Code for Africa (CfA) has immediate vacancies for four Copy Editors with editorial experience and excellent proofreading skills to join our PesaCheck team to work in-country (Kenya) and/or remotely (Burundi, Ethiopia and Mali).
PesaCheck is incubated by Code for Africa and works to check and verify claims by public figures published on both mainstream and social media. The initiative is supported by the innovateAFRICA fund, the International Budget Partnership and Code for Africa affiliates in Kenya, Tanzania & Uganda.
Required
- Minimum of 2 years editing experience in a fast-paced newsroom or in the digital journalism space
- Excellent knowledge of proper compositional practices to aid in rewriting and proofreading
- Excellent writing and editing skills, with a strong command of English and the language of specialization – French or Amharic
- Rigorous research skills, commitment to accuracy and attention to detail in order to verify information on diverse topics
- Have the ability to work creatively and accurately under pressure with excellent attention to detail
- Demonstrable ability to identify misinformation and disinformation on major social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
- Critical-thinking skills and news judgment
- Strong organisational and decision-making skills
Preferred
- 4+ years work experience
- Ability to work independently
- Experience in or familiarity with digital collaboration tools, including Slack, Google Drive, and Trello
- A keen understanding of how to use data for storytelling
- Experience and knowledge of digital verification techniques and tools
- The ability to communicate and work effectively with writers, editors, and project team members who work remotely and in different time zones
Language and Location Requirements
We are looking for candidates based in the following countries and fluent in the following languages:
- Nairobi, Kenya (French, Amharic and English)
- Burundi and Mali (French and English)
- Ethiopia (Amharic and English)
About the Role
The successful candidate will join PesaCheck’s fact-checking team. The team is responsible for checking and verifying statements and content from various sources to help the public separate fact from fiction using a range of journalistic and digital tools.
You will work closely with the editorial team and occasionally collaborate with other team members in each of the countries where PesaCheck operates in order to verify claims from a variety of sources. The content produced will be published on pesacheck.org, and will also be syndicated with various media partners.
You will also be working to hold public figures accountable and ensure that the media is accurate in its reporting and coverage of issues of public interest. This will also require a familiarity with social media as a source of news, as well as a familiarity with news and media consumption patterns in your country.
You should have solid news judgement and deep knowledge of the media landscape in your country of specialization.
You will report to the Deputy Editor and will work with researchers/writer, design team, and other members of the PesaCheck team.
Responsibilities
- Sub-edit, revise edit and proofread copy produced by researchers and writers
- Sub-edit infographics and other visual graphics created by the design and data team
- Verify facts, dates and statistics using standard references sources
- Ensure publication standards and goals and expectations are met
- Adhere to and maintain PesaCheck’s style guide
What We Offer
- A competitive salary, subject to experience, with opportunities for performance-based growth both in terms of career path and public stature
- A dynamic digital-first workplace, with the opportunity for regular remote work, occasional international travel, and generous vacation benefits
- An innovative, cutting-edge project that is setting the agenda for verification and fact-checking in Africa using innovative new techniques and technologies and that demonstrates real-world applications
How to apply:
Please fill in this form: http://bit.ly/2uuE09R by 28 March 2020
About Us:
Code for Africa (CfA) is the continent’s largest federation of independent civic technology and data journalism laboratories, which build digital democracy solutions giving citizens unfettered access to actionable information that empowers them to make informed decisions, and that strengthen civic engagement for improved public governance and accountability.
This includes building infrastructures like openAFRICA and sourceAFRICA, as well as incubating initiatives as diverse as the africanDRONE network, the PesaCheck fact-checking initiative and the sensors.AFRICA network.
The African Network of Centres for Investigative Reporting (ANCIR) is a CfA managed association of the continent’s best investigative newsrooms, ranging from large traditional mainstream media to smaller specialist units. ANCIR member newsrooms investigate crooked politicians, organised crime and big business. The iLAB is ANCIR’s in-house digital forensic unit, with teams in east, south and west Africa. ANCIR uses its resources to strengthen newsrooms’ own internal capacity, by providing access to the world’s best whistleblower encryption and investigative semantic analysis technologies, as well as skills development, and seed grants for cross-border collaboration.
At CfA, we don’t just accept differences – we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products and our community. CfA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
To all recruitment agencies: CfA does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, CfA employees or any other company location. CfA is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.