Contributing Editor

https://observatory.wiki/Volunteer_for_the_Observatory

Commitment: Flexible, approx. 3-5 hours/week

Duration: Ongoing

Position Type: Volunteer (credits available for students)

Overview:

The Observatory is a world-class wiki-encyclopedia reference and life guide offered free to the public. Audiences rely on our definitive expertise, research, and analysis of important issues of our time, provided by a network of partner experts and organizations. We depend on the passion and dedication of volunteers to help us achieve this public education mission. The Observatory seeks dedicated volunteer Contributing Editors to join our team and play a crucial role in identifying, shaping, and producing original content. Position Summary: As a volunteer editor at the Observatory, you will work with the editorial team to ensure the quality, accuracy, and impact of our growing library of content. You will play a key role in the editorial process, assisting in content planning, editing articles, managing contributors, and helping maintain overall editorial standards. This is an excellent opportunity for individuals passionate about journalism and eager to contribute to meaningful storytelling, expert analysis, and fact-based reporting.

Key Responsibilities:

● Editorial Oversight: Collaborate with the editorial team to oversee creating and publishing high-quality content, ensuring it aligns with the organization’s mission and standards

● Content Editing: Edit articles (generally 1,000-3,000 words in length) in Google Documents for clarity, accuracy, grammar, and style

● Contributor Management: Coordinate with writers, journalists, and contributors, providing guidance and feedback on their work and managing their assignments

● Content Planning: Help develop editorial calendars, brainstorm story ideas, and identify emerging trends and topics of interest

● Research: Conduct research to support content development and fact-checking, ensuring the accuracy and credibility of our reporting, and identify expert authors for potential articles and online news publications for potential syndication of articles

● Collaboration: Collaborate with other team members, including writers, photographers, and designers, to create engaging multimedia content

● Organization: Organize and edit mailing lists

● Quality Control: Help maintain and improve editorial standards, guidelines, and policies

● Community Engagement: Engage with our audience, respond to comments, and encourage discussions about the Observatory’s content

Qualifications:

● A passion for journalism and a commitment to the Observatory’s mission

● Strong editing and proofreading skills, with attention to detail

● Excellent written and verbal communication skills

● Ability to work collaboratively in a remote team environment (meetings are held via Google Meet)

● Familiarity with Google Documents and Google Sheets

● Familiarity with AP or Chicago Manual of Style, or other editorial guidelines

● Experience with content management systems (CMS) is a plus

● Previous editorial or journalism experience (including as a volunteer Wikipedia editor) is preferred but not required

Benefits:

● Hone your editing skills and learn current best practices

● Build a portfolio of work as an online editor

● Enhance your resume and build professional connections

● Networking opportunities within the media and journalism industry

● Work at your own pace—flexible hours fit around your schedule

● Opportunity to work with a diverse and passionate team

● Learn about a wide range of topics

● Feel good supporting impactful nonprofit, independent research and journalism and advancing free public education

● Credits for students

● Secure recommendations for prospective employers

If you are passionate about journalism, dedicated to accuracy and impact, and eager to make a difference in the world of media, we encourage you to apply for the volunteer Contributing Editor position at the Observatory. Join our team and make a difference by informing readers about our world. How to Apply: To apply, send a brief cover letter and resume to info@observatory.wiki. We look forward to welcoming you to our growing team.