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AFP fact checking

Organization: AFP fact checking
Applicant: Gregoire Lemarchand
Assessor: Laurent Bigot
Assessor: Laurent Bigot
Conclusion and recommendations
on 14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago)

Laurent Bigot wrote:

AFP Factuel blog can be considered as an IFCN’s reliable partner.

But, if we refer to the current IFCN criteria, AFP Factuel should invite readers to submit claims to fact-check more clearly and should explain what readers can legitimately expect will be fact-checked and what isn’t fact-checkable.

And AFP Factuel team should also adopt a real and transparent public corrections policy.

on 14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago)

Laurent Bigot recommended Accept


Section 1: Organization

Criterion 1a
Proof of registration
Evidence required: Please provide evidence that the signatory is a legally-registered organization set up exclusively for the purpose of fact-checking or the distinct fact-checking project of a recognized media house or research institution.

AFP fact checking
09-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP Factuel is a distinct fact-checking site linked to the website of Agence France Presse. AFP is a legally registered press agency which has a unique status of autonomous organization under French law. All the evidence of its legal registration is presented in a link in the middle of the “à propos” page. We can find the specific French law here.

Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago)

AFP Factuel is a distinct fact-checking section of Agence France Presse, a legally registered French press agency. AFP has a unique status of autonomous organization. All the evidence of its legal registration are presented in a link in the middle of the “A propos” page : https://factuel.afp.com/propos

We can find it directly the specific French law here : https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000315388


done_all 1a marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago)

AFP Factuel is a distinct fact-checking section of Agence France Presse, a legally registered French press agency. AFP has a unique status of autonomous organization. All the evidence of its legal registration are presented in a link in the middle of the “A propos” page : https://factuel.afp.com/propos

We can find it directly the specific French law here : https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000315388


done_all 1a marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.

Criterion 1b
Archive
Evidence required: Insert a link to the archive of fact checks published in the previous three months. If you do not collect all fact checks in one place, please explain how the fact-checking is conducted by your organization.

AFP fact checking
09-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP Factuel publishes reports about the accuracy of news.

Its fact-checking section is a debunking section dedicated to fake news conveyed by Internet ans social networks.

Their work is presented in 9 languages here :

AFP team works in nine languages :

French : https://factuel.afp.com/

English : https://factcheck.afp.com/

Spanish : https://factual.afp.com/

Portuguese : https://checamos.afp.com/

Catalan : https://comprovem.afp.com/

Arabic : https://factuel.afp.com/ar

Polish : https://sprawdzam.afp.com/

Indonesian : https://periksafakta.afp.com/

Malay : https://semakanfakta.afp.com/


done_all 1b marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP Factuel publishes reports about the accuracy of news.

Its fact-checking section is a debunking section dedicated to fake news conveyed by Internet ans social networks.

Their work is presented in 9 languages here :

AFP team works in nine languages :

French : https://factuel.afp.com/

English : https://factcheck.afp.com/

Spanish : https://factual.afp.com/

Portuguese : https://checamos.afp.com/

Catalan : https://comprovem.afp.com/

Arabic : https://factuel.afp.com/ar

Polish : https://sprawdzam.afp.com/

Indonesian : https://periksafakta.afp.com/

Malay : https://semakanfakta.afp.com/


done_all 1b marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.

Section 2: Nonpartisanship and Fairness

Criterion 2a
Body of work sample
Evidence required: Please share links to ten fact checks that better represent the scope and consistency of your fact-checking. Provide a short explanation of how your organization strives to maintain coherent standards across fact checks.

AFP fact checking
09-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

Overall standards are ensured by the observance of AFP’s own stringent Code of Editorial Standards and Charter.

Our fact checkers work in 30 AFP bureaus around the world, reporting to local news editors and bureau chiefs and working closely with AFP journalists. All fact checks and translations are overseen by regional editors in Hong Kong, Beirut, Paris, Washington DC and Montevideo, under the authority of the global editor-in-chief and global news director.

All claims are assessed the same way, starting with a specific question and a giving a factual answer, including links to evidence and sources throughout.

The heads of verification based in Paris oversee all the fact-checking operations, notably the website, the respect of editorial standards, and suggest translations and collaborations, in close discussion with the regional and language editors.

Fact checks are published on nine language websites and sometimes on the AFP news wire too.


Details of fact-checking at AFP can be found on this page:

  1. French
  2. English
  3. Spanish
  4. Portuguese
  5. Catalan
  6. Polish
  7. Arabic
  8. Indonesian
  9. Malay


Ten fact checks that better represent the scope and consistency of your fact-checking:

FRENCH

  1. Ours polaires et montée des eaux... Le vrai du faux d'une publication virale sur le climat
  2. Non, les antirétroviraux ne seront pas payants dès 2020 au Cameroun
  3. Il existe bien de l'extrême pauvreté au Chili, contrairement à ce qu'a affirmé le prix Nobel de littérature Mario Vargas Llosa
  4. Non, les conducteurs de TGV français ne gagnent pas trois fois plus que les conducteurs allemands
  5. Boris Johnson accusé de racisme... pour une phrase jamais prononcée
  6. Personne ne peut "défendre ou promouvoir" les "contenus haineux" sur Facebook ? Contestable
  7. Non, cet homme n’est pas un ancien combattant de l’EI "réfugié" en Europe
  8. Cette photo d'un titre de séjour français portant l'identité d'un ancien ministre algérien est un montage
  9. Des pavés sur les Champs-Elysées à la veille de la manifestation du 5 décembre ? Oui, mais ils ont été retirés
  10. Non, Amélie de Montchalin n'a pas plaidé pour la "fin de vie anticipée" de personnes âgées devenant un "poids pour la société"

SPANISH

  1. Duque entregó a la ONU información falsa y de origen incierto sobre guerrilleros colombianos en Venezuela
  2. Estos son los agresivos tuits contra “originarios” e “indígenas” que borró la presidenta interina de Bolivia, Jeanine Áñez
  3. No, el video de la ministra de Seguridad argentina fue editado para que pareciera borracha
  4. Un político de Vox en Zaragoza ha propuesto el “sacrificio humanitario” para los perros “inadoptables”
  5. Las fotos engañosas sobre los incendios en la Amazonia
  6. No, las frutas no transmiten el virus del VIH
  7. Los científicos aseguran que la Tierra no gira más rápido, sino que está frenando y a futuro el día será milisegundos más largo
  8. La historia detrás de la foto de la mamá repartidora en Buenos Aires
  9. La foto de una joven amamantando a un bebé a través de un alambrado fue tomada en 2013 en Argentina
  10. No, el video de una escalera hecha de fuegos artificiales no es un homenaje a la banda de rock Led Zeppelin

ARABIC

  1. هذه ليست قوات من تنظيم الدولة الإسلامية تستعدّ لدخول الجزائر
  2. قناة الجزيرة لم تستخدم مقطعاً لـ"جمهور مغنٍّ مصري" على أنه لتظاهرة ضد السيسي
  3. كلينتون لم تتحدّث في مذكّراتها عن مخطط بالتعاون مع الإخوان المسلمين لإقامة دولة إسلامية في سيناء
  4. لا صحّة للمعلومات المتداولة عن 300 ألف ولادة هذه السنة في صفوف اللاجئين السوريين في لبنان
  5. هل روسيا فعلا أمام كارثة نووية؟ معلومات مضلّلة عن حادثين عسكريين شهدتهما روسيا في آب/أغسطس
  6. هل تحتل تركيا فعلا المرتبة الأولى عالميا في جودة التعليم تليها قطر، بحسب المنتدى الاقتصادي العالمي؟
  7. وكالة الفضاء الأميركية لم تتوقع شروق الشمس من الغرب
  8. مرض "إس أو إل" يسببه تعاطي النرجيلة" ؟
  9. هذا المشهد تمثيليّ ولا يظهر انتحار فتاة في تونس
  10. هذا المقطع ليس لأوركسترا فيينا تعزف موسيقى "رأفت الهجان"

ENGLISH

  1. Canada's national newspaper was not barred from publishing a scandal involving PM Trudeau
  2. No, the head of India’s opposition Congress party did not promise to provide farmland on the moon
  3. No, flu shots do not make people contagious
  4. This video actually shows a 2017 Dutch university design project
  5. No, this is not a video of Sri Lankan police detaining one of the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday bomb attacks
  6. Photo of Naples used to discredit Toronto climate march protesters
  7. No, Kenya is not introducing the death penalty for wildlife poachers
  8. This photo shows a family taking refuge after a wildfire hit Tasmania, Australia in 2013
  9. A minister claimed that Nigeria has ‘more than enough’ doctors. In fact, there’s a huge shortage
  10. Eating a no-sugar diet does not cause cancer cells to 'die naturally'

INDONESIAN

  1. No, this image does not show Turkish leader Erdogan declaring support for opposition candidates in Indonesia’s presidential election (Bukan, ini bukan foto Presiden Turki Erdogan mendukung kubu Prabowo-Sandi di pemilu Indonesia)
  2. Photo of Indonesia’s election commission chairman with President Joko Widodo’s in Saudi Arabia? (Bukan, ini bukan foto ketua KPU Arief Budiman dengan Presiden Indonesia Joko Widodo di Arab Saudi)
  3. Indonesia's police chief issuing an order to shoot 'citizens'? (Tidak, video ini tidak menunjukkan Kapolri memberikan perintah untuk menembak masyarakat)
  4. Israeli city of Tel Aviv devastated by an earthquake? (Tidak, foto-foto ini tidak menunjukkan kota Tel Aviv di Israel ‘porak poranda’ karena gempa)
  5. After riots in Jakarta, videos that blame or exonerate Thai police for beating up a man emerge – but they’re all misleading (Pasca kerusuhan di Jakarta, sejumlah video menyalahkan atau membebaskan polisi Thailand atas tuduhan memukuli orang -- tapi semuanya itu menyesatkan)
  6. No, this is not a photo of a foreign policewoman in Indonesia – it’s a doctored image using the face of a K-Pop star (Bukan, ini bukan foto polisi wanita asing di Indonesia -- foto itu telah diedit dengan wajah bintang K-Pop)
  7. Man cursed after urinating on the Koran? No, it's a Halloween costume (Pria ini memakai kostum dalam acara karnaval Halloween tahun 2007 di Amerika Serikat)
  8. This photo of Indonesian President Joko Widodo has been doctored to include a teardrop (Foto Presiden Indonesia Joko Widodo telah disunting dengan menambahkan tetesan air mata di wajahnya)
  9. This photo shows a specific breed of curly-haired Hungarian pigs (Foto itu menunjukkan babi berbulu keriting tebal asal Hongaria)
  10. These photos show protests in Istanbul and Xinjiang and a migrant shelter in Thailand (Foto-foto tersebut menunjukkan unjuk rasa di Istanbul dan Xinjiang, dan orang-orang yang diduga muslim Uighur di Thailand)

MALAYSIAN

  1. No, this video does not show a Muslim praying at a Sikh temple in Malaysia where a Muslim lawmaker was criticised for attending an interfaith iftar (Tidak, video ini tidak menunjukkan seorang Islam bersembahyang di Gurdwara Sahib di Malaysia di mana seorang ahli politik Islam dikritik kerana menghadiri majlis berbuka puasa yang berkontroversi itu)
  2. These images are old; Malaysia halted pork imports from Vietnam in January 2019 (Gambar-gambar tersebut lama; Malaysia berhenti mengimport babi dari Vietnam sejak Januari 2019)
  3. This bus crash happened in Indonesia, not Malaysia (Kemalangan bas berlaku di Indonesia, bukan di Malaysia)
  4. This is a Malayan tapir, not a panda (Tidak, ini adalah tapir Malaya)
  5. This video shows security guards in Sweden pinning a boy down, not an Israeli policeman torturing a Palestinian boy (Video ini menunjukkan seorang pengawal keselamatan di Sweden meniarapkan seorang budak lelaki, bukan seorang polis Israel menyeksa budak lelaki Palestine)
  6. This photo does not show Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad’s younger brother, but an Indian government minister who is not related to him (Gambar ini tidak menunjukkan adik pemimpin Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad, melainkan seorang menteri kerajaan India yang tiada kaitan dengannya)
  7. The Malaysian government did not announce a polygamy allowance in its 2019 budget; this image has been doctored from a government broadcast (Kerajaan Malaysia tidak mengumumkan elaun untuk poligami di dalam bajet 2019. Imej ini telah dimanipulasikan daripada siaran kerajaan)
  8. This video shows Japan during a tsunami in 2011, not Typhoon Hagibis in 2019 (Video ini menunjukkan tsunami melanda Jepun pada 2011 -- bukan Taufan Hagibis pada 2019)
  9. The video shows two unrelated incidents: one of men being beaten up, the other a drowned child being transported for burial (Video terdiri dari dua klip yang tidak berkaitan; satu menunjukkan para lelaki yang dipukul orang dan satu lagi menunjukkan kanak-kanak yang sedang dibawa untuk dikuburkan)
  10. Islam is second to Christianity in estimates of world religions with the most followers (Islam terletak di tempat kedua kepada agama Kristian dalam penganggaran agama dunia dengan paling banyak penganut)

POLISH

  1. No, the tiger mosquito has not been reported in Poland (Nie, komar tygrysi nie dotarł do Polski)
  2. A young cleric murdered by the UB? No, he's a musician from the British heavymetal band Motörhead (Nie, to muzyk brytyjskiego zespołu heavymetalowego Motörhead)
  3. No, a sugar-free diet can't cure cancer (Nie, dieta bez cukru nie wyleczy nowotworu)
  4. No, you can't steal with a payment terminal (Nie, nie da się okraść za pomocą terminala zbliżeniowego)
  5. No, the hashtag #SilniRazem (#StrongTogether) has never been on a Kidawa-Błońska poster (Nie, hashtag #SilniRazem nigdy nie figurował na plakacie Kidawy-Błońskiej)
  6. No, in 15-year agreements with the EU, Poland has always had a positive balance (Nie, w 15-letnich rozliczeniach z UE Polska miała zawsze dodatnie saldo)
  7. No, a German tank did not demolish the Jewish cemetery in Lithuania (Nie, niemiecki czołg nie zdemolował żydowskiego cmentarza na Litwie)
  8. Renewable energy sources cost the Germans billions. Zero effect? We explain (Odnawialne źródła energii kosztują Niemców miliardy. Efekt równy zeru? Wyjaśniamy
  9. No, this isn't a satellite picture of the Gdansk Bay polluted by the wastewater from "Czajka" (Nie, to nie jest zdjęcie satelitarne Zatoki Gdańskiej skażonej ściekami z „Czajki”)
  10. No, these are pictures from the train to Rome for the canonization of John Paul II (Nie, to zdjęcia z pociągu do Rzymu na kanonizację Jana Pawła II)
  11. Did Edvard Munch try to paint a spaniel? (Czy Edvard Munch próbował namalować spaniela?)

PORTUGUESE

  1. A veracidade sobre as 20 supostas medidas tomadas durante o governo Bolsonaro
  2. Não, esta foto não mostra ossadas de vítimas da ditadura brasileira
  3. Não, Lula não vendeu o solo da Amazônia para uma empresa norueguesa, pois ele pertence à União
  4. O então presidente eleito Jair Bolsonaro disse que o indulto de 2018 seria “o último” 
  5. Incêndios na Floresta Amazônica são alvo de desinformação
  6. Navio do Greenpeace passou pelo Brasil, mas apenas depois do aparecimento de petróleo nas praias
  7. Não, medidas fazem parte de um projeto do governo mas ainda aguardam aprovação do Congresso
  8. Na verdade, a maioria dos casos de câncer de mama ainda exige intervenção cirúrgica
  9. Na verdade, essa tecnologia chegou ao Brasil em 2011 
  10. Não, publicações confundem retirada imediata de até R$ 500 com opção pelo saque-aniversário

CATALAN

  1. La imatge és de l’actual Parlament, però de l’any 1942, sota el règim del dictador Francisco Franco
  2. A la foto original, l’agent dels Mossos no té tatuada cap creu gamada
  3. Dels més de 600 ferits a les manifestacions fins el 20 d’octubre, 289 són policies
  4. La imatge és d’una vaga general a Pamplona el 2012 i res no indica que sigui un policia de paisà
  5. No, WhatsApp ha confirmat que no retirarà l’emoticona del llaç

Not enough content in Catalan so far to select 10 stories.

Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP Factuel explains its policy: "All claims are assessed the same way, starting with a specific question and a giving a factual answer, including links to evidence and sources throughout. The heads of verification based in Paris oversee all the fact-checking operations, notably the website, the respect of editorial standards, and suggest translations and collaborations, in close discussion with the regional and language editors."

The AFP Factuel selection of 10 fact-checks’ links (in French, Spanish and English) prove variety, scope and consistency of its work...




done_all 2a marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP Factuel explains its policy: "All claims are assessed the same way, starting with a specific question and a giving a factual answer, including links to evidence and sources throughout. The heads of verification based in Paris oversee all the fact-checking operations, notably the website, the respect of editorial standards, and suggest translations and collaborations, in close discussion with the regional and language editors."

The AFP Factuel selection of 10 fact-checks’ links (in French, Spanish and English) prove variety, scope and consistency of its work...




done_all 2a marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.

Criterion 2b
Nonpartisanship policy
Evidence required: Please share evidence of your policy preventing staff from direct involvement in political parties and advocacy organizations. Please also indicate the policy your organization has as a whole regarding advocacy and supporting political candidates.

AFP fact checking
09-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP’s Code of editorial standards states that all staff activities outside the agency must remain strictly separated from their work.

AFP understands that its staff members will engage in such external activities as community affairs, politics, support for social or other causes, independent writing including books and online projects. While the Agency respects staff members’ freedom to do so, there must be a clear separation between what is done in a personal capacity and in a professional capacity. It is reasonable to identify ourselves as working for AFP, but the Agency’s name should not be used for promotion or in campaigning, and the Agency should be informed. We must do nothing that might cast doubt on our ability to provide unbiased coverage or that impinges on the Agency’s reputation for impartiality. Nothing in this is intended to restrict AFP journalists from engaging in these activities; the aim is to ensure that outside interests do not come into conflict with AFP's interests or reputation.

Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

To explain its policies to preserve its non-partisan way of fact-checking claims, AFP Factuel mentions the AFP's Code of editorial standards :

“AFP understands that its staff members will engage in such external activities as community affairs, politics, support for social or other causes, independent writing including books and online projects. While the Agency respects staff members’ freedom to do so, there must be a clear separation between what is done in a personal capacity and in a professional capacity. It is reasonable to identify ourselves as working for AFP, but the Agency’s name should not be used for promotion or in campaigning, and the Agency should be informed. We must do nothing that might cast doubt on our ability to provide unbiased coverage or that impinges on the Agency’s reputation for impartiality. Nothing in this is intended to restrict AFP journalists from engaging in these activities; the aim is to ensure that outside interests do not come into conflict with AFP's interests or reputation.”

According to my assessment, I can tell that AFP Factual do not seem to support a candidate in any elections nor to advocate or take policy positions on any issues not strictly related to fact-checking.

The AFP's Code of Editorial Standards is here : https://www.afp.com/sites/default/files/paragraphrich/201701/22_june_2016_afp_ethic.pdf


done_all 2b marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

To explain its policies to preserve its non-partisan way of fact-checking claims, AFP Factuel mentions the AFP's Code of editorial standards :

“AFP understands that its staff members will engage in such external activities as community affairs, politics, support for social or other causes, independent writing including books and online projects. While the Agency respects staff members’ freedom to do so, there must be a clear separation between what is done in a personal capacity and in a professional capacity. It is reasonable to identify ourselves as working for AFP, but the Agency’s name should not be used for promotion or in campaigning, and the Agency should be informed. We must do nothing that might cast doubt on our ability to provide unbiased coverage or that impinges on the Agency’s reputation for impartiality. Nothing in this is intended to restrict AFP journalists from engaging in these activities; the aim is to ensure that outside interests do not come into conflict with AFP's interests or reputation.”

According to my assessment, I can tell that AFP Factual do not seem to support a candidate in any elections nor to advocate or take policy positions on any issues not strictly related to fact-checking.

The AFP's Code of Editorial Standards is here : https://www.afp.com/sites/default/files/paragraphrich/201701/22_june_2016_afp_ethic.pdf


done_all 2b marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.

Section 3: Transparency of Sources

Criterion 3a
Sources Policy
Please share a brief and public explanation (500 words max) of how sources are provided in enough detail that readers could replicate the fact check. If you have a public policy on how you find and use sources for your fact-checking, it should be shared here.

AFP fact checking
09-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

Our fact checkers start by trying to contact the person behind a claim, as well as checking with our own archives and journalists. We seek non-partisan, publicly available information in our investigations, and link to websites or online documents to illustrate where this has been used. We seek specialist advice from identifiable sources where necessary. We name and illustrate online tools that we use to carry out visual verification, such as InVID or Yandex reverse image search. We seek previous posts of online images that have been used in false contexts and, where possible, locate and cite the original author. 

Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP Factuel staff has a real policy on sources. It evokes, in the IFCN application document:

“Our fact checkers start by trying to contact the person behind a claim, as well as checking with our own archives and journalists. We seek non-partisan, publicly available information in our investigations, and link to websites or online documents to illustrate where this has been used. We seek specialist advice from identifiable sources where necessary. We name and illustrate online tools that we use to carry out visual verification, such as InVID or Yandex reverse image search. We seek previous posts of online images that have been used in false contexts and, where possible, locate and cite the original author.”

Our assessment allows us to say that the way AFP Factuel fact-checks permits the public to verify their findings themselves. Here is a link to an article that contains a lot of links :

https://factuel.afp.com/non-ces-images-ne-montrent-pas-un-nouveau-village-touristique-recemment-inaugure-tikjda-en-kabylie



done_all 3a marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP Factuel staff has a real policy on sources. It evokes, in the IFCN application document:

“Our fact checkers start by trying to contact the person behind a claim, as well as checking with our own archives and journalists. We seek non-partisan, publicly available information in our investigations, and link to websites or online documents to illustrate where this has been used. We seek specialist advice from identifiable sources where necessary. We name and illustrate online tools that we use to carry out visual verification, such as InVID or Yandex reverse image search. We seek previous posts of online images that have been used in false contexts and, where possible, locate and cite the original author.”

Our assessment allows us to say that the way AFP Factuel fact-checks permits the public to verify their findings themselves. Here is a link to an article that contains a lot of links :

https://factuel.afp.com/non-ces-images-ne-montrent-pas-un-nouveau-village-touristique-recemment-inaugure-tikjda-en-kabylie



done_all 3a marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.

Section 4: Transparency of Funding & Organization

Criterion 4a
Funding Sources
Evidence required: Please link to the section where you publicly list your sources of funding (including, if they exist, any rules around which types of funding you do or don't accept), or a statement on ownership if you are the branch of an established media organization or research institution.

AFP fact checking
09-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP’s fact checking is part of the newsroom activity of AFP. The company itself has a unique status under a French law (see above). AFP resources are both commercial (56,6%) and from a French government subsidy (43,4%) to support impartial, public interest journalism in France and abroad.

AFP has more than 5,000 clients worldwide, and had a turnover of 300 million euros in 2018. The main figures can be found in the 2018 activity report.                         

Files Attached
AFP_2018.jpg (83 KB)
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP Factuel has no specific section to detail their sources of funding. They only explains to the IFCN :

"AFP’s fact checking is part of the newsroom activity of AFP. The company itself has a unique status under a French law (see above). AFP resources are both commercial (56,6%) and from a French government subsidy (43,4%) to support impartial, public interest journalism in France and abroad."

AFP Factuel is a blog that is part of the French press agency AFP. It is explained in the AFP Factuel blog here : https://factuel.afp.com/propos

And also in a specific French law here : https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000315388

But without any detail.


done 4a marked as Partially compliant by Laurent Bigot.
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP Factuel has no specific section to detail their sources of funding. They only explains to the IFCN :

"AFP’s fact checking is part of the newsroom activity of AFP. The company itself has a unique status under a French law (see above). AFP resources are both commercial (56,6%) and from a French government subsidy (43,4%) to support impartial, public interest journalism in France and abroad."

AFP Factuel is a blog that is part of the French press agency AFP. It is explained in the AFP Factuel blog here : https://factuel.afp.com/propos

And also in a specific French law here : https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000315388

But without any detail.


done 4a marked as Partially compliant by Laurent Bigot.

Criterion 4b
Staff
Evidence required: Please link to the section detailing all authors and key actors behind your fact-checking project with their biographies. You can also list the name and bios of the members of the editorial board, pool of experts, advisory board, etc. if your organization has those.

AFP fact checking
09-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

Bios are detailed in the French version, but for security matters (mainly to avoid online harassment or political pressure), only the names of the main editors are given in the other languages.

  1. French
  2. English
  3. Spanish
  4. Portuguese
  5. Arabic
  6. Catalan
  7. Polish
  8. Indonesian
  9. Malay

Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

There’s a section (on the AFP Factuel blog) detailing authors behind the project and their biographies here:

https://factuel.afp.com/qui-sommes-nous

This section only exists in the French version of the blog. The other versions don't mention any details about the authors ("for security matters, mainly to avoid online harassment or political pressure").



done_all 4b marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

There’s a section (on the AFP Factuel blog) detailing authors behind the project and their biographies here:

https://factuel.afp.com/qui-sommes-nous

This section only exists in the French version of the blog. The other versions don't mention any details about the authors ("for security matters, mainly to avoid online harassment or political pressure").



done_all 4b marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.

Criterion 4c
Contact
Evidence required: Please link to the section where readers can get in touch with the organization.

AFP fact checking
09-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

It’s quite easy for readers to contact the AFP Factuel team : they can use the page called “Contact”, here :

https://factuel.afp.com/contact

https://factcheck.afp.com/contact

Etc.


done_all 4c marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

It’s quite easy for readers to contact the AFP Factuel team : they can use the page called “Contact”, here :

https://factuel.afp.com/contact

https://factcheck.afp.com/contact

Etc.


done_all 4c marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.

Section 5: Transparency of Methodology

Criterion 5a
Detailed Methodology
Evidence required: Please link to a section or article detailing the steps you follow for your fact-checking work.

AFP fact checking
09-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

There’s a place on each blog where it’s possible to read an explanation about AFP Factuel work, with a lot of details.

The French version is detailled here : https://factuel.afp.com/fact-checking-comment-nous-travaillons



done_all 5a marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

There’s a place on each blog where it’s possible to read an explanation about AFP Factuel work, with a lot of details.

The French version is detailled here : https://factuel.afp.com/fact-checking-comment-nous-travaillons



done_all 5a marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.

Criterion 5b
Claim submissions
Evidence required: Please link to the page or process through which readers can submit claims to fact-check. If you do not allow this, please briefly explain why.

AFP fact checking
09-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

Our readers can contact us through the links detailed in section 4c.

We do not particularly encourage people to submit claims to fact check on the website in order to avoid spam. Since we created the website the vast majority of audience submissions come from Twitter (DMs or replies), Facebook (comments or Messenger) or WhatsApp (in Brazil and India). 

Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

There’s no dedicated page to invite readers to submit claims to fact-check in the AFP Factuel blog. There's only a "contact" form.

And there's no indication about what readers can legitimately expect will be fact-checked and what isn’t fact-checkable.

https://factcheck.afp.com/contact

https://factuel.afp.com/contact

https://factual.afp.com/contacto-0

https://checamos.afp.com/contato

Etc.

The AFP team explains : "We do not particularly encourage people to submit claims to fact check on the website in order to avoid spam. Since we created the website the vast majority of audience submissions come from Twitter (DMs or replies), Facebook (comments or Messenger) or WhatsApp (in Brazil and India)."


done 5b marked as Partially compliant by Laurent Bigot.
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

There’s no dedicated page to invite readers to submit claims to fact-check in the AFP Factuel blog. There's only a "contact" form.

And there's no indication about what readers can legitimately expect will be fact-checked and what isn’t fact-checkable.

https://factcheck.afp.com/contact

https://factuel.afp.com/contact

https://factual.afp.com/contacto-0

https://checamos.afp.com/contato

Etc.

The AFP team explains : "We do not particularly encourage people to submit claims to fact check on the website in order to avoid spam. Since we created the website the vast majority of audience submissions come from Twitter (DMs or replies), Facebook (comments or Messenger) or WhatsApp (in Brazil and India)."


done 5b marked as Partially compliant by Laurent Bigot.

Section 6: Open & Honest Corrections Policy

Criterion 6a
Corrections policy
Evidence required: Please link to the page with your policy to address corrections. If it is not public, please share your organization's handbook.

AFP fact checking
09-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP’s editorial standards and best practices states that the agency “must correct errors quickly and transparently. The Agency does not set a time limit on corrections - even if days or weeks have passed, factual errors must be corrected and if necessary, the story killed and removed from the database. When in doubt, the journalist should contact the chief editor and legal department for advice.” 

There are also dedicated sections for corrections on the fact check website ("If we make a factual error we will correct it and note it on the original item. This will be clearly marked as "CORRECTION" at the bottom of the article, with the date of the modification and an explanation. If the mistake is significant we will take down a story and leave an explanation."):

  1. French
  2. English
  3. Spanish 
  4. Portuguese
  5. Arabic
  6. Catalan
  7. Polish
  8. Indonesian
  9. Malay
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP Factuel team has no real public corrections policy. And can't point to the means in which its audience can request a correction.

They only refer to AFP’s editorial standards (https://www.afp.com/sites/default/files/paragraphrich/201701/22_june_2016_afp_ethic.pdf) and explain that :

“AFP’s editorial standards and best practices states that the agency “must correct errors quickly and transparently. The Agency does not set a time limit on corrections - even if days or weeks have passed, factual errors must be corrected and if necessary, the story killed and removed from the database. When in doubt, the journalist should contact the chief editor and legal department for advice.”"



done 6a marked as Partially compliant by Laurent Bigot.
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP Factuel team has no real public corrections policy. And can't point to the means in which its audience can request a correction.

They only refer to AFP’s editorial standards (https://www.afp.com/sites/default/files/paragraphrich/201701/22_june_2016_afp_ethic.pdf) and explain that :

“AFP’s editorial standards and best practices states that the agency “must correct errors quickly and transparently. The Agency does not set a time limit on corrections - even if days or weeks have passed, factual errors must be corrected and if necessary, the story killed and removed from the database. When in doubt, the journalist should contact the chief editor and legal department for advice.”"



done 6a marked as Partially compliant by Laurent Bigot.

Criterion 6b
Examples of corrections
Evidence required: Please provide two examples of a correction made, or correction requests handled, in the past year.

Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP Factuel has dedicated sections for corrections on the fact check website :

https://factuel.afp.com/corrections

https://factcheck.afp.com/corrections

https://factual.afp.com/correcciones

Etc.

It explains: “If we make a factual error we will correct it and note it on the original item. This will be clearly marked as "CORRECTION" at the bottom of the article, with the date of the modification and an explanation. If the mistake is significant we will take down a story and leave an explanation."


They corrected the date of the crash and mentioned the correction at the bottom of this page:

https://factuel.afp.com/non-cet-homme-na-pas-ete-retrouve-dans-la-grotte-dun-ours-il-souffre-en-realite-de-psoriasis

https://factcheck.afp.com/fake-facebook-page-falsely-claims-ugandan-president-faces-icc-charges



done_all 6b marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.
Laurent Bigot Assessor
14-Feb-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago

AFP Factuel has dedicated sections for corrections on the fact check website :

https://factuel.afp.com/corrections

https://factcheck.afp.com/corrections

https://factual.afp.com/correcciones

Etc.

It explains: “If we make a factual error we will correct it and note it on the original item. This will be clearly marked as "CORRECTION" at the bottom of the article, with the date of the modification and an explanation. If the mistake is significant we will take down a story and leave an explanation."


They corrected the date of the crash and mentioned the correction at the bottom of this page:

https://factuel.afp.com/non-cet-homme-na-pas-ete-retrouve-dans-la-grotte-dun-ours-il-souffre-en-realite-de-psoriasis

https://factcheck.afp.com/fake-facebook-page-falsely-claims-ugandan-president-faces-icc-charges



done_all 6b marked as Fully compliant by Laurent Bigot.