Join the editorial team: volunteering in human rights journalism
FACTUM.press is an independent human rights publication covering political persecution in Russia: political prisoners, politically motivated criminal cases, extraditions, pressure on journalists and lawyers. We are looking for a volunteer editor and fact-checker. This is unpaid remote work for people who want to practice human rights journalism, keep their profession alive in exile, or gain their first editorial experience. Working language is Russian.
What the role involves
The volunteer reviews articles in the Political Persecution section before publication. These are long-form profiles of individuals: who the person is, how the case developed, what the prosecution says, what the defense says, which legal norms apply. The editor checks dates, article numbers of the Criminal Code, source links, consistency of names and facts with the person's record in our database, and precision of wording. The publication has a written editorial standard, issued on day one, and all review follows it.
Over time the role can grow into section editor: your own stories, pitching topics, working with authors. If that interests you, say so at the start.
Format
Volunteer, unpaid. The project currently has no funding, and we say so plainly. Workload is 3–5 hours a week, fully remote, on your own schedule: usually one or two articles a week to review. No scheduled calls, no shifts.
What you get
A listing on the editorial team page under your real name or a pseudonym. Editorial experience in human rights journalism for your résumé and portfolio. Bylines on your own pieces if you start writing. Confirmation of participation and a reference letter based on actual work, not on being listed.
Who this is for
Journalists and editors in exile
If you left Russia and now work outside the profession, this is a way to stay in it: publications, editorial practice, a subject you understand better than most. Experience in Russian media is an asset here.
Journalism students: practice and internship-style experience
For a student this is hands-on work in a live publication with real articles and real responsibility. You get a written standard, feedback on your edits, and confirmation of participation for your résumé or academic program. This is volunteering, not a formal contracted internship.
Lawyers and human rights researchers
Legal analysis in our articles rests on criminal code provisions, international conventions and the practice of UN treaty bodies. A lawyer catches what a journalist misses: the wrong paragraph of an article, confusion between the charge a person is prosecuted under and the charge an extradition request cites. Journalism experience is not required.
Students of Russian and East European studies
If you read Russian and study the region, this is a documented case of how political persecution is recorded and verified in practice, with your own contribution to it.
Safety
We only consider people outside Russia. If you have family in Russia, we discuss risks and the form of participation before you start, including working under a pseudonym and without public listing. We do not promise absolute anonymity, but the conversation happens before the first task, not after.
How selection works
Write a few words about yourself and your experience; a résumé is optional. We reply with a trial task: one article from the section with planted errors. Find them and write a short editor's note. It takes one to two hours. Then both sides decide: whether the work suits you, and whether your level of attention suits us.
Questions and answers
Is this paid?
No. It is volunteer work; the project has no funding. If funding appears, terms will be revisited, but we cannot promise that.
Can I participate from Russia?
No. The publication covers political persecution, and participating from Russia puts you at risk. We only consider people outside the country.
Do I need media experience?
Welcome but not required. Attention to detail, strong Russian and the ability to verify a claim against its source matter more. Lawyers and students do as well on the trial task as journalists.
Can I work under a pseudonym?
Yes. You can be listed under a pseudonym or not listed at all. Confirmation of participation is issued in your real name.
How much time does it take?
3–5 hours a week, on your own schedule. If you can't do a given week, just let us know.
Can I write my own articles?
Yes, after your first reviewed pieces. Your articles run under your name or pseudonym.
What is the editorial standard?
A written document on how the publication writes about persecuted people: position, tone, structure, requirements for sources, legal analysis and links. You receive it on day one and review against it.
Will you provide a reference letter?
Yes, based on actual work: after several reviewed articles, describing what you did.
Contact
Write to info@factum.press. Website: factum.press.