ST.PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 12, 2024) – The International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter announced in June that 35 projects from around the world won grants from the initial BUILD round of the IFCN’s Global Fact Check Fund. As part of its overall first-year project review, the IFCN is now detailing the winning projects.
The IFCN conducted three rounds of grant-giving in the first year of the fund: BUILD, GROW and ENGAGE. The BUILD winners split $875,000, funded by Google/YouTube, for grants of $25,000 each.
The awardees primarily focused their applications on updating technology across a variety of distribution channels and adding staff to improve fact-checking efforts.
Winners were selected from 54 applications received by the IFCN and analyzed by independent reviewers. Each application was first screened by IFCN’s staff for general eligibility — 35 were ruled eligible — and then each was graded by two independent reviewers.
Reviewers were drawn from the fact-checking community and academia, and each project was scored at least twice according to a rubric that included ratings for the statement of need; organizational capacity; and action plan and timeline.
Awards of $25,000 each were made to the 35 projects working in 45 countries, including India, the Philippines, Poland, Australia, Pakistan, Armenia, South Sudan, Nigeria, Ukraine, Belgium, and Ireland, among others. All grantees were verified signatories of the IFCN’s Code of Principles.
The projects were implemented over six to 12 months with progress reports required at the halfway point and the end of the period.
Read below about each grant winner and their projects.
First Check – India
Project: Democratizing Health Fact-Checking: Building Resilience Against Health Misinformation
Funds for this project will support the collaboration of more than 50 health experts from more than 24 countries, focusing on upgrading First Check’s website’s functionality, user experience and security. The goal is to solidify the organization’s commitment to refuting health misinformation and ensuring its standing as a reliable source for health information.
Digiteye – India
Project: Capacity Building Project
This project will bolster Digiteye’s online infrastructure by upgrading its website design, content management systems and security measures, alongside integrating cutting-edge publishing tools. Further, it aims to widen the organization’s audience by introducing content in multiple languages and new formats like video fact checks.
MindaNews – Philippines
Project: Combating Fake News and Disinformation in Muslim Mindanao
The BUILD project will enable MindaNews to significantly increase its production of fact-checking articles by funding the expansion of its fact-checking team. This grant will not only sustain the current fact-checking unit, but also improve its visibility on social media platforms.
Vishvas News – India
Project: Misleading Data Predictor
This project, designed to match the IFCN BUILD grant program’s emphasis on growth and digital enhancement, will develop an open-access platform. It hopes to automate the fact-checking process and make it accessible to citizens, fact-checkers and marginalized groups across different languages and regions.
Fundacja “Przeciwdziałamy Dezinformacji” – Poland
Project: ADAPT to Thrive: Boosting Youth Participation and Multilingual Fact-Checking in the Digital Information Age
The project will add young professionals and offer internships to promising students. It will also introduce advanced online research tools and detailed training on established fact-checking practices. By translating findings into English daily, the team aims to share high-quality fact checks with a wider, international audience.
The Civilitas Foundation – Armenia
Project: Strengthening CivilNet’s Fact-Checking Unit: Combating Disinformation and Promoting Reliable News in Armenia
The project seeks to expand CivilNet’s fact-checking capabilities in Armenia, with plans to update the website for improved content visibility, hire a dedicated fact-checker and offer specialized training for reporters and journalism students. The initiative aims to increase public trust in CivilNet as a reliable source of information.
211 Check – South Sudan
Project: Enhancing the Effectiveness of 211 Check to Strengthen Fact-Checking in South Sudan
Part of the project will help increase the staff size from three to five, invest in necessary website services and upgrade to advanced social media tools, thereby improving 211 Check’s online presence. Additionally, launching a “fact-check for pay” program will train volunteers and journalists in South Sudan, providing reliable information to a broader audience.
Bolivia Verifica – Bolivia
Project: Strong skills to spread the truth
The project seeks to improve the team’s analytical skills in massive disinformation data through two months of data analysis and social media monitoring training, combining online and in-person sessions. It involves collaboration with the IT team to develop solid databases for deeper analysis. It also aims to strengthen ties with allied media.
MediaNet International Centre for Journalism Public Foundation – Kazakhstan
Project: Facts for Freedom: Promoting Media Literacy and Combating Disinformation through Fact-Checking
The project is designed to promote media literacy and critical thinking to tackle disinformation, specifically focusing on the war in Ukraine and Russian propaganda. The project will see the creation of 32 short educational videos alongside an online toolkit offering bilingual, user-friendly fact-checking guides complete with visuals.
Myth Detector – Georgia
Project: Search Engine Optimization for Myth Detector’s Website
Myth Detector will use this funding to boost its online presence and reach by enhancing search engine optimization for its platform. This involves improving technical aspects, conducting thorough content and keyword research, creating authoritative backlinks, upgrading user experience, and monitoring performance closely.
FactCheck.lk – Sri Lanka
Project: Knowledge for impact: Strengthening FactCheck.lk’s information management and online presence
The organization plans to bolster its fact-checking efforts by strategically adding two key positions: a knowledge management specialist and a digital media executive. These roles are aimed at preserving institutional knowledge, boosting online visibility, and ensuring the platform’s strategic sustainability.
Pravda – Poland
Project: Building capacity for Pravda’s fact-checking operation
Pravda plans to update its website and look, making it easier to use and more secure, especially after a virus hit it in late 2021. It will start using simple, short formats like infographics and videos to explain complicated topics and reach more people. At the same time, Pravda will spend resources on training its staff in Poland.
Dubawa – Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia
Project: Enhancing Dubawa’s Capacity to Promote fact-checking in Anglophone West Africa
Dubawa plans to upgrade its team’s skills and the quality and amount of work they do, aiming to spread its content further in West Africa. They’ll do this by adding a videographer for regular video content and amplifying the reach of Dubawa’s work in an effort to reach new audiences. The organization will also hire new fact-checkers in The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Faktoje – Albania
Project: Global Fact Check Fund – BUILD Program
Faktoje’s project is aimed at ensuring long-term sustainability and growth. The strategy includes attracting new audiences by investing in social media accounts, upgrading the web portal with better content management systems and hardware, and enhancing engagement on social media platforms. Planned activities also involve expanding services in media literacy and public advocacy.
Factcheck.vlaanderen – Belgium
Project: Empowering New Voters Through Facts: Fact-Checking the 2024 Elections in Flanders
The grant project enhances the organization’s existing operations, focusing on strengthening its proven day-to-day fact-checking activities as the 2024 election approaches. It plans to update tools to detect more political claims on various platforms, publish findings more quickly, and improve article visuals while exploring additional platforms for dissemination.
NewsMeter – India
Project: SouthCheck: Creating a One-Stop Website for Fact-Checking Across All South Indian States
The project, designed to scale and upgrade NewsMeter’s online presence, creates a separate website dedicated to fact-checking across the southern states of India. The project will create a robust online platform capable of presenting fact checks in various formats — such as articles, videos, and images — for the targeted population.
Lupa – Brazil
Project: Lupa’s internal training program
Internal training will help Lupa’s team to develop their skills in support of their professional development. This initiative aims to further prepare Brazilian fact-checkers for the challenges of the 2024 municipal elections, as Lupa’s workforce has grown by 50% since the last presidential election.
NewsMobile – India
Project: Chunav Shaala
The project aims to dedicate resources to staffing and professional development initiatives. It includes formal mentoring and coaching to address misinformation, especially concerning the Indian elections, and planning workshops nationwide before the 2024 general elections.
Fatabyyano – Jordan, Middle East, North Africa
Project: Strengthening Fact-Checking in the MENA Region: Scaling Up and Upgrading Online Presence
Fatabyyano will use the funding to enhance website development through a detailed review, hiring a skilled web developer, conducting user testing, and upgrading analytics for a user-friendly website. It will also upgrade infrastructure, content management systems, and publishing tools, implement comprehensive security audits, and invest in staff development.
Fact-Check Ghana – Ghana
Project: Enhancing Public Access to Factual Information in Ghana for Informed Decision-Making
Fact-Check Ghana will initiate its first training program for staff on verifying manipulated videos and images with artificial intelligence tools, addressing the rise of AI-generated disinformation. The organization will expand its fact-check reports from English-only, text-based formats to include translations into four major languages and video formats.
AAP FactCheck – Australia
Project: Project Amplify
The funding will add staff and facilitate more effective content management, engagement analysis, and security enhancements, with the aim of doubling the social media following in six months. Additionally, the content management system will be upgraded to improve searchability, publishing flexibility, and user engagement, incorporating additional metadata and tagging to support specific content feeds and open new revenue streams.
Dogrula – Turkey
Project: Dogrula Boost
Funds will be used to expand the team, incorporate advanced technology, enhance research resources, invest in training, and broaden impact, elevating Dogrula’s capacity to provide reliable information and support a more informed and empowered society.
Tech4Peace – Iraq
Project: Greater Fact-Checking Presence; Technology Organization for Peace
The project will create a Kurdish language sub-domain and translate the organization’s statistics and policies. New website sections will be added, articles’ presentation will be updated with new features like live tweet display, and tools for image copying, suspicious link checking, and Twitter analysis. Additionally, a Twitter Blue subscription for better reach and a contract with an HR firm for recruitment training are planned.
Taiwan FactCheck Center – Taiwan
Project: Fighting against Election disinformation by monitoring footage on YouTube and Tik-Tok
This project, designed to enhance fact-checkers’ quality, volume, frequency, scale, and impact, aligns with the development of an online video fact-checking system aimed at addressing disinformation.
VoxUkraine – Ukraine
Project: Fact-Checking Talents Incubator
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a shortage of specialists for countering Russian disinformation in Ukraine and Europe emerged. To tackle this issue, the organization will launch the “Fact-Checking Talents Incubator” to train new specialists and expand fact-checking efforts across Ukraine.
The Journal FactCheck – Ireland
Project: The Journal FactCheck Media Literacy Outreach
This project focuses on creating a microsite repository of materials to enhance communication efforts, offering reference materials, explainers, and guidelines to meet growing demands for media literacy materials. The organization seeks to strengthen its position in the Irish online landscape and improve its ability to reach the public effectively.
Digital Forensic, Research and Analytics Center – India
Project: Debunking Fake News in India
This project aims to address the emerging challenges faced by fact-checkers due to the rise of chatbots and AI-driven applications. It will focus on capacity building and acquiring new skills to effectively combat misinformation. Activities include sensitizing and training upcoming journalists and media professionals, increasing the volume of fact checks through new hiring and introducing training programs in colleges and universities.
Público – Portugal
Project: Journalism against deepfakes
This funding program allows Público and Prova dos Factos to increase the content on disinformation, the frequency of publication, the multimedia offer for the various platforms, with the aim of reducing the effects of disinformation, especially among younger audiences, between 18 and 25 years old.
Hibrid.info – Kosovo
Project: Empowering Fact-Checking in Kosovo
By expanding staff and investing in web improvements, Hibrid.info aims to boost its capacity to combat misinformation and promote media literacy
Mala Espina Check – Chile
Project: Mala Espina 2.0
Mala Espina Check plans to strengthen production capacity, expand its social media presence to reach more audiences, particularly young people, and make technological improvements for a more professional website platform.
Cheque Bolivia – Bolivia
Project: Chequea Bolivia-Build
The funding will assist the organization in updating its website and virtual education platform. The website revamp focuses on user-friendly interface accessibility via mobile devices, incorporating a subscription section for payments, and storing data obtained from their methodology execution for research and project advancement. The improvements to the virtual platform aim to enhance agility and provide engaging training content.
Viral Check – Portugal
Project: Making truth go viral. From content to security, build a fortress against health disinformation
The project is aimed at increasing the quality and efficiency of Viral Check’s work, with a focus on improving the fact-checking content and the digital presence; strengthening the security of the website and investing in the professional development of our staff.
Soch Fact Check – Pakistan
Project: Soch Upscaling
The project will upgrade Soch’s online presence by improving website development and recruiting new staff to create and execute a cohesive social media strategy. It will also develop an AI tool to monitor hate speech and disinformation terms in local Pakistani languages.
The Logical Indian – India
Project: FAKT- Building Tech and capacity to empower citizens, employees and overcoming language barriers
The project aims to build capacities and teams in a sustainable way to equip citizens with the necessary skills to combat the spread of misinformation. A one-time investment will be made to develop a web portal with content in regional languages to address the language barrier that limits access to reliable information.
FactCheck Hub – Nigeria
Project: Improving the Visibility of fact-checking content in Nigeria
The FactCheck Hub will invest in technology and tools that will empower its verification and increase the production of multimedia fact-checking content in large volumes. Additionally, the organization will invest in the development of automated fact-checking systems, browser extensions, or mobile applications that enable users to quickly verify information.
Media Contact:
Angie Drobnic Holan
Director, International Fact-Checking Network
aholan@poynter.org
+1-727-410-1770
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About the International Fact-Checking Network
The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at Poynter was launched in 2015 to bring together the growing community of fact-checkers around the world and advocates of factual information in the global fight against misinformation. We enable fact-checkers through networking, capacity building and collaboration. IFCN promotes the excellence of fact-checking to more than 100 organizations worldwide through advocacy, training and global events. Our team monitors trends in the fact-checking field to offer resources to fact-checkers, contribute to public discourse and provide support for new projects and initiatives that advance accountability in journalism. We believe truth and transparency can help people be better informed and equipped to navigate harmful misinformation.
