Call for trainers: AI for content creators (Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia)

What’s it about?

The Thomson Reuters Foundation is running a one-year programme in Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia to help independent content creators produce accurate, public-interest content. The programme focuses on responsible use of open-source AI tools, verification skills, and legal awareness, with in-person workshops in each country. It aims to support creators as they inform audiences during a period of important elections. The programme will help participants strengthen the quality and credibility of their content through audience-focused storytelling, editorial workflows, responsible use of open-source AI tools, verification, and legal awareness.

The programme will facilitate a learning-needs assessment to inform country-specific delivery, centred on a three-day in-person workshop with practical content clinics.

The opportunity

We are seeking consultants to contribute to the preparation and lead on the delivery of the programme’s editorial workflow, verification, and open-source AI training.

We are particularly interested in current or former newsroom editors, or journalists with substantial editorial responsibility, who have practical experience embedding AI tools into reporting and production workflows.

Strong editorial judgement, ethics, standards, and digital-verification expertise are essential.

Familiarity with creator formats is desirable rather than a requirement.

Consultants will work as co-trainers within a complementary training team, bringing expertise in editorial workflows, verification and responsible AI use. They will collaborate with the Thomson Reuters Foundation and legal specialists to connect these elements throughout the training. The Thomson Reuters Foundation will lead the overall curriculum design; consultants will contribute their expertise, prepare assigned materials and deliver agreed sessions.

The same core role and selection criteria apply across Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia. Applicants should indicate their country(ies) of interest.

Scope of work

Working closely with the Thomson Reuters Foundation and the other trainers, the consultant will: 

• Review the learning-needs assessment, participant profiles and existing materials, and contribute to contextualising the Thomson Reuters Foundation-led curriculum. 
• Develop assigned session plans, presentations, exercises, and participant resources in line with, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s Learning Programme Design approach, to be provided at onboarding stage. 
• Deliver practical sessions connecting editorial standards, public-interest storytelling, verification, mis- and disinformation, and responsible use of open-source AI tools for a group of approximately 20 in-person participants 
• Help participants apply appropriate tools to tasks such as organising research, transcription, translation, scripting, captions and content adaptation, retaining source checking, and human editorial review throughout. 
• Deliver verification exercises covering images, video, audio and other digital content, including potentially AI-generated or manipulated material. Help participants assess sources, establish context, and cross-check claims. 
• Explain tool limitations and risks, including inaccurate outputs, bias, privacy and confidentiality, and reinforce independent verification and human judgement. Coordinate with legal specialists where relevant. 
• Facilitate content clinics within the three-day workshop, which provides feedback on participants’ content, verification practices, and editorial workflows. 
• Contribute to a trainer debrief and submit a short post-training report identifying learning needs, challenges and recommendations. 
• Support co-trainers in delivering sessions on their areas of expertise, such as legal frameworks. 
• Tool selection and exercises will be agreed with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, taking account of participants’ equipment, connectivity, languages, and budgets in their usual operating context. The emphasis is on open-source AI tools, with a clear distinction between open-source software and proprietary tools that offer free access. 

Additional online delivery, follow-up support, or competition assessment may be agreed separately but are not part of the core assignment. 

Required deliverables

• Work with the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s in-house Resilience of Independent Media Team to develop an agreed workplan and country-contextualised session plans in line with the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s Learning Programme Design Guide.
• Presentations, practical exercises and participant resources covering editorial workflows, verification and open-source AI use.
• A practical AI-assisted editorial-workflow example or checklist, including verification steps and human checks.
• Delivery of agreed sessions and content clinics within the three-day workshop.
• Final materials incorporating the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s feedback.
• A short post-training report and participation in the trainer debrief.

Learning outcomes

• Work with the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s in-house Resilience of Independent Media Team to develop an agreed workplan and country-contextualised session plans in line with the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s Learning Programme Design Guide.
• Presentations, practical exercises and participant resources covering editorial workflows, verification and open-source AI use.
• A practical AI-assisted editorial-workflow example or checklist, including verification steps and human checks.
• Delivery of agreed sessions and content clinics within the three-day workshop.
• Final materials incorporating the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s feedback.
• A short post-training report and participation in the trainer debrief.

Essential skills and expertise

• Substantial newsroom editorial experience and a strong understanding of reporting, editing, publication and correction workflows. 
• Demonstrable application of accuracy, sourcing, fairness, independence, and journalistic ethics. 
• Expertise in digital verification and factchecking, including assessing sources, verifying images, video and audio, and investigating potentially AI-generated or manipulated content. 
• Practical experience using AI in editorial workflows, including open-source AI tools, checking outputs, and recognising when tools should not be used. 
• Ability to teach verification workflows and explain the limitations of AI-detection and verification tools. 
• Experience delivering participatory training, mentoring or coaching. 
• Ability to explain technical concepts clearly and support participants with different skill levels. 
• Relevant knowledge of the country’s media and public-interest information environment. 
• Strong English-language communication, organisation and collaborative-working skills. 
• Availability for agreed preparation and in-person delivery. Approximate timelines: 
• Nigeria: February 2027 (in-person) 
• Zambia: March/April 2027 (in-person and online) 
• Kenya: May June 2027 (in-person and online)

Desirable skills and expertise

• Experience working with independent content creators or journalist–creator collaboration.
• Familiarity with social video, audio or other creator formats.
• Experience in civic or election-related reporting and media development.
• Experience adapting tools and exercises for limited connectivity, equipment or budgets.
• Relevant local language skills.
• Consultants should be supportive, respectful of participants’ existing practices, comfortable working with diverse teams, and willing to discuss AI critically rather than promote tools unconditionally.
  

Duration and fees

The assignment will combine remote preparation with delivery of agreed sessions and clinics during a three-day in-person workshop, followed by a half-day online session.

There are approximately 8-10 days allocated to this assignment (prep, liaison and delivery).

Approximate dates for the delivery of in-person trainings are as follows:

• Zambia: April 2027
• Nigeria: February 2027
• Kenya: June 2027

Specific dates, location, consultancy days and fees will be agreed with the successful consultant before appointment.