Journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa will be a featured keynote speaker at GlobalFact 11, the world’s largest fact-checking summit, hosted by the International Fact-Checking Network at the Poynter Institute. She’ll be joined by experts in journalism, democracy, artificial intelligence and debunking online misinformation.

Ressa won the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2021 in recognition of her efforts “to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace." She is the co-founder of Rappler, a digital news site with a robust fact-checking division, based in the Philippines. Rappler has been a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network’s Code of Principles since 2017. Prior to founding Rappler, Ressa worked as a bureau chief for CNN in both Manilla and in Jakarta, Indonesia. She is the author of several books and her most recent memoir is titled, “How to Stand up to a Dictator.” 

Ressa will appear at GlobalFact in conversation with Phil Chetwynd, Global News Director of Agence France-Presse. AFP has been a signatory to the IFCN’s Code of Principles since 2018.

Ressa will be joined by the following distinguished speakers at GlobalFact 11, held from June 26 to 28 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Steve Levitsky, political scientist and co-author of “How Democracies Die” and “Tyranny of the Majority.” Levitsky’s work focuses on democracy, authoritarianism, political parties, campaigns and elections, with a focus on Latin America. His book “How Democracies Die,” co-written with Daniel Ziblatt, documented democracy’s vulnerability when both critical institutions, such as the judiciary and the press, and long-standing political norms are gradually eroded over time. His latest work looks at the structural conditions that contribute to democratic resiliency around the world.

AI futurist Nikita Roy is a practitioner and promoter of the responsible use of artificial intelligence in media. She conducts AI workshops for news organizations and has taught generative AI at institutions that include the University of Toronto and the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York. Her work includes studying how AI can increase revenue streams, audience reach and operational efficiency for the news, making community media more sustainable. Roy is a Knight Fellow at the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ).

Craig Silverman is a longtime presenter and trainer at GlobalFact, and he returns in 2024 to lead workshops on digital investigations and media manipulation. As a journalist, Silverman covers voting, platforms and disinformation for the investigative website ProPublica. Before that, he was media editor with Buzzfeed News. He is the author of the email newsletter Digital Investigations, which offers tips and tools for digging into digital content and using open source intelligence (OSINT).

GlobalFact tickets are $399 and can be purchased at www.globalfact11.com, with discounts available to IFCN signatories. Individuals who cannot physically attend the conference can purchase a $49 virtual ticket to watch the live broadcast of select main stage sessions.

For more information, visit www.globalfact11.com or email [email protected].

The IFCN published a series of essays to mark International Fact-Checking Day, and fact-checkers opined on artificial intelligence, dealing with critics, and holding elected officials accountable. 

Artificial intelligence

Chequeado’s Olivia Sohr and Franco Piccato wrote about ‘How fact-checkers can use AI wisely,’ sharing insights from eight years of experimenting with the technology in Argentina. They advise investing in technology tools, but also pursuing more active collaboration between fact-checkers in different countries. 

Fact-checkers with Factly in India argued that AI’s capacity to bolster fact-checking efforts is unmistakable, and they’ve witnessed it already. In a country as populous and diverse as India, AI is not just beneficial — it’s essential.

Dealing with critics

Eric Litke of USA Today responded to the frequently asked question: ‘Who should fact-check the fact-checkers? Everyone.’ He argues that transparency of sources is the key to evaluating the work of any fact-checker. 

“Let’s say it plainly,” IFCN Director Angie Drobnic Holan wrote in her opinion piece, “Fact-Checking is not censorship.” Her op-ed illustrates how fact-checking adds to the public debate. 

Holding elected officials accountable

Filipe Pardal of Polígrafo explored “Fact-checking’s impact on elections: A case study from Portugal,” making the case that elections are the ultimate expression of democracy and the prime metric for assessing the influence of fact-checking within democratic societies. 

In her article, “We need spin-checking in addition to fact-checking,” Istinomer's Milijana Rogač addressed her peers, suggesting that fact-checkers can deconstruct political narratives to assist the public.

Other topics

The staff of Tech4Peace in Iraq showed how “the bombing of Erbil is a case study in misinformation.” They went into details about the numbers surrounding the Jan. 15 bombing in the northern region, showing how unchecked misinformation can shape narratives. 

“Yes, you can fact-check on TikTok,” wrote Öyküm Hüma Keskin of Teyit, a long-term IFCN signatory from Turkey. In 2023, the organization went all-in on TikTok to see if there was a need for fact-checking and to serve new audiences. The lessons they learned included developing a new outlook for a new platform. 

From India, First Check editor Jisha Krishnan explained “Why health is still important,” going beyond COVID to draw attention to misinformation about measles, HPV, fake cures, and more. 

Fact-Check Ghana’s Kwaku Krobea Asante urged fact-checkers to watch out for narratives that target women candidates ahead of the country’s general elections in December. His essay — “How misinformation will be gender-based in Ghana’s upcoming elections” — uncovered some tactics misinformers use to avoid detection. 

The global network of fact-checkers is large, diverse, and growing, while its top concerns are raising money and addressing harassment, according to the International Fact-Checking Network’s most recent State of the Fact-Checkers Report.

The report, debuted on International Fact-Checking Day, collected survey responses from 137 organizations across 69 countries.

Some key findings:

There’s a nonprofit majority. Nonprofit organizations continue to outnumber for-profit signatories in the network, 53% to 40.9%.

Many operations are small. Sixty-eight percent of fact-checking organizations have 10 or fewer employees; 6.6% employ 31 or more people.

Harassment continues. About 72% of surveyed signatories reported facing harassment in 2023 because of their fact-checking. Most attacks, directed at groups and fact-checkers, came online, but 7% involved physical threats. A majority of organizations surveyed said the volume of attacks was equal to 2022 or greater.

 

Financial focus. Fact-checkers said their biggest challenge is raising money to sustain their work and to become financially sustainable. Grants now benefit more fact-checkers than the Meta program, backing about 87% of survey respondents.

Govindraj Ethiraj, who started India’s first data journalism initiative, IndiaSpend, and Peter Cunliffe-Jones, a longtime foreign correspondent for The Economist, The Independent and the Paris-based Agence France-Presse news agency, reflected on fact-checking’s progress and challenges in a webinar with IFCN staff.

Cunliffe-Jones said fact-checking is happening now in places where it once seemed unimaginable, although there remain places that need fact-checking and don’t have it. He also said more fact-checkers are following the IFCN Code of Principles.

“It’s not just about people doing fact-checking or claiming they do fact-checking, we need to do it in the right way,” Cunliffe-Jones said. “And that’s what the code is about. And that’s why the growth of the IFCN to me is so important.”

Ethiraj said fact-checking is growing along with digital infrastructure and social media. The world has about 5 billion social media users and a growing number of smartphones. In India, he said, 800 million smartphones are in use, and more than 1 billion are in use in China. The gadgets make seeing and spreading disinformation easier, he said.

“So, the point is that the spread of misinformation, thanks to the infrastructure, has also been very rapid in these last few years, which in turn has necessitated the need for greater fact-checking,” Ethiraj said.

Read the full article here. The 22-page report is also publicly available. 

Alexios Mantzarlis moves to Cornell Tech’s  Security, Trust, and Safety Initiative

Former IFCN director Alexios Mantzarlis is the new head of Cornell University’s Security, Trust, and Safety (SETS) Initiative under its Cornell Tech umbrella and based in New York City. SETS will guide new teaching, research, engagement, and entrepreneurial activities aimed at making progress on the critical problems unsafe digital technologies pose to societies worldwide. Mantzarlis started the new position on May 4; he was previously a principal at Google’s Trust and Safety Intelligence team. Read the announcement. He is also launching a Substack newsletter about online falsehoods and their harmful consequences. 

WAN-IFRA announces fact-checking awards

The World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) recently announced major awards for best fact-checking projects around the world. Awardees included:

Checked, by Agencia EFE, multiple countries: Best Fact-Checking Project, Americas. “Checked” fights disinformation in Spanish-speaking countries through a format that mixes disclosure and entertainment. “In five minutes a week, it addresses the most viral falsehoods of recent days and encourages listeners to send messages they consider suspicious to the EFE Verifica query service on WhatsApp.”

FátimaGPT, Aos Fatos, Brazil: Best Fact-Checking Project, Americas (Local/Small). FatimaGPT extended the capabilities of Aos Fatos’ original chatbot, Fatima, by integrating advanced artificial intelligence technologies. “The project reflected Aos Fatos’ approach to AI: to inform and educate readers about its risks and potential harms, while exploring how journalists can use technology responsibly and ethically to improve the public’s access to reliable information.”

AFP Fact Check: how to verify information online: Best Fact-Checking Project, Europe. AFP used video to show journalists and the public how to verify online content and identify potentially false information. Judges said: “A powerful and creative initiative that not only informs but also brings journalists and users new ways to cross-check the news they consume and/or report about. …  The content comes across as authentic, credible and accessible.”

Fact-6ers Synergy by Liputan6.com: Best Fact-Checking Project, Asia. Liputan6.com Fact Check Managing Editor, Edu Krisnadefa, said, "This will certainly motivate us to continue to produce the latest ideas and programs. … But what is more important is of course that we hope that these Fact Check programs can be useful for the community.”

Fact-checking and media literacy campaign, Jagran New Media/Vishvas News: Gold, Best Fact-Checking Project, South Asia. "'Sach Ke Sathi' isn't just a project; it's a commitment to truth, integrity, and empowering individuals with the tools they need to navigate the vast landscape of misinformation,” said journalist Devika Mehta. “Through the programme, we've aimed to arm people with the skills to discern fact from fiction, to question, to verify, and to think critically. “

The Making of #BoycottPathaan, The Quint, Silver, and Webqoof, The Quint, Bronze: Best Fact-Checking Project, South Asia.

‘Rest of World’ profiles India’s Misinformation Combat Alliance

The tech news website Rest of World reported on India’s new fact-checking regional network, the Misinformation Combat Alliance, headed by Bharat Gupta of Vishvas News. Gupta also serves on the IFCN advisory board. Read the profile. 

EDMO Task Force launches newsletter 

The European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) Task Force on 2024 EU Elections has started a newsletter, named “Disinfo Bulletin.” It promises to deliver “concise updates on urgent disinformation narratives surrounding the upcoming Elections for the European Parliament.” If you’d like to sign up, here’s the link.