of 16 ethical, rights-based media shows
• A concise end-of-assignment technical note summarising:
  • Key mentoring activities conducted
  • Observed improvements in youth capacity and content quality
  • Lessons learned and recommendations for sustainability

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Media Studies, Journalism, Communications, Human Rights, Peace and Conflict Studies, or a related field
• Minimum 5–7 years of professional experience in media production, ethical journalism, or media mentoring
• Demonstrated experience addressing online hate speech, misinformation, or counter-narratives
• Proven experience working with youth and/or minority communities

Preferred Skills and Competencies

• Strong understanding of ethical and conflict-sensitive media practice
• Practical experience mentoring non-professional or emerging media actors
• Familiarity with Iraq and Kurdistan Region media and social cohesion dynamics
• Ability to work sensitively on identity-based and politically charged issues
• Excellent communication and coaching skills
• Fluency in Arabic; Assyrian and Kurdish (Bahdini) is a strong asset
• High ethical standards, discretion, and commitment to human rights and do-no-harm principles

Interested candidates should submit their CV and a cover letter outlining their relevant experience and motivation for the role to hr@sustainablepeacefoundation.org. Please include " Media Expert Consultant – Ethical Media, Counter-Narratives, and Mentoring" in the subject line of your email. Please note applications without cover letters will not be considered and female candidates are encouraged to apply. 

For more information about the Sustainable Peace Foundation visit our website at www.sustainablepeacefoundation.org.