European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN)

VERIFIED MEMBERS

Membership in the EFCSN signifies an organisation’s rigorous commitment to provide accurate information ethically and transparently, without bias or prejudice and focus on matters in the public interest as well as a proven track record of excellence, integrity and accountability as definied in the European Code of Standards for Independent Fact-Checking Organisations.

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Weekly Top Fake

Website

https://investigatebel.org/ru/fakenews

Date

18/01/2024

Please, answer the following questions:

Article 2.2: Methodology

In order to be recognised as a verified member of the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN), operations must:

Applicant

Date: 24/05/2023

You can find info about our methodology here: https://investigatebel.org/ru/nashyya-metady-praverki-infarmacyi

Assessor

Needs more info

Date: 08/11/2023

On the WTF website, the methodology section clearly details the procedure for selecting, researching, and carrying out investigations. Instead of employing a rating system, they categorize their findings as "misrepresentation," "concealment," or "fabrication." For clarity, it would be beneficial if these categories were also defined within the methodology section.

Applicant

Needs more info

Date: 15/12/2023

We have added an info regarding rating system in the end of "How we do" section
https://investigatebel.org/en/nashyya-metady-praverki-infarmacyi

Assessor

Compliant

Date: 19/12/2023

It is clear now, thank you.

Ekaterine Basilaia (assessor)

Needs more info

Date: 02/11/2023

The applicant provides information on where/how it finds and chooses claims for investigation,

how staff conduct research to evaluate claims, how fact-checks are written, edited and published. The information about definitions of any rating systems used is not included in the methodology section, even though it is clear from the materials that they are making such evaluations https://investigatebel.org/en/fakenews.

Applicant

Needs more info

Date: 15/12/2023

We have added an info regarding rating system in the end of "How we do" section
https://investigatebel.org/en/nashyya-metady-praverki-infarmacyi

Ekaterine Basilaia (assessor)

Compliant

Date: 19/12/2023

The evaluation system added in "How we do" section is compliant with the EFCSN standards.

Best Practices:

In addition to the required standards listed above, the Code identifies the following as a best practice that is encouraged but not required to join the EFCSN.

Article 3.1: Non-Partisanship and Impartiality

In order to be recognised as a verified member of the European Fact-checking Standards Network (EFCSN), operations must:

Applicant

Date: 24/05/2023

We strictly follow the code of Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), which sets professional standards on this particular issue and many others. Our commitment to the BAJ code can be found here: https://investigatebel.org/en/nashyya-metady-praverki-infarmacyi

The BAJ code itself could be found here (https://baj.by/be/content/palazhenne-pra-kamisiyu).

Assessor

Needs more info

Date: 08/11/2023

The "About Us" section on the applicant's website comprehensively details the organization's history, objectives, fact-checking methods, staff information, and the adherence to neutrality. It outlines their submission and review processes for fact-checking, outlines their policy for corrections, and to underscore their commitment to impartiality and ethical journalism, includes links to their International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) profile and the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) code of ethics.

While having this information centralized on one page facilitates overall visibility, it could benefit from improved organization to enhance user navigation. Additionally, it is advised that procedures addressing the protocol for instances where organizational standards are breached by a team member should be clearly articulated.

Applicant

Needs more info

Date: 15/12/2023

We have added a contents list at the start of the page to enhance navigation, we have added info about procedures to be implemented when organizational standards are breached as well (Ethics Code section).

Assessor

Compliant

Date: 19/12/2023

Great, thank you.

Ekaterine Basilaia (assessor)

Compliant

Date: 02/11/2023

The methodology section explicitly addresses the applicant's editorial independence. This is further supported by the applicant's affiliation with and alignment with the values and principles of well-regarded organisations such as OCCRP and BAJ.

Applicant

Date: 24/05/2023

Assessor

Compliant

Date: 08/11/2023

The applicant declares that maintaining neutrality is their highest priority, and as such, they are dedicated to ensuring their staff remains nonpartisan. They have a strict policy against the hiring of individuals affiliated with political parties or active political groups. Additionally, they rigorously monitor their journalists' social media activities to verify that there is no endorsement of political entities, reaffirming their commitment to impartiality.

Ekaterine Basilaia (assessor)

Compliant

Date: 03/11/2023

The "Our Principles" section on the applicant's website underlines their commitment to impartiality. They refrain from employing individuals associated with political parties or politically engaged activists, and they actively monitor their journalists' social media accounts to ensure no political affiliations are evident. Furthermore, as a signatory to the BAJ Code of Conduct, the applicant follows clearly defined procedures in cases of norm violations.

Applicant

Date: 24/05/2023

Assessor

Needs more info

Date: 08/11/2023

The applicant states that they are strictly following the BAJ ethics code, however, there is no clear policy on the website of what are the measures or steps if a violation of the standards takes place.

Applicant

Needs more info

Date: 15/12/2023

We have added info about procedures to be implemented when organizational standards are breached (Ethics Code section).

Assessor

Compliant

Date: 19/12/2023

It is clear now. Thank you.

Ekaterine Basilaia (assessor)

Needs more info

Date: 02/11/2023

The nonadmissibility of gifts, favors, or services with conditions exceeding common social and courtesy norms is mentioned on the applicant's website, yet there is no information regarding the procedures to follow in case of such occurrences.

Applicant

Needs more info

Date: 15/12/2023

We have added info about procedures to be implemented when organizational standards are breached (Ethics Code section).

Ekaterine Basilaia (assessor)

Compliant

Date: 19/12/2023

The procedures have been added per recommendations.

Article 3.2: Privacy and Safety

In order to be recognised as a verified member of the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN), operations must:

Best Practices

In addition to the required standards listed above, the Code identifies the following as a best practice that is encouraged but not required to join the EFCSN.

Article 3.3: Honest corrections

In order to be recognised as a verified member of the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN), operations must:

Applicant

Date: 24/05/2023

Our corrections policy and record of corrections can be found here: https://investigatebel.org/en/nashyya-metady-praverki-infarmacyi

Assessor

Needs more info

Date: 08/11/2023

The correction and complaints rules are described in Methodology under "Corrections Policy" and evidence can be found in the two episodes on YouTube; however, the "a record of recent corrections" link leads to the IFCN assessment report of WTF and is not easy to find for someone who is not familiar with the assessment structure or the organization. Also, it is not clear, where the new corrections (if there will be) will go to.

Applicant

Needs more info

Date: 18/12/2023

We have added a section on our website containing corrections list - https://investigatebel.org/en/list-of-corrections.

The link tho this page is located in the end of the "Corrections Policy" section - https://investigatebel.org/en/nashyya-metady-praverki-infarmacyi

Assessor

Compliant

Date: 19/12/2023

Great, thank you.

Ekaterine Basilaia (assessor)

Needs more info

Date: 02/11/2023

The correction policy is in place. The two corrections in the history of the applicant are also mentioned. https://youtu.be/7JuB7aju_x8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_GuKpEAtPo&list=PLwYoV983RR85toP6s8MCUT_iBUJlXZ9aC&index=7&t=677s
The applicant's website provides a link to another website where both of these corrections are listed.

Ekaterine Basilaia (assessor)

Needs more info

Date: 04/11/2023

Continuation of the previous message:
It is recommended that the applicant provides the space on its website to these corrections.

Applicant

Needs more info

Date: 18/12/2023

Ekaterine Basilaia (assessor)

Compliant

Date: 19/12/2023

The recommendation has been taken into consideration.

Best Practices:

In addition to the required standards listed above, the Code identifies the following as best practices that are encouraged but not required to join the EFCSN.

Article 4.1: Organisational transparency

In order to be recognised as a verified member of the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN), operations must:

Applicant

Date: 24/05/2023

You can find statement on our mission here: https://investigatebel.org/en/team

Assessor

Needs more info

Date: 08/11/2023

The "About Us" section on the WTF website partially outlines the organization's mission, values, and certain internal guidelines, in addition to their methodology and guidelines for submissions. However, these elements are not fully detailed at the designated link that is intended to explain the mission and objectives of their parent organization, the BIC.

Applicant

Needs more info

Date: 15/12/2023

The "About Us" section is currently being redesigned so it will be online by the end of the year and it will contain a couple of paragraphs about our mission and values.

Assessor

Needs more info

Date: 19/12/2023

We would need to wait for the changes to be able to make final assessment.

Assessor

Compliant

Date: 17/01/2024

Seen the redesign.

Ekaterine Basilaia (assessor)

Needs more info

Date: 02/11/2023

The link is not working.

Applicant

Needs more info

Date: 15/12/2023

The "About Us" section is currently being redesigned so it will be online by the emd of the year and will contain a couple of paragraphs about our mission and values.

Ekaterine Basilaia (assessor)

Needs more info

Date: 19/12/2023

For the final assessment of this section, it is better to wait for the updated "About Us" section.

Ekaterine Basilaia (assessor)

Compliant

Date: 11/01/2024

The mission statement of the organization has been added to the website.

Applicant

Date: 24/05/2023

Assessor

Needs more info

Date: 08/11/2023

The "About Us" section on the applicant's website outlines their mission and practices, emphasizing their commitment to impartiality with links to their IFCN profile and the BAJ code of ethics. However, the organization’s bylaws that govern member conduct are not clearly marked or are missing from the site.

Applicant

Needs more info

Date: 18/12/2023

In the "Ethics Code" section on this page https://investigatebel.org/en/nashyya-metady-praverki-infarmacyi we mention that BIC and its members follow professional principles stipulated in the BAJ code. In the bottom of this section we also describe how we deal with situations when these principles and rules (that we consider as BIC's organizational bylaws) are violated.

Assessor

Compliant

Date: 19/12/2023

Great, thank you.

Article 4.2: Financial transparency and conflicts of interest

In order to be recognised as a verified member of the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN), organisations or parent organisations must:

Best Practices

In addition to the required standards listed above, the Code identifies the following as a best practice that is encouraged but not required to join the EFCSN.

I. ELIGIBILITY TO APPLY In order to apply to the EFCSN, your fact-checking operation must first meet the criteria outlined in Chapter 5.2 of the Code.

1. When and why was your fact-checking operation started?

2. How many people work or volunteer in the operation and what are their roles?

3. Please list any activities besides fact-checking that your operation engages in.

4. What are the goals of your fact-checking operation over the coming year?

5. Please explain the geographical scope of your fact-checking operation and how you fit the Code’s requirement to “have a substantial and demonstrable focus on one or more of the countries of the Council of Europe, Kosovo or Belarus”.

6. Please attach a list of an average of four original fact-checks per month from the past year if this is your first time applying to the EFCSN or from the past two years if you are renewing your application.

7. Please note which policies you have had to change, if any, over the past 6 months in order to comply with the Code.

2.A. Make available and easily accessible on their website an explanation of the process used to select, research and complete investigations, including a definition of any rating systems used.

2.B. Assess the merits of the evidence found using the same standards applied to evidence on equivalent claims, regardless of who made the claim.

2.C. Primarily focus on topics that are in the public interest, defined here as issues that concern the welfare of society or individuals, and be willing to explain, if requested by an assessor, how various investigations fit this definition.

2.D. Make available and easily accessible on their website a channel through which the public can submit possible claims for verification and encourage users to send claims to check, while making it clear what readers can legitimately expect will be fact-checked and what isn’t fact-checkable.

2.E. Identify and include in publications, when possible, access to all evidence or other required information for a reader to replicate the verification process.

2.F. Provide evidence for every pertinent factual statement made in an investigation, relying on primary sources where possible. Set out in its fact checks relevant evidence that appears to support the claim as well as relevant evidence that appears to undermine it.

2.H. Name all sources except when their safety is at risk. In such exceptions, anonymous sources may only be included if the information they provide is corroborated by named sources or material evidence.

2.I. When quoting experts, establish their credibility in the relevant topic.

2.J. Ensure each investigation undergoes at least one round of editing by someone other than the author before publication.

2.K. Present findings in precise, factual and non-emotive language, while taking care not to overstate conclusions.

2.K. Present findings in precise, factual and non-emotive language, while taking care not to overstate conclusions.

3.1.A. Be editorially free and politically independent.

3.1.B. Not endorse or advise the public to vote for any political parties or candidates for public office.

3.1.C. Not conclude any agreement or partnership with a political party or any other public relations and similar activities that could compromise the operation’s reputation for independence and impartiality

3.1.D. Not focus investigations unduly on one particular political party or side of the political spectrum.

3.1.E. Not employ anyone who holds a salaried and/or prominent position in a political party, government, state or public company under the direct control of a political party or government.

3.1.F. Explicitly address in publications any reasonable conflict of interest or political bias, including from experts or organisations cited.

3.1.H. Have internal policies that bar employees from accepting in a professional context any gifts, favours, or services with advantageous conditions that go beyond common social and courtesy items, and have procedures in place to take action if they do.

3.1.I. Make available and easily accessible on their website these and any other non-partisanship policies (See template in Annex 3)

3.1.J. Only advocate for issues that are relevant to the mission of fact-checking and are compatible with a reputation for independence and impartiality. Organisations that engage in advocacy must set out public guidelines on how they adhere to these standards.

3.2.A. Obscure the image and/or identity of subjects of an investigation when there is a reasonable concern for their safety.

3.2.B. Take measures to avoid exposing the source or identity of user-generated disinformation content to undue public scrutiny.

3.2.C. Be restrictive, respectful and considerate when mentioning or identifying minors and make efforts to protect their privacy.

3.2.D. Anonymise any personal information that could allow the harassment of people (i.e. at least partially concealing telephone numbers, IDs or passports, bank account numbers, email addresses…).

3.2.E. When appropriate and possible, a right-of-reply should be offered to any named person or organisation who is the source of the inaccurate claim and/or is the subject of significant criticism or allegations.

3.2.F. Put in place measures that aim to address the risk of trauma or harassment experienced by staff as a result of the operation’s activities, including but not limited to providing training to prevent and identify symptoms.

3.3.A. Correct every known mistake promptly with a correction note in the same publication in which the error was made; if the error is only typographical, grammatical or stylistic, a correction note is not needed.

3.3.B. When the original publication in which the mistake was made is not editable, disseminate the correction in the same format and channel as the original so that as far as possible users of the original see the correction and the corrected version.

3.3.E. Make available and easily accessible on their websites a corrections policy and a record of the corrections published over the previous year in the first application for EFCSN membership and of the previous two years upon renewal.

3.3.F. Include in their corrections policy, available and easily accessible on their websites, a detailed account of how they assess requests for corrections.

3.3.G. Offer audiences direct channels to request a correction, within the corrections policy on their website.

3.3.I. Undergo an internal and documented annual review of published corrections to determine whether methodological and procedural changes should be made to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.

3.3.H. Inform audiences of the possibility of submitting a complaint to the EFCSN under the terms of article 6 with a link to the complaint form.

4.1.A. Make available and easily accessible on their website a statement that sets out the applicant’s organisational structure and makes clear how and by whom editorial control is exercised.

4.1.B. Make available and easily accessible on their website regularly updated information related to the ownership and legal status of the operation and/or parent organisation. People or entities holding over 5% of the shares must be disclosed (see template in Annex 4).

4.1.C. Make available and easily accessible on their website regularly updated information related to the governance of the operation and/or the parent organisation (see template in Annex 5).

4.1.D. Provide proof of the ownership, legal status and governance of the organisation to the external assessors

4.1.E. Make available and easily accessible on their website regularly updated information about the identity of the editors or decision makers behind the operation, including any relevant previous roles.

4.1.F. Make available and easily accessible on their website regularly updated information about the positions held by all staff involved in the fact-checking operation’s editorial output, including any relevant previous roles.

4.1.G. Make available and easily accessible on their website a statement setting out the operation’s mission, values and internal guidelines in place to protect its independence.

4.1.H. Make available and easily accessible on their website the organisation’s bylaws, understood as the rules or statutes that govern the members of an organisation.

4.2.A. Disclose all income sources contributing 1% or 5.000 euros (whichever the higher), from the most recent annual accounts when joining and the last two annual accounts when renewing membership, to external assessors and the Governance Body

4.2.D. Make available and easily accessible on their website an updated declaration of all unpaid significant commitments made to other organisations (see Annex 9).

4.2.F. Make available and easily accessible on their website goods and services they receive from external sources, including paid subscriptions or free access to tools, software and/or advertising, that make a material difference to their finances (5% of net income).

4.2.H. Make available and easily accessible on or from their website the full annual accounts of their organisation for each year since joining the EFCSN.