Fact Checker (Remote) at Code for Africa

Code for Africa 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.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Fact-Checker

Location: Nigeria (Remote)
Job type: Full time

Job Description

• We are seeking experienced Fact-Checkers to join our PesaCheck team. We have immediate openings for full-time positions based in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania.
• Candidates must have demonstrable experience in journalistic or investigative research experience and excellent writing skills. Bilingual applicants will have an advantage.
• The successful candidates will work as part of a multinational and multilingual team using digital collaboration tools to create content for a global audience and international media partners.

About the Role

• The successful candidates will join PesaCheck’s transnational fact-checking team working as part of a network of locally-based fact-checkers in 18 African countries.
• The team is responsible for helping the public separate fact from fiction, using a range of journalistic techniques and digital verification tools.
• Your core duty is to produce fact checks and investigate questionable content on social media, on mainstream media and utterances/claims by public figures.
• You will also, from time to time, collaborate with PesaCheck media partners and/or Code for Africa’s digital innovation teams on other special projects.

Responsibilities

• Proactively monitor various local/regional public sources, from mainstream media to social media and chat apps, to detect misleading or malign content, such as hate speech.
• Analyse public statements/manuscripts for factual errors, logical flaws, and significant omissions to determine their classification as misinformation or another form of misleading content.
• Examining the sources mentioned in selected public statements/manuscripts and, where necessary, identifying additional documents and/or sources to help determine whether PesaCheck should classify the content as misinformation or as another form of misleading or malign content.
• Producing ‘explainer articles’ that outline why a specific public statement/manuscript has been classified as misinformation or another form of malign content. Your articles will be based on substantive desktop research and interviews, accurately distilling relevant information into explanations that are easily understandable by ‘ordinary’ audiences, and that are substantiated by tangible evidence.

Requirements
Required: 

• 3+ years of proven experience in journalism or research, preferably on a fact-checking desk
• Excellent research, numeracy, and analytical skills to break down complex issues for all audiences
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to manage high work volumes within tight deadlines while maintaining consistency and accuracy
• Strong news literacy, critical thinking skills, and a keen sense of accuracy and truth

Preferred:

• Experience in transnational multilingual digital newsrooms
• Understanding of fact-checking, disinformation, and digital tools for fact-checking
• Familiarity with mining and handling large datasets
• Strong decision-making and exceptional presentation skills

What We Offer

• A competitive salary, subject to experience, with opportunities for performance-based growth, both in terms of career path and public stature.
• Medical insurance cover, underwritten by a remote-first provider to ensure cover wherever you are
• A dynamic workplace, with a transnational team, occasional international travel, and generous vacation benefits.
• Ongoing opportunities to learn new cutting-edge skills and techniques/technologies to future-proof yourself in a rapidly evolving industry.
• A chance to shine on a global stage, writing for international audiences and interacting with colleagues around the world.

Application Closing Date
12th April, 2024