There are thousands of tools, methods and tip sheets out there for journalists and fact-checkers, and sometimes it’s hard to cut through the noise and find something that will actually help you do your job.
That’s why today, the International Fact-Checking Network is launching the first in a series of videos highlighting some of the most useful best practices to verify information online. Called “Check It,” the series will feature regular 2-minute videos that include interviews with fact-checkers and developers, as well as best practices and how-to’s — all with the goal of improving the work of fact-checkers.
For the pilot, we spoke with Anthony Catel, a French developer who created MapChecking. The online tool pulls from the Google Maps API and a simple equation to show how many people can fit in a certain area. This can be really helpful for fact-checking statements about crowd size, which are frequently exaggerated.
For future videos, we’re looking at resources that help fact-checkers do anything from surfacing fake news on Twitter to turning fact checks into GIFs. Have an idea for something we should feature, or want to send some comments and ideas for Check It? Email factchecknet@poynter.org. Please also let us know what you thought about this first video by filling out the Google Form below.
