We’re hiring: Part-time researcher/reporter on press freedom issues in Canada
Position: Researcher/Reporter (part-time)
Reports to: J-Source editor-in-chief Sonya Fatah
J-Source is seeking a researcher/reporter to help develop and launch the Canada Press Freedom Project — a central hub for information and education surrounding press freedom in Canada.
J-Source and the Canada Press Freedom Project
The CPFP will develop and maintain a crowdsourced ongoing database of potential press freedom violations in Canada; stories about issues related to press freedom and threats and violations of those freedoms; and tools and resources for journalists, organizations, media educators and students to understand and counter those threats. The project is supported by the Michener-L. Richard O’Hagan Fellowship for Journalism Education and will be operated by J-Source.
J-Source is produced with content in both English and French by a collaboration of post-secondary journalism schools and programs led by Ryerson University and Carleton University. It is supported by J-Schools Canada/Écoles-J Canada, the organization that represents post-secondary journalism programs in Canada, as well as by a group of benefactors who believe in excellence in journalism and its strong and vital future. Our goal is to promote national discussion about journalism and journalism education as well as to provide a source for news, research, commentary, advice and resources for industry professionals, academics, and journalism, media and communications students.
Reporter/researcher
The CPFP reporter/researcher will play a major role in the site’s launch, through co-developing tracker methodology and consultations, to helping assemble the initial datasets and educational resources for the site. The role also involves co-ordinating with a range of local and national organizations interested in press freedom issues as well as working with news media and their legal counsel. This researcher/reporter will collaborate successfully across the organization and report to the editor of J-Source.
This is a part-time position with a maximum of 24 hours per week paid at an hourly rate from Dec. 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021, with the possibility of an extension.
Qualifications
- Minimum two years of journalism experience, or equivalent.
- Proven track record of strong source development and social media research for newsgathering.
- Demonstrated commitment to challenging institutional narratives and centring anti-racism in reporting and newsgathering processes.
- Enthusiasm for collaboration, public interest programming, audience engagement, data and entrepreneurial journalism.
- Experience with WordPress or other content management systems.
Responsibilities
- Survey development and distribution.
- Co-designing parameters for quantitative data set.
- Reporting on press freedom violations and incursions.
- Developing roster of and engaging with experts, members of the public and stakeholder groups.
- Co-ordinating with partner organizations.
- Participating in building the CPFP online site.
Salary & Compensation
Pay: $25 per hour, maximum 24 hours per week.
This position is based administratively at Ryerson University in Toronto but the successful candidate may be based remotely.
How to apply
A complete application will include a resume, 3 reporting clips/portfolio, 2 professional references and cover letter outlining your qualifications and interest in helping build the Canada Press Freedom Project.
Please address applications to J-Source editor-in-chief Sonya Fatah and send by email to info@j-source.ca with “CPFP researcher/reporter application” in the subject line. The deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 22.