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 1600 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
Info Finder & Media Literacy Editor (Full-time)
The Info Finder & media literacy editor will be responsible for making fact-checking tools, tips, guides and accurate data on key topics accessible to the media, policymakers and the broader public. This includes further developing, managing and editing Africa Check’s Info Finder tool and finding and implementing creative and impactful solutions to grow our portfolio of media literacy work. This role reports to the chief editor.
Key responsibilities include:
Manage and further develop our growing portfolio of media literacy work aimed at building the skills of the public – in particular the youth – to critically evaluate information instead of just consuming and sharing it
Collaborate with Africa Check’s head of partnerships & engagement to identify and capitalise on potential opportunities to expand our media literacy work
Lead the ongoing development and improvement of the Info Finder project aimed at making it easier to find reliable data
Manage the Info Finder database and its ongoing updates, including editing the content for accuracy and relevance
Establish users’ information needs on an ongoing and proactive basis and respond through Info Finder content
Manage relationships with freelance contributors and external suppliers as required
Requirements:
A bachelor’s degree
A minimum of five years’ relevant experience
An enthusiasm for and understanding of the work of fact-checking and information management
An understanding of both the challenges and the opportunities that today’s information landscape present to the media, policymakers and the general public
Experience successfully developing and leading a data-based project
Experience or knowledge of online discovery and retrieval systems
Experience and knowledge of digital content management
Editorial expertise – ideally proofreading and editing contributors’ content according to a house style
Highly developed analytical skills with proven ability to apply creative solutions to problems
Excellent results-driven project management skills
Resilient self-starter who takes ownership of projects while working collaboratively in a team environment
Proven ability to effectively prioritise when juggling multiple responsibilities while maintaining excellent attention to detail
Experience in working across diverse geographies and cultures (advantageous)
Submit a CV with a cover letter explaining why you would be ideal for the position to [email protected] by 19 July 2020 using the following subject line: “Application Info Finder & media literacy editor position”.
Should you not hear from us within two weeks from the closing date, please accept that your application was unsuccessful.