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FactCheckNI

Organization: FactCheckNI
Applicant: Orna YOUNG
Assessor: Margot Susca
Conclusion and recommendations
on 28-Oct-2018 (5 years ago)

Margot Susca wrote:

FactCheckNI is fully compliant in all areas. I would like to say that I believe many of its sections and how those are presented online and explained to its audience could serve as models for other organizations seeking to go through the IFCN process. Information is clear, concise and it's obvious that the site and its staff are committed to the fundamentals of fact checking as an obligation to its readers and public life. 

on 28-Oct-2018 (5 years ago)

Margot Susca 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.

FactCheckNI
23-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

FactCheckNI is a project of the Northern Ireland Foundation, which is a charitable organisation registered in Northern Ireland (Company Number NI068079). Company files are lodged at Companies House and can be found here: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/NI068079

Company letter of incorporation and articles of association attached. The nature of business for the Northern Ireland Foundation is "research and experimental development on social sciences and humanities" (SIC 72200; see link above).

There is a current Memorandum of Understanding between the Northern Ireland Foundation and Transformative Connections, which covers the scope of work and cooperation between the two organisations in regards to the FactCheckNI project. The MoU is attached.

Files Attached
picture_as_pdf NI068079 Memorandum... (495 KB) picture_as_pdf NI068079 Foundation... (120 KB) picture_as_pdf NIFoundation-TranCon... (320 KB)
Margot Susca Assessor
28-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Fully compliant. Its MOU between the Northern Ireland Foundation and Transformative Connections states: "The aim of "FactCheckNI" is to have a better‐informed public in regards to the political debate in Northern Ireland, based on facts rather than assumptions and misinformation."


done_all 1a marked as Fully compliant by Margot Susca.

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.

FactCheckNI
23-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

FactCheckNI fact-checked claim articles can be viewed at: https://factcheckni.org/category/facts/

Margot Susca Assessor
28-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Fully compliant. 


done_all 1b marked as Fully compliant by Margot Susca.

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.

FactCheckNI
23-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

For the election to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 5 May 2016, FactCheckNI researched and published articles for claims made by five political parties, which covered the ethno-national political spectrum, from (Irish) nationalist to (British) unionist:

> Sinn Fein (Irish): https://factcheckni.org/facts/has-sinn-fein-education-minister-improved-outcomes-for-most-disadvantaged/

> Social Democratic & Labour Party (Irish): https://factcheckni.org/facts/do-almost-1-of-people-earn-less-than-the-minimum-wage/

> Alliance (Irish & British): https://factcheckni.org/facts/is-crime-on-the-rise-in-northern-ireland/

> Ulster Unionist Party (British): https://factcheckni.org/facts/how-dependent-is-stormont-on-westminster-subvention/

> Democratic Unionist Party (British): https://factcheckni.org/facts/did-the-ni-2012-our-time-our-place-campaign-help-bring-in-one-million-visitors/

Our original topics of coverage reflected the voluntary and community (non-profit) sector that we serve: economy, education, Europe (and Brexit), health, immigration, law, and peace. Recent examples of each:

> Economy: https://factcheckni.org/facts/are-there-12500-millionaires-living-in-northern-ireland/

> Education: https://factcheckni.org/facts/do-our-primary-pupils-receive-least-per-child/

> Europe: https://factcheckni.org/facts/do-northern-ireland-pets-need-passports-for-ireland/

> Health: https://factcheckni.org/facts/is-northern-ireland-the-happiest-part-of-the-uk/

> Immigration: https://factcheckni.org/facts/are-there-208-ireland-northern-ireland-border-crossings/

> Law: https://factcheckni.org/facts/are-one-in-five-psni-new-constables-catholic/

> Peace: https://factcheckni.org/facts/is-there-a-uda-dup-brothers-in-arms-mural/

Our policy on nonpartisanship can be read online here: https://factcheckni.org/about/nonpartisanship/

"We fact-check claims using the same standard for every claim. We do not concentrate our fact-checking on any side of our communal or any other division. We follow the same process for every fact-check and let the evidence dictate our conclusions. We do not advocate nor take policy positions on the issues that we fact-check."

"Our fact-checked claim articles cover the political spectrum in Northern Ireland, and with claims by individual parties and their representatives both validated and rebuked; we publish the results of all claims that we research."


Margot Susca Assessor
28-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Fully compliant. 


done_all 2a marked as Fully compliant by Margot Susca.

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.

FactCheckNI
23-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Our policy on nonpartisanship can be read online here: https://factcheckni.org/about/nonpartisanship/

"Everyone involved at FactCheckNI ‐‐ volunteers, interns, committee members, team managers and the board ‐‐ work under the fundamental principles of impartiality, transparency and accuracy; these are reflected in our organisation’s Code of Conduct."

Our code of conduct can be read online here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uI59T2WpLLZ3VkZlAA-d3lTMadxkNX3_AUkMZAeZLGo/edit?usp=sharing


Margot Susca Assessor
28-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Fully compliant. Applicant included a link to its code of conduct, which clearly spells out its commitment to transparency, independence and non-partisanship. 


done_all 2b marked as Fully compliant by Margot Susca.

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.

FactCheckNI
23-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Our methods of fact checking can be read online here: https://factcheckni.org/about/methods/

"We seek out sources of evidence that could contradict our developed conclusion, and we provide source links to all cited evidence that supports as well as refutes the claim."

Margot Susca Assessor
28-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Fully compliant. FactCheckNI has a CLAIM ---> CONCLUSION model that is clear and would be easy for a member of the public to use. Its methodology is concise and it also uses a two-person method for fact checking stating on its website, "We double-check a fact-checked claim with at least two people before publishing." Links are provided to research and information used to fact check a claim. 


done_all 3a marked as Fully compliant by Margot Susca.

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.

FactCheckNI
23-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Our sources of funding can be read online here: https://factcheckni.org/about/funding/

Margot Susca Assessor
28-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Fully compliant. Their web site section detailing funding sources/ revenue is clear and transparent. 


done_all 4a marked as Fully compliant by Margot Susca.

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.

FactCheckNI
23-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Our staff profiles, including advisory board, can be read online here: https://factcheckni.org/about/personnel/


Margot Susca Assessor
28-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Fully compliant. Bios and clear. Relationship to their work with the site is easily understood. 


done_all 4b marked as Fully compliant by Margot Susca.

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

FactCheckNI
23-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Readers can contact us:

> Contact: https://factcheckni.org/contact/

> FAQ: https://factcheckni.org/faq/


Margot Susca Assessor
28-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Fully compliant. Publicly-available information could be a model for other organizations. 


done_all 4c marked as Fully compliant by Margot Susca.

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.

FactCheckNI
23-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Our methods of fact checking can be read online here: https://factcheckni.org/about/methods/

"We want our readers to be able to verify our findings themselves. We provide all sources in enough detail that readers can replicate our work, as much as possible. The following explains how we select, research, write, edit, publish, and correct our fact-checked claim articles. We encourage readers to send us claims to fact-check, as well as requests for corrections."

This explanation continues on the URL above.

Margot Susca Assessor
28-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Fully compliant. 


done_all 5a marked as Fully compliant by Margot Susca.

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.

FactCheckNI
23-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Readers can submit a suggested claim to be fact checked on the following online page: https://factcheckni.org/submit-claim/


Margot Susca Assessor
28-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Fully compliant. 


done_all 5b marked as Fully compliant by Margot Susca.

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.

FactCheckNI
23-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Our methods of fact checking can be read online here: https://factcheckni.org/about/methods/

"We welcome submission of further evidence, post-publication of any FactCheckNI article, whether it validates or refutes our conclusion. Where a correction to our article is required, we will do so with transparency. An updated article will be annotated as such at its header, with a description of the amendment in its footer."

Margot Susca Assessor
28-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Fully compliant. 


done_all 6a marked as Fully compliant by Margot Susca.

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

FactCheckNI
23-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

We received and made one correction to our fact-checked claim articles in the past year:

https://factcheckni.org/facts/are-there-208-ireland-northern-ireland-border-crossings/


Margot Susca Assessor
28-Oct-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

Only one correction was made, but the site is noted as fully compliant as it explains that correction. 


done_all 6b marked as Fully compliant by Margot Susca.