Africa Check is a non-profit organisation set up in 2012 to promote accuracy in public debate and the media in Africa. The goal of Africa Check’s work is to raise the quality of information available to society across the continent. Since 2012 we have fact-checked more than 1500 claims on topics from crime and race in South Africa to population numbers in Nigeria and fake health cures in countries around Africa.
Based in the Journalism Department of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, Africa Check seeks to appoint a:
Researcher (Full-time)
The Researcher is responsible for identifying important claims in public debate to be fact-checked, undertaking research to verify or debunk them and writing up the findings in an easily understandable way.
Key responsibilities include:
Researching and producing reports on key claims circulating in public debate in South Africa and southern Africa
Acting as a spokesperson for Africa Check, including speaking at events and in the media on claims in the researcher’s subject area
Assisting in training workshops and other events for media, civil society organisations, the general public and policymakers
Contributing to impact tracking and assessment of Africa Check’s work, including reporting on a regular basis
Requirements:
A bachelor’s degree
A minimum of three years’ experience in fact-related fields such as media, research and academia
Well-honed nonsense detector
Passion for news
Ability to act impartially
Attention to detail
Ability to explain complex issues in simple language
Strong numeracy, analytical and research skills
Specialist subject knowledge in, for example, health, economics or statistics (advantageous)
Fluency in an African language/French (advantageous)
Submit a CV with a cover letter explaining why you would be ideal for the position to [email protected] by 20 December 2019 using the following subject line: “Application for Researcher position”. In your cover letter, suggest a claim in the news that should be fact-checked and importantly, why you think it matters.