Are you a parent who wants your child to learn highly transferable skills in research, critical thinking and fact-checking? Are you a middle-schooler or a high-schooler who wants to sort fact from fiction online?

Application Closed

The Teen Fact-Checking Network (TFCN) is a prestigious, one-of-its-kind scholarship programme bringing together teenaged fact-checkers from around the world. In the United States, MediaWise has successfully run the program with school students for over 4 years. In 2023, it expanded to India, Brazil, and Germany.

For the India edition, MediaWise partnered with BOOM Live, an independent fact-checking outlet debunking online misinformation. We hired 13 teenaged fact-checkers for 4 months in 2023.

We are back with the second edition starting July 2024 for six months. This is a paid, and once-in-a-lifetime experience. Applicants don't need to have prerequisite knowledge of fact-checking.

You will be a part of an exclusive club of teenaged fact-checkers around the world.

You will be paid Rs. 7,500 per month for four months.

On-camera fact-checkers

We're looking for teens who are comfortable speaking on camera. You are expected to pitch stories, write scripts and record fact-checks.

Content Creators

We're looking for talented content creators with a demonstrated knowledge of short-form video platforms, like Instagram Reels.

Researchers

You will have a never-say-die attitude and are willing to go the extra mile to hunt down primary and secondary sources.

Eligibility

All teenagers aged between 13-19 years and young adults between 20-22 years are encouraged to apply. If you're turning 13 or 22 in the next four months, you can still apply.

TRAINING & LANGUAGES

You will be taught the fundamentals of fact-checking, research and a basic video production course. TFCN will run in English and Hindi for now.

STIPEND

You will be paid INR 7,500 per month for fact-checks during the scholarship programme.

Application last date

21 June, 2024

COMMITMENT

Project begins on 15th July '24 and ends on 31st January '25. You will pitch stories, participate in weekly editorial calls and produce a minimum of two fact-checks a month.

The programme is also designed to fit into the summer holidays and school schedule. It is 100% non-political, non-partisan, and independent. Candidates for this position must strictly adhere to that requirement as it is core to the project itself.

PLEASE NOTE: We are proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to prohibiting discrimination and harassment of any kind. All hiring decisions are made on the basis of quality of submissions.

Is it remote or on-site?

Completely remote

How many hours of engagement can I expect?

During the months of summer break, the team would meet more regularly. Once schools reopen, we will seamlessly transition to a more hands-off approach, with less frequent interaction. We will schedule drop-in sessions each week keeping in view all academic schedules.

Do I need to bring any equipment?

The student will only require a smartphone. BOOM will not be providing any equipment during the course of the scholarship.

How many candidates will be selected?

We are hiring 10 applicants for the project. We will train all applicants on how to fact-check, write video scripts and produce content for social media. The final videos will then need to go through quality assessment to decide whether they’re ready to be published. This number is not currently fixed and is likely to change over the span of the 4 months.

What topics will be covered under the TFCN?

The TFCN is 100% non-political. We will focus on topics related to medical, financial, corporate and other types of misinformation.

What is BOOM?

BOOM is an independent digital journalism initiative with a mission to fight misinformation, explain issues and make the internet safer.

BOOM is one of India's first and leading fact-checking websites and initiative, committed to provide readers journalistically verified facts. BOOM was one of the first Indian fact-checking newsrooms, certified by International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN).