Building Election Fact Checking Coalitions

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This week Claire Wardle and Daniel Bramatti discuss their work in creating fact-checking coalitions around elections as a follow up to the guide we published back in April. They highlight the importance of collaboration and trust-building among news organizations and social media platforms. They also discuss the challenges they faced in handling misinformation during elections, such as dealing with blackouts and coordinating with tech companies. They emphasize the need for continuous adaptation and updating of strategies as bad actors evolve their tactics.

Overall, they highlight the progress made in building resilience and awareness among the public, but also acknowledge the ongoing challenges in combating misinformation. The conversation explores the challenges and strategies of fact-checking during elections, with a focus on the Comprova project in Brazil and the CrossCheck project in France. The guests discuss the importance of collaboration among news organizations, the role of technology and AI in fact-checking, and the need for media literacy to combat misinformation. They also address the business incentives and funding models for fact-checking, as well as the potential impact of AI-generated content on trust and democracy.

Takeaways

• Collaboration and trust-building among news organizations and social media platforms are crucial in creating effective fact-checking coalitions.

• Handling misinformation during elections requires continuous adaptation and updating of strategies as bad actors evolve their tactics.

• Building resilience and awareness among the public is essential in combating misinformation.

• Challenges in fact-checking include dealing with blackouts, coordinating with tech companies, and addressing less talked about disinformation tactics.

• Panic responsibly and avoid catastrophizing the issue of misinformation. Collaboration among news organizations is crucial for effective fact-checking during elections.

• Fact-checkers need to empower journalists in different countries to adapt and implement fact-checking strategies that work within their political and media systems.

• Fact-checking on encrypted platforms like WhatsApp requires innovative approaches, such as creating tip lines for users to submit content for fact-checking.

• The decision of what to fact-check should be based on the potential harm the misinformation can cause, with a focus on content that can affect public health or democracy.

• News organizations need to balance the business incentives of fact-checking with the responsibility to provide accurate information and build trust with the audience.

• AI-generated content poses new challenges for fact-checkers, and there is a need to educate the public about the tactics and techniques used to create and spread misinformation.

• Preparing for elections and other major events requires proactive fact-checking and spreading good information to prevent the spread of misinformation.

• Building resilience in societies and fostering collaboration among fact-checkers, researchers, and technology experts is essential to combat misinformation and maintain trust in democratic processes.

Chapters

• Introductions

• Creating Fact-Checking Coalitions

• Structure and Methodology of Fact-Checking Coalitions

• Trust-Building with Social Media Platforms

• Handling Misinformation During Elections

• Challenges in Brazil's Elections

• Changes and Evolutions in the Field of Fact-Checking

• Addressing Less Talked About Disinformation Tactics

• Building Collaborations and Empowering Journalists

• The Role of Users in Fact-Checking

• Prioritizing Fact-Checking Based on Harm

• Pre-Bunking and Proactive Fact-Checking

• Educating the Public about Misinformation Tactics

• Building Resilience and Collaboration