Craig Newmark Foundation to Support TruthBuzz, ICFJ’s Global Fact-Checking Challenge

By: ICFJ | 03/04/2017

Fake news orbits the planet in an instant on social media. Is the truth keeping pace?

Journalists, news sites and sharp-eyed citizens around the world are spotting dubious claims, checking facts and explaining the details to the public. But this debunking is often in the form of long explanations that don’t quickly make a strong case on social media.

With the support of the Craig Newmark Foundation, ICFJ has launched TruthBuzz: The Viral Fact-Checking Contest, a global challenge to invent new ways to help verified facts reach the widest possible audience. The contest is seeking entries that debunk fake news and share solid fact-checking in engaging or entertaining ways that are instantly understandable and shareable. ICFJ will welcome entries in any digital format (e.g., video, cartoon, graphic, .gif, photo, audio file) and in seven languages.

“We need new thinking when it comes to fact-checking,” said ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan. “This competition will do just that. It will arm journalists with new ways to tell the truth that are instantly compelling.”

ICFJ is hosting a webinar to answer questions and help prospective applicants refine their ideas. The winning entries will appear on a public site where the global truth-telling community can engage with and learn from the entries.

"As a news consumer, I want news I can trust," Newmark said. "This contest can find and share exciting new ways to help fact-checkers spread the truth."

About ICFJ

To meet the urgent need for reliable information, ICFJ promotes a professional journalism whose primary goal is to seek the truth. We help journalists use best practices and new technologies to improve the quality of news media. Above all, we empower them to serve their communities by producing trustworthy coverage in these unsettled times.

We believe that better journalism leads to better lives.

About the Craig Newmark Foundation

Based in San Francisco, the Craig Newmark Foundation is a private foundation created by craigslist founder Craig Newmark to support and connect non-profit communities and drive powerful civic engagement

News Category

Press Release

Topics

Media Innovation

Country/Region

Worldwide

Latest News

ICFJ se Suma a Otras 9 Organizaciones Internacionales Para Presentar un Amicus Curiae en el Caso del Periodista Guatemalteco Encarcelado José Rubén Zamora

Un grupo de 10 organizaciones internacionales presentó esta semana un amicus curiae ante la Corte Suprema de Justicia de Guatemala en el caso del periodista José Rubén Zamora Marroquín. El amicus, presentado el 26 de marzo, argumenta que el retorno de Zamora a prisión preventiva constituye una violación de sus derechos fundamentales bajo el derecho guatemalteco e internacional, e insta a la Corte a otorgar un recurso de amparo pendiente y permitir que el Sr. Zamora lleve su proceso bajo medidas sustitutivas.

ICFJ Joins 9 Other International Organizations in Submitting Amicus Brief in Case of Imprisoned Guatemalan Journalist José Rubén Zamora

A group of 10 international organizations submitted an amicus curiae brief to Guatemala’s Supreme Court in the case of journalist José Rubén Zamora Marroquín. The brief, filed on March 26, argues that Zamora’s return to preventive detention constitutes a violation of his fundamental rights under Guatemalan and international law, and urges the Court to grant a pending amparo appeal and allow Zamora to return to house arrest.

Press Freedom on Campus: Why it Matters and What Student Journalists Need Most

In February, ICFJ partnered with Vanderbilt University and Freedom Forum, with support from the Lumina Foundation, to bring university faculty and students, international and U.S. journalists, and media leaders together for a discussion about the importance of press freedom in democratic societies. Participants stressed how U.S.-based journalists can learn from the experiences of their colleagues abroad, and they dived into the challenges campus reporters face, such as a lack of funding and harassment from fellow students, offered advice for engaging audiences, and more.