Fact-checking projects from Australia, France, Indonesia, Canada, Jordan, Kenya, Taiwan and Ukraine have been selected from among more than 170 applications to receive funding from the Coronavirus Fact-Checking Grant.
In this second and final release of grant money, the International Fact-Checking Network, with Facebook’s support, will distribute $300,000 to the eight projects to fight COVID-19 disinformation. The first 13 projects, which received $500,000 from the grant, were announced on April 2.
The recipient’s projects will start as soon as possible (some of them are already underway) and will last for up to six months. Each organization has listed at least two key performance indicators (KPIs) to achieve in the grant’s time frame.
The goal of Coronavirus Fact-Checking Grants, announced on March 17, is to curb mis/disinformation about the pandemic and also strengthen the fact-checking community.
Since January, more than 100 fact-checkers have been collaborating in the #CoronaVirusFacts / #DatosCoronaVirus Alliance to create the largest COVID-19 misinformation database. The support offered by Facebook will highlight this work even more.
“We are more than excited to see 21 organizations in our community have been able to raise additional resources in such challenging times. The Coronavirus Fact-Checking Grant has been a tool for us to support the fact-checkers with flash grants and acknowledge them for their dedication and commitment,” said Baybars Orsek, the IFCN’s director.
“The global fact-checking community is playing a crucial role in the fight against COVID-19 misinformation. We are excited to see how these 21 grant recipients from around the world will continue to make an impact,” said Keren Goldshlager of Facebook Integrity Partnerships.
Read more about each recipient of the second batch:
RMIT ABC Fact Check – Australia | $50,000
Project: The CoronaCheck project
The team established an email newsletter that draws on a wide range of internationally accredited fact-checks and stories; agenda-free information about the impact of the disease; the latest from the White House; and links to official and reliable sources of information about COVID-19. It also carries news about how the fact-checking community is battling waves of misinformation and malicious content in posts and tweets.
20 minutes – France | $40,000
Project: Oh My Fake
The team will produce videos, stories and podcasts about COVID-19. It will work on audience development initiatives that use innovative formats, such as interactive communication, to better reach people with reliable information. The videos distributed on websites and social platforms (Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram) explore and explain cognitive bias (Dunning-Kruger effect, emotional bias, etc) that makes fake news on COVID-19 particularly viral. This approach empowers people who can realize the effects of cognitive bias, and easily share snaps and videos in a peer-to-peer approach.
Liputan6 – Indonesia | $19,212
Project: COVID-19 WhatsApp Hoaxbuster
The team attempts to exterminate false news in WhatsApp by creating rival WhatsApp groups that consist of activists who have determination in resisting hoaxes and spreading facts. So far, there are seven WhatsApp Groups based in six regions. They have been operating since February.
ASL 19 – Iran (Canada) | $13,120
Project: Factnameh Instagram Outreach Project
The team will fact-check trending information about COVID-19 and share this widely on popular social media channels in Iran. Factnameh aims to amplify its reach by delivering content via Instagram, the only unblocked social media platform in Iran. Instagram has 24 million users there.
Fatabyyano – Jordan | $49,780
Project: F-19 Vs. COVID – 19
This project aims to fight misinformation in 19 Arab countries by delivering 19 packages composed of animated videos, fact-checked articles and infographics. The team will use sign language in its visual production to reach a wider audience.
PesaCheck – Kenya | $39,100
Project: Converting PesaCheck’s Content for Messaging
The team will translate the content it has produced in the form of long-form and short articles into GIFs, short videos and other formats that can be shared on a variety of messaging platforms in response to COVID-19 misinformation.
Taiwan FactCheck Center – Taiwan | $50,000
Project: Combat COVID-19 Misinformation through Multimedia
The team will create an interactive timeline, a world map and more infographics to be presented on the organization’s website. The idea is to use existing fact-checks to design and produce an interactive game to be used with children, along with an informative video about COVID-19. The content will be shared with the Education Resource of Digital Literacy, the online database run by the Ministry of Education Taiwan. The team will work on LINE and Instagram.
VoxUkraine – Ukraine | $36,000
Project: CoronaShield
The VoxCheck team will join forces with UNICEF to monitor and collect COVID-19 falsehoods. It will work with MoH and UNICEF experts to clarify medical points and share fact-checks through various networks, including healthcare professionals. The team will write scripts and go live with short messages on the national TV Channel Suspilne, besides creating infographics, articles and videos.
