Social Media Monitoring Consultant
Starting Date: 20 July 2019
Form of employment: short-term contract
Contract period: 1.5 months
Location: home-based
Background
Democracy Reporting International (DRI) is a non-partisan, independent, not-for-profit organisation registered in Berlin, Germany. DRI has been working on several projects related the use and risks posed by social media during electoral periods.
Many actors have started to analyse the digital sphere and social media in particular, to monitor and report on disinformation attempts or other concerns to the electoral integrity. At the EU level, the European Commission has increased its efforts to tackle online disinformation and increase transparency on social media platforms. In the context of the 2019 European Parliamentary elections, the EC introduced the Code of Practice on disinformation, a tool to reinforce principles of self- and co-regulation within the social media sphere. In October 2018, the Code was signed by Facebook, Google and Twitter, Mozilla, as well as by actors from the advertising industry, who thereby committed to providing monthly reports to lay open their efforts to improve political ad transparency as well as to tackle the issues of fake accounts and malicious use of bots.
As part of a GMFA-funded project, DRI coordinated two roundtable meetings with German and other European initiatives that monitored social media platforms and detected disinformation in relation to the elections. The aim of the meeting was to compare findings and methodologies, discuss the observations and possible limitations and strengthen the community of practice.
Objective
DRI is currently recruiting a Social Media Monitoring Consultant to support DRI in putting together a report that reviews both the EU’s as well as the monitoring initiatives’ actions to counter online disinformation and protect democratic elections. The assignment will start on July 20 and be completed latest by August 31.
Tasks
As a Social Media Monitoring Consultant your tasks include
– Establishing an overview of the EU actions to fight disinformation ahead of EP Elections: assessment of EU code of conduct, transparency reports by Facebook, Google and Twitter, as well as the Ad Libraries and other actions taken.
– Reviewing the actions and main findings of initiatives looking into social media around EP Elections (establishing a correlation between the EC’s and the monitoring initiatives’ actions)
– Assessing the role of social media in the elections as well as the efforts by the European Commission (analysis progress made, lessons learned and possible future improvements)
List of tasks
- Overview of initiatives taken at the EU level to increase resilience of EU member states against disinformation campaigns and related threats during elections.
- Overview of initiatives that looked into social media during the EP Elections, comparing their findings and laying out challenges.
- Overview of initiatives taken by social media companies to address challenges their platforms pose during electoral periods.
- Assessment of such framework with best practices, risks and recommendations.
Location:
The consultant will be working home-based.
Qualifications:
- Relevant university degree;
- At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in media, new media and elections related areas;
- Background in politics, public policy, journalism or other relevant fields;
- Knowledge of ongoing debate about the influence of social media in politics;
Deliverables:
- Overview of initiatives taken at the EU level to increase resilience of EU member states against disinformation campaigns and related threats during elections.
- Overview of initiatives that looked into social media during the EP Elections, comparing their findings and laying out challenges.
- Overview of initiatives taken by social media companies to address challenges their platforms pose during electoral periods.
- Descriptive report with the abovementioned initiatives containing an assessment of such framework with best practices, risks and recommendations.
DRI values diversity and aims to be an equal opportunities employer.
If you are interested in this position, please send your application (cover letter and CV) to [email protected]. Please include “Social Media Monitoring Consultant [your name]” in the subject line and refer to the source you have found this vacancy notice. Applying for this position by post mail is possible, please find our address details below.
Closing date for applications: 23:59 (CEST) 16 July 2019. The position may be filled before the end of the deadline so early applications are encouraged. As long as you find the vacancy on our website we have not filled the position.
Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you are one of those shortlisted, we will contact you within one week after expiration of the deadline at the latest.
Organisation responsible for this vacancy:
Democracy Reporting International gGmbH
Prinzessinnenstraße 30
10969 Berlin, Germany
Tel +49 30 27877300
Fax +49 30 27877300-10
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