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

Science Feedback is seeking a French-speaking science editor / fact-checker to collaborate with scientists on writing science explainers and reviews of influential claims.

We are looking for methodical and rigorous candidates committed to scientific objectivity. If you are motivated to tackle viral misinformation and empower readers to be better informed and resist manipulation, we want to hear from you.

Job responsibilities:

Primary

  • Write “Insight” articles explaining the state of knowledge on questions of public interest, with emphasis on the scientific method and on exposing misleading talking points and manipulating tactics used by misinformers;
  • Write reviews assessing the veracity of viral information that claims to be science-based.
    This entails:
    1. monitoring social media and the news to identify relevant claims to investigate,
    2. 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,
    3. writing the content of reviews and editing the contributions made by scientists;
  • Translate and adapt reviews written in English to the French context;
  • Review drafts from other contributors.

Secondary

  • Communicate with our network of contributing scientists and invite new experts;
  • Assist in promoting our reviews with media partners and on social media.

Skills required:

  • Excellent writing and editing skills:
    • ability to communicate complex concepts to a broad audience,
    • ability to write articles that are accurate, well supported and discuss all relevant evidence,
  • Excellent knowledge about how science works to validate or invalidate 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;
  • Ability to draft posts and publish in WordPress (Gutenberg);
  • Non-partisanship: Our staff and freelance contributors are required to not be involved in advocacy/political campaigning and be willing to debunk misinformation wherever it comes from.

Experience needed:

  • Minimum 2 years of experience in science communication, journalism, scientific editing, or fact-checking;
  • Experience writing about science and collaborating 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

EMPLOYEE POSITION

  • Work location: Paris 11e, France; remote work is possible;
  • Competitive compensation commensurate with experience;
  • Benefits include health coverage, paid time off, 50% transport, restaurant vouchers.

FREELANCE POSITION

  • Yearly contract with minimum of 16 hours per week;
  • Work location can be Paris 11e, France or remote;
  • Competitive compensation.

To apply

Fill out this form where you can upload:

  • a cover letter highlighting relevant experience and motivation, specifying scientific fields you can cover,
  • a resume,
  • 2 writing samples demonstrating your ability to communicate science.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until March 15, 2024. Interviews and writing tests will be conducted with select candidates.

For inquiries or assistance with the application, email [email protected].

More information about the organization

Science Feedback is a not-for-profit organization with the mission to help the public more easily find scientifically sound and trustworthy information.

Since 2015, Climate Feedback has grown a global network of scientists who review influential climate change media coverage, pioneering a novel approach to “fact-checking” that directly involves domain experts. We launched Health Feedback in 2019 to extend this methodology to the realm of health sciences, with a particular emphasis on topics such as COVID-19, vaccines, and clinical trials. Our ambition extends to other scientific domains susceptible to misunderstandings and disinformation, notably the energy transition and statistics, leveraging the expertise of new editors.

Science Feedback is a signatory of the IFCN code of principles—underscoring our dedication to accuracy, fairness, and transparency. As an editor, you will play a vital role in upholding these rigorous standards, as well as meeting the benchmarks set by the recently established EFCSN. To further our mission, we collaborate with web platforms such as Meta and TikTok to assist in mitigating the impact of misinformation among users. For example, you can see how Facebook and Instagram label posts containing misinformation here or here.

6 Feb. 2024
Ref. 2024-02/FC/FR