Research Editor & Fact Checker 1

This is a Full Time Job

Research Editor & Fact Checker 1 (Editor I/II/III)

TITLE: Research Editor Fact Checker 1 [Editor I] Planet Money

OVERVIEW

Across our organization, we’re building a workplace where collaboration is essential, diverse voices are heard, and inclusion is the key to our success. We are committed to doing the right thing in our journalism and in every role at NPR. This means that integrity, adherence to our ethical standards, and compliance with legal obligations are fundamental responsibilities for every employee at NPR.

Planet Money and The Indicator are two of the biggest daily podcasts around, reaching a combined audience of close to five million people each week online and on-air. We’re a tight-knit group of journalists that move fast and pride ourselves on storytelling standards as high as our journalism standards. We put out a lot of journalism every week. Five short episodes of the Indicator, two longer episodes of Planet Money and sometimes TikToks, events and occasionally a comic book. We need someone up for fact checking all of that – with the help of the rest of the team. Someone who can help improve our team practices around research and fact gathering.

We are looking for a curious, self-motivated, healthy skeptic who loves getting into the weeds and is driven to get the facts 100% right and use language correctly, but without making a paragraph confusing or bland. In addition, we hope to find someone who, like us, is never bored with finance and economics, but is definitely bored by the generic coverage of it.

Our coverage agenda is driven by the curiosity and lived experience of our staff, and as such, we benefit from a diverse staff as we try to represent America and the world more fully. Candidates from historical underrepresented groups and backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply.

The Ideal Candidate will …
• Be an analytical thinker
• Be able to hit a tight daily deadline
• Be persistent and resourceful in tracking down hard to find information
• Be relentless and meticulous with a strong eye for detail
• Be able to collaborate – with kindness – with busy colleagues in a deadline-driven environment
• Be aware of assumptions and be comfortable challenging them
• Be able to stand by their convictions but also compromise when appropriate
• Be able to work both independently and collaboratively
• Be familiar with audio, print and social media information resources
• Be an experienced fact checker who is used to working on deadline at a high level of journalistic rigor, preferably for business, economics or finance publications or better yet, podcasts.

RESPONSIBILITIES
• Fact check episodes of The Indicator and Planet Money on deadline and help the team improve journalistic and research practices
• Read The Indicator and Planet Money scripts, roughly 6-7 per week, to confirm information and identify any inaccuracies.
• Critically evaluate reporter/host sources and, when necessary, follow up with sources via email or voice or other methods to confirm or clarify information
• If needed, find additional sources to verify questionable source information
• Review supporting editorial content for accuracy including web copy, social media and occasionally other Planet Money projects, including our TikTok videos, along with help from colleagues.
• Be proactive in improving both teams’ research capabilities and journalistic fact checking processes
• Keep up on the latest methods of research and information verification, in collaboration with NPR’s research staff.
• Along with editors, help set standards and practices for Planet Money and Indicator research and reporting practices.
• Help with research, finding sources, data and other materials for episodes as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of experience

Preferred:
• Previous related experience.
• Knowledge of the U.S. public media system and its values

WORK LOCATION:

This is a remote permitted role. This role is based out of our New York office but the employee may choose to work on a remote basis from a location that NPR approves.

REQUIRED SKILLS
• Experience and knowledge of fact checking methods
• Comfort and competence with a variety of reporting and research methods, from calling sources to confirming data interpretation
• Familiarity with business, economics, finance terminology
• Ability to find sources and data on deadline
• Highly collaborative
• Give feedback and criticism in a kind and constructive manner
• High journalistic standards
• Cultivate and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace
• Cultivate and support an inclusive and equitable workplace culture

This position is covered under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement with SAG-AFTRA. The minimum annualized salary for this position is $95,000.

All applications must include a resume and cover letter to be considered.

HOW TO APPLY: please submit a resume and a cover letter. In your letter, please tell us about a particularly difficult fact you checked and how you did it? What resources and techniques did/do you use? What do you believe are best practices in this area? If you have experience working with finance or economics, please share that with us. Finally tell us about your prior experience in fact checking, and, how you make the consistent and relentless attention to detail needed for this work, tenable.

NPR mandates that employees are vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, subject to reasonable accommodation as required by law and any other applicable law.


NPR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NPR is committed to being an inclusive workplace that welcomes diverse and unique perspectives, all working toward the same goal – to create a more informed public. Qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, lactation, and reproductive health decisions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender status, gender non-conforming status, intersex status, sexual stereotypes, nationality, citizenship status, personal appearance, marital status, family status, family responsibilities, military status, veteran status, mental and physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, genetic characteristics of yourself or a family member, political views and affiliation, unemployment status, protective order status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or any other basis prohibited under applicable law.