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In this installment of Factually: Jane Lytvynenko … State of the Fact-Checkers webinar … New fact-checking collaborations in India and Europe … GlobalFact11 updates

(Courtesy: Jane Lytvynenko)
Jane Lytvynenko on disinformation, Telegram and how fact-checkers can navigate the social media landscape

A pioneering reporter in the disinformation space, Jane Lytvynenko’s work has taken her both across continents and deep into the underbellies of the internet and social media. After five years with Buzzfeed News and a stint at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center, Lytvynenko is now a full-time freelancer specializing in investigative reports and documentaries.
On Thursday, April 4, Lytvynenko will be hosting a webinar for the international fact-checking community on investigating Telegram, a cloud-based, cross-platform messaging service with more than 900 million monthly active users that has become a hub for video from war zones. (Register here ([link removed]) .) The webinar is part of the IFCN’s celebration of International Fact-Checking Day, which is April 2.
She recently spoke with IFCN Training Manager Alanna Dvorak on Telegram training, her work on the war in Ukraine, and trends she sees in the misinformation space.
Here are excerpts from the longer conversation; read the whole interview here ([link removed]) .
On Telegram: Telegram is “ground zero for visual evidence from conflicts. As more mainstream social media networks limit graphic or violent content, Telegram does not. Meaning, for a group that wants to get information out, Telegram is usually the first stop.”
On the overall social media environment: “The social media experience is becoming ever-more fractured and more personalized. Ephemeral media, like Instagram Stories or Snapchat, continue to be popular, but in addition to that, each mainstream social media platform hyper-individualizes the user experience. This ecosystem makes it challenging to evaluate the prevalence, spread, and origin of a given false narrative or manipulation. Additionally, written content is becoming secondary to visual or audio content, which adds another layer of difficulty in tracking.”
On her current work: “I remain focused on covering Ukraine with a mix of both online investigations and traditional reporting. One thing that became clear early on in the full-scale invasion is that social media will be key to accessing otherwise difficult-to-tell stories. At the moment, a large part of the country is occupied by Russian forces, and many Ukrainian residents who remain don’t want to speak with journalists out of fear. Yet, we have some idea of what’s going on there. Social media, satellite imagery, and propaganda are all windows that can help reporters.”

The State of the Fact-Checkers on International Fact-Checking Day

In celebration of International Fact-Checking Day — Tuesday, April 2 — the International Fact-Checking Network will unveil its State of the Fact-Checkers Report for 2023 in a webinar that brings into focus the characteristics and makeup of the fact-checking community. Register here ([link removed]) .

The annual survey of fact-checkers collects opinions and attributes of fact-checking organizations around the world. The survey polls signatories to the IFCN Code of Principles — fact-checking groups that meet universal standards of transparency, independence and methodology, and have undergone a verification process to prove it.

The webinar takes place on April 2 at 9 a.m. Eastern Time in the U.S. The public is invited for a presentation and discussion followed by a question and answer session. Panelists include:
* Angie Drobnic Holan, IFCN director. She was previously the longtime editor of PolitiFact and started as a reporter on the team that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2009.
* Enock Nyariki, IFCN’s community and impact manager. He directed this year’s State of the Fact-Checkers survey and prepared its report. He was previously the Kenya-based managing editor of PesaCheck, where he helped launch fact-checking operations in nine African countries.
* Govindraj Ethiraj, founder of Factchecker.in and BOOM in India. A longtime business journalist, Ethiraj is also the editor of the recently launched India-based business website The Core. He is the founder of the data journalism initiative IndiaSpend.org and worked with Bloomberg TV India, CNBC TV18 and the Economic Times.
* Peter Cunliffe-Jones, founder of Africa Check, and now a misinformation researcher, based at the University of Westminster in London. He has advised fact-checking projects around the world, including in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. He was a leading voice in the creation of the IFCN’s Code of Principles.

Holan, Ethiraj and Cunliffe-Jones were all present at the founding meeting of the International Fact-Checking Network in London in 2014 and were named to the inaugural IFCN advisory board. Cunliffe-Jone and Ethiraj continue to serve; Holan left the board to become IFCN director in 2023.

“This year’s State of the Fact-Checkers Report will be our most robust yet,” said Holan. “We increased outreach to our community so we could achieve the most current insights on how fact-checkers have grown, how they see the challenges they face, and what opportunities they seek in the future.”

The State of the Fact-Checkers Report was first launched in 2018 and has subsequently been published every year since. See reports for 2018 ([link removed]) , 2019 ([link removed]) , 2020 ([link removed]) , 2021 ([link removed]) and 2022 ([link removed]) . The report for 2023 will be published shortly before the webinar begins; a link will be provided to attendees for ready access.

More #factcheckingday events — because #factsmatter

In addition to State of the Fact-Checkers, the IFCN will observe the day with guest essays from fact-checkers around the world, reflecting on the challenges and hopes for fact-checking in an age of misinformation. Read the guest essays ([link removed]) . Guest essays will be published through Wednesday, April 3.

Shareables and other social media material shared via IFCN channels on Facebook ([link removed]) , Instagram ([link removed]) , X/Twitter ([link removed]) , and LinkedIn ([link removed]) .

News about GlobalFact 11

More than 150 leaders from around the world submitted proposals to speak at GlobalFact 11 ([link removed]) , which will take place from June 26-28, 2024, in Sarajevo. The event planning team at the IFCN, Poynter and Zašto ne invites everyone interested in attending the summit either in Sarajevo or online to help build an agenda that represents the needs and interests of the fact-checking community.
Please click here to review the submissions ([link removed]) , which are organized by session track and presentation type. Use the up and down arrows to rank each proposal. Be sure to list those that most interest you at the top of each category.
The deadline to provide your input ([link removed]) is Friday, April 5. The session selection committee will collect the results and finalize the agenda the following week. Speaker hopefuls will be notified about the status of their applications on Monday, April 15, 2024. Please note, you do not need to be registered for GlobalFact to participate in this review process.
Thank you in advance for helping us ensure GlobalFact attendees get the most out of their experience. We value your input.
Questions? Please email Team GlobalFact at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

India’s fact-checkers launch two major collaborations ahead of elections

The Misinformation Combat Alliance, a regional network for fact-checkers in India, is part of two major initiatives to fact-check the country’s upcoming elections, supported by tech platforms.
The alliance is creating a dedicated fact-checking helpline on WhatsApp ([link removed]) to fight deep fakes on the platform, with financial support from Meta.
Vishvas News, an alliance member, reported ([link removed]) that users will be able to flag suspicious media by sending it to a WhatsApp chatbot that offers support in English and three regional languages. The alliance will manage inbound messages through the establishment of a central deepfake analysis unit. The alliance includes 12 IFCN signatory fact-checking organizations.
The Misinformation Combat Alliance is also a partner in a Google-backed ([link removed]) collaboration called Shakti ([link removed]) , run by DataLeads ([link removed]) , which includes IFCN signatory First Check ([link removed]) . Shakti represents a consortium of Indian fact-checkers and news publishers working together to counter online misinformation. Other participants include BOOM, The Quint, Vishvas News, Factly, Newschecker, and others. The project’s goal is to enhance the early detection of election-related misinformation and deepfakes, as well as to amplify the dissemination of fact-checks in regional languages.
European fact-checkers collaborate on EU parliamentary elections

The European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN), a regional network for fact-checkers in Europe, recently announced ([link removed]) a major elections fact-checking project bringing together 40 fact-checking organizations, supported by Google.
The Elections24Check ([link removed]) website emphasizes checks on claims made related to the 2024 European Parliamentary Elections. Users can search a fact-checking database and filter for articles in different languages, relating to specific countries and political parties, and pertaining to certain topics, such as climate change and security and defense.
“Elections24Check will offer an early detection system of online misinformation for the entire continent,” said Carlos Hernández-Echevarría, chair of the EFCSN Governance Body, in a statement. “Participating fact-checking organizations not only cover almost the entire EU but also the wider community of neighboring European countries. This is important because misinformation travels widely across borders especially around the upcoming elections.”

Thanks for reading Factually! See you next time. Here's the team that brought you today's newsletter.

Alanna
Alanna Dvorak
IFCN Training Manager
Enock
Enock Nyariki
IFCN Community & Impact Manager
Angie
Angie Drobnic Holan
IFCN Director

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