Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
The Misinformation Combat Alliance (MCA), a cross-industry collaboration to combat the spread of dis/misinformation, has announced the framework for an independent Fact Checking Network (FCN) in India.
Read more: Industry Leaders Come Together To Tackle Misinformation In Indian Digital Space
The move will help develop self-governing standards and best practices for fact checking organisations in the country while ensuring an environment of trust and transparency for Indian users, tailored to their interests.
India has a robust fact checking community that has been steadily growing over the years in response to rampant rise in misinformation online, so much so, that the country is now home to the world’s largest fact checking community in the world. With multiple players, the community recognises the need to earn the trust of the Indian netizens, by setting high standards of accuracy, non-partisanship and transparency.
The FCN aims to codify these standards through its Code of Principles, ensuring that correct information is available to one and all, while they “demonstrate commitment to the the privacy and safety, including considerations under Indian law for protecting the identities of children and victims of heinous crimes, as well as protecting personal data under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023,” a release said.
“Organisations that are willing to sign up to the Code of Principles will become part of a standard framework for fact checking in India, overseen by the FCN Board. The Board is a self-governing body established under a special charter to verify whether an organisation’s processes and workflow is compliant with the FCN Code of Principles. Organisations which meet the standards will be accredited as ‘verified signatories’ to the Code. This can be viewed as a certification to the public as well as platforms and government authorities that the organisation can be trusted to employ the highest standards in the conduct of fact checking,” it added.
The organisations that are involved in the project are Boom, Factly, Fact Crescendo, Newschecker, India Today, Logically Facts, Newsmeter, Newsmobile, The Logical Indian, Tattle, The Healthy Indian Project (THIP), The Quint, Youth Ki Awaaz, Yuvaa, Pluc TV and Vishvas News.
If you would like us to fact check a claim, give feedback or lodge a complaint, WhatsApp us at 9999499044 or email us at checkthis@newschecker.in. You can also visit the Contact Us page and fill out the form.
Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
