Fact-checking is all the rage these days, as any victim of the Bowling Green Massacre will tell you. One could argue it has never been more important. At the Weekly, we take it seriously: fact-checking subjects every piece to exacting scrutiny, testing descriptions and narratives against a variety of sources, through phone calls and online research.
Sometimes our fact-checkers catch small mistakes that would be merely embarrassing to print; every now and then, they stumble upon deeper flaws in a writer’s argument or reporting. In every case, they make our stories stronger.
Fact-checking at the Weekly is also good preparation for your own reporting, writing, and editing. Often it requires retracing the steps a reporter took in crafting a story. Over time, this will lead to a sense of how to carry out your own projects. Many of the Weekly’s senior editors and writers double as fact-checkers, just to stay in shape—including our editor-in-chief!
Responsibilities: Most weeks, you’ll receive one piece to fact-check. Some phone calls may need to be made during business hours, but there’s other checkers and editors who can help in a pinch if you’re not available. Estimated time is 2-4 hours a week. You’re encouraged to come to production nights on Mondays to review the final version of the piece and copy-edit it by hand.
There will be a training session to go over standards and expectations, as well as best practices for checking by phone. Fact-checkers will also be asked to familiarize themselves with the stylebook and take a copy-editing test.
Info: Production nights take place in our office at the Experimental Station in Woodlawn (6100 S. Blackstone Avenue). The Weekly has an all-volunteer staff and seeks to promote marginalized voices and encourages applications from women, queer people, and people of color.
To apply: Write 1-2 paragraphs about why you’re interested in the position and about any relevant prior experience, which need not be in fact-checking specifically (direct experience is a plus but not required).
Send all applications to adam.przybyl@southsideweekly.com by Friday, September 8th.