Fact-checking is no small problem for publishers, especially in this era of fake news and distrust of the media. How can periodicals make sure that information is accurate?
Google and YouTube have announced a $13.2 million grant to the InternationalFact Checking Network at at the nonprofit Poynter Institute to launch a Global Fact Check Fund. It will benefit the
network of 135 fact-checking organizations from 65 countries, covering over 80 languages. The fund will open in 2023.
The goal is to help fact-checkers “scale existing operations or launch new ones that elevate information, uplift credible sources and reduce the harm of mis- and disinformation around the globe,” writes Olivia Ma, managing director, Global News Programs and Ecosystems at Google, and Brandon Feldman, director, News & Civics Partnerships at YouTube.
According to Ma and Feldman, publishers will benefit from:
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The authors add that, following a major news event, the Breaking News panel “may appear in YouTube search results for relevant queries, showing you developing stories from news sources that follow Google News content policies.”
The effort should help periodicals avoid spreading embarrassing, perhaps even defamatory, errors.
Also, grantees can use the funds to incorporate new technologies, create or expand digital footprints, optimize verification tools, and increase their capacities to deepen audience engagement via audio, video or podcasts, Google says.
Link to the list of 135?