Fact-checking adds to public debates and should never be considered a form of censorship, affirmed the world’s fact-checkers in a formal statement issued as part of their GlobalFact 11 conference in Sarajevo.
In recent years, fact-checkers have been attacked as online censors, and after such attacks have been subject to abuse and harassment. Such responses are unwarranted. Censorship removes information. Fact-checking adds it.
The statement, coordinated by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the Poynter Institute, is supported by 130 fact-checking organizations in 80 countries around the world. The organizations are all signatories to the IFCN Code of Principles, which affirms high standards for accuracy, nonpartisanship and transparency in fact-checking journalism.
The statement addresses growing concerns over escalating attacks on fact-checkers and the fact-checking community globally. In recent years, fact-checkers have faced increasing hostility, including online threats, legal challenges and targeted harassment. Notable incidents include:
- In the country of Georgia, the parliament recently required civil society and media organizations to register as “organizations pursuing the interests of a foreign power” — effectively a synonym for “foreign agent.” Such legislation targets long standing fact-checking groups including Myth Detector and FactCheck Georgia. Subsequent to the legislation’s introduction, Myth Detector’s offices were vandalized, and both groups have been subject to threats.
- In the United States, political and legal attacks on the misinformation research community have pressured academic researchers to curtail work that aids the fact-checking community and widespread efforts to improve election voting processes. Attacks on research groups include the highly regarded Stanford Internet Observatory, and leading researchers such as Kate Starbird of the University of Washington have received death threats.
- In Brazil, fact-checking journalists at Aos Fatos have been subject to a lawsuit and other legal action as a result of publishing reports in 2020 about online misinformation. Executive director Tai Nalon was targeted with a personal criminal complaint. The cases are still ongoing.
- In the Philippines, the respected news organization Rappler has been repeatedly attacked, and the government unsuccessfully attempted to shut it down (actions that the IFCN formally condemned in 2022). Rappler’s founder, Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa has been personally subject to repeated legal action and online attacks. Ressa is a keynote speaker at GlobalFact 11.
- In the United States in 2020, fact-checkers PolitiFact and Science Feedback and the Poynter Institute were sued in federal court by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Children’s Health Defense over fact-checking of covid vaccine misinformation. Kennedy’s group claimed the fact-checking constituted censorship; Kennedy is now a candidate for president. The suit was dismissed but is under appeal.
The IFCN and its member fact-checking organizations drafted the Sarajevo statement as a response to ongoing attacks and to affirm that fact-checking is an act of free expression that seeks to give the public accurate information and improve information ecosystems.
The full text of the statement is as follows, and the signing organizations can be viewed here.
At the annual meeting of the world’s fact-checkers in 2024 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina — our 11th GlobalFact meeting — it is time to restate our longstanding commitment to access to information and freedom of expression, for all people and across borders.
All people have the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas. Fact-checking is deeply rooted in these principles. Fact-checking requires the right and ability to find sources, read widely and interview experts who are free to speak candidly — all as part of a rigorous methodology and process. This is the foundation on which all true fact-checking is built. Fact-checking is part of a free press and high-quality journalism, and it contributes to public information and knowledge.
Fact-checking seeks to provide additional information, setting out evidence to correct and clarify messages that are false, misleading or lack important context. Fact-checking does not seek to expunge or erase these messages, but to preserve them as part of the public debate while offering evidence necessary to accurately inform that debate.
Despite this, fact-checkers have in recent years been relentlessly attacked as online censors, and after such attacks many have been subject to verbal abuse, doxxing, coordinated attacks, legal threats, political pressure and even physical violence. However, as an expression of speech, fact-checking cannot be considered censorship in any true sense of the word. Censorship removes information. Fact-checking adds it.
There have been and will be necessary debates about how media and online companies host speech; how tech platforms curate and moderate public posts; and how society as a whole should define and handle illegal or harmful speech. While some information may be removed if it causes actual harm, a false claim should not be removed solely because it is false. Instead, the public should be provided with the appropriate context and verification in order to determine the claims’ veracity. At the same time, false claims should not be rewarded with popularity or virality. Additionally, with the arrival of new artificial intelligence (AI) tools, there is a growing awareness of their potential to spread false information, and the need for accuracy is more important than ever.
The public has a need for accurate information in order to make decisions about their governments, their economies, their health and all aspects of their lives. Fact-checking is a key part of giving the public accurate information and improving information ecosystems.
Media Contact:
Angie Drobnic Holan
Director, International Fact-Checking Network
aholan@poynter.org
+1-727-410-1770
About the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at Poynter
The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at Poynter was launched in 2015 to bring together the growing community of fact-checkers around the world and advocates of factual information in the global fight against misinformation.
We enable fact-checkers through networking, capacity building and collaboration. The IFCN promotes the excellence of fact-checking to the verified signatories to the IFCN Code of Principles — more than 140 organizations from 65 countries covering over 80 languages — through advocacy, training and global events.
Our team monitors trends in the fact-checking field to offer resources to fact-checkers, contribute to public discourse and provide support for new projects and initiatives that advance accountability in journalism. In 2021, the IFCN was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Learn more at poynter.org/ifcn.
About The Poynter Institute
The Poynter Institute is a global nonprofit working to address society’s most pressing issues by teaching journalists and journalism, covering the media and the complexities facing the industry, convening and community building, improving the capacity and sustainability of news organizations and fostering trust and reliability of information. The Institute is a gold standard in journalistic excellence and dedicated to the preservation and advancement of press freedom in democracies worldwide. Through Poynter, journalists, newsrooms, businesses, big tech corporations and citizens convene to find solutions that promote trust and transparency in news and stoke meaningful public discourse. The world’s top journalists and emerging media leaders rely on the Institute to learn new skills, adopt best practices, better serve audiences, scale operations and improve the quality of the universally shared information ecosystem.
The Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership, the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), MediaWise and PolitiFact are all members of the Poynter organization.
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