Now hiring: Science Editor / Fact-checker (FR)

 

Science Feedback is looking for a French-speaking science editor / fact-checker to work on writing reviews of influential claims in collaboration with scientists and academics. We are looking for methodical and rigorous candidates who are strongly motivated to tackle misinformation and provide readers with accurate information. Candidates should be deeply committed to scientific objectivity and be willing to debunk misinformation wherever it comes from.

 

Job responsibilities:

Primary

  • Write reviews assessing the veracity of viral information that claims to be science-based.
    This entails:

    • monitoring social media and the news to identify claims that need to be reviewed,
    • identifying experts and seeking comments from sources including our network of scientists, finding and evaluating the strength of bibliographic references in the peer-reviewed literature,
    • writing the content of reviews and edit the contributions made by scientists (copy-editing, adding figures, links to references, etc.);
  • Write “Insight” articles explaining the state of knowledge on specific scientific questions of public interest, with emphasis on explaining the scientific method and how science allows us to understand how the world works;
  • Contribute to analyses/investigations with our data team on the propagation of popular misinformation narratives online. This entails explaining why the narratives can mislead their audience and identifying articles and posts promoting them;
  • Translate and adapt reviews written in English to the French context;
  • Review other editors’ articles.

Secondary

  • Grow our network of contributing scientists by identifying and inviting new experts;
  • Contribute to promoting our reviews with media partners and on social media;
  • Review short viral videos that make claims about science.

 

Skills required:

  • Excellent writing and editing skills:
    • ability to explain scientific results and processes in terms understandable to a broad audience,
    • ability to write articles that are accurate, robust and discuss all relevant evidence;
  • Excellent knowledge about how science works, the scientific method to (in)validate hypotheses;
  • Excellent understanding of the scientific publication process. Science editors need to be able to identify academics’ expertise based on the quality of their scientific publications and detect potential conflicts of interest;
  • Perfect mastery of French and professional fluency in English. Fluency in other languages, notably languages spoken in Europe, is a plus;
  • Non-partisanship: Our staff and freelance contributors are required to not be involved in advocacy/political campaigning.

 

Experience needed:

  • Experience working as a science journalist, editor at a scientific journal or as a fact-checker;
  • Experience working with scientists;
  • Candidates with a scientific background (PhD or Master of Science) and communication skills or a science journalism background are both encouraged to apply.

 

Details

  • Full-time Position;
  • Work location: Paris 19e (France); remote work is possible;
  • Competitive compensation commensurate with experience;
  • Benefits include health coverage, paid time off, 50% transport, restaurant vouchers.

 

To apply

Fill this form where you can upload:

  • a cover letter highlighting relevant experience and motivation for applying to the position, specifying which scientific field(s) you can cover,
  • a resume,
  • 2 writing samples.

We will consider applications as they arrive before 3 February 2023 and conduct interviews and writing tests with select candidates.

 

Email us at [email protected] if you have any questions or if you cannot submit your application via the form.

More information about the organization

Science Feedback is a not-for-profit organization with the mission to improve the credibility of information available to Internet users in scientific domains by providing feedback to readers, journalists, regulators and tech platforms.

Since 2015, Climate Feedback has grown a global network of scientists that review influential climate change media coverage, developing a new approach to “fact-checking” directly involving domain experts. We launched Health Feedback in 2019 to broaden this approach to the field of health sciences, with a strong focus on COVID-19, vaccines, clinical trials, etc. We are interested in expanding to other scientific fields that are prone to misunderstandings and disinformation (e.g., statistics, technology) based on new editors’ expertise.

Science Feedback is a signatory of the IFCN code of principles—verifying our commitment to accuracy, fairness, transparency. As an editor, you will need to help us uphold these high standards as well as reach the standards of the recently created EFCSN. Our reviews are trusted for their rigor. They are featured prominently in Google News and search results (see here) and used by Facebook/Instagram to inform users who have interacted with posts containing false information (see here). We also work with TikTok to identify health and science misinformation in viral videos.