openDemocracy’s Tracking the Backlash project is a groundbreaking, global, feminist investigative journalism initiative dedicated to exposing and challenging organised threats to women’s and LGBTIQ rights. Our investigations have been cited across world media – including by Al Jazeera, the BBC, Grazia UK, The Guardian, Reuters, Time and Telemundo. They have also been picked up by numerous outlets across Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, including Infobae (Argentina), Agência Pública (Brazil), Aristegui Noticias (Mexico), JoyOnline (Ghana), the Mail & Guardian, Daily Maverick, and SABC (South Africa) and Daily Monitor (Uganda).
Our trailblazing, 18-country investigation into organised anti-abortion misinformation linked to two US Christian right groups led health authorities in Costa Rica, Ecuador and South Africa to promise formal inquiries and potential action. Another agenda-setting investigation – into violations of women’s rights in childbirth during COVID-19 – was nominated for the 2020 British Journalism Awards and the Latin American Investigative Journalism Award ‘Javier Valdez’ . In addition, we revealed a $280m global ‘dark money’ empire funded by US religious right groups, many of them linked to Donald Trump’s administration.
We are now recruiting for two new regional correspondents to join our team – part-time (2.5 days a week) – to help us expand our coverage in Francophone West Africa, and Central America and southern Mexico (a cultural sub-region known as Mesoamerica). These new positions are strategic additions to our team that will build on our recent achievements in Africa and Latin America.
These correspondents will:
- Contribute to at least two major Tracking the Backlash investigations in 2021 (these could be team, collaborative and cross-border projects with other journalists), as well as ongoing and follow-up reporting.
- Research, report, write and/or produce stories for our Documenting the Resistance series (profiling feminist movements) as well as stories about women’s and LGBTIQ rights within media coverage and media industries.
- Support regional editors to establish collaborations and co-publishing relationships, or secure other pickup, with new media partners that cater to local audiences, and create relationships with relevant civil society groups.
- Monitor organised opposition to sexual and reproductive rights in your region, as well as key fights for these rights, sharing updates based on this monitoring with editors at least twice a month.
- Attend and participate in team meetings, trainings and workshops, and support fellows and junior reporters to develop their skills, as needed.
To apply, please review the full job description and prepare a CV and a cover letter detailing your motivation for applying for this role, and why you would be a good fit for it. Please also include links to three writing samples.
- For Francophone West Africa Correspondent, click here (note: you must be based in the region and professionally fluent in both French and English)
- For Central America Correspondent, click here (note: you must be based in the region and professionally fluent in both Spanish and English)
The CV can be in English, French or Spanish, the cover letter must be in English and the three writing samples should be a mix of both English and the relevant regional language.
Deadline: Sunday 28 February 2021 at 11:59 pm GMT
