International Fact Checking Day 2023 today: Fact Checking Network vows to fight misinformation

The International Fact Checking Network, which promotes the International Fact Checking Day has released 'Ukraine Facts', a collaboration of over 1000 fact checks by credible fact checkers to contest fake news originating in countries across the globe in the first month of the fighting.

Hyderabad: International Fact Checking Day, 2023 which is being promoted by the International Fact Checking Network, is being observed on Sunday, Apr. 2. The occasion is aimed at combating misinformation around the world. This year, the International Fact Checking Day is focused on the disinformation around the war in Ukraine after the Russian forces invaded the country in Feb. last year.

The fact checking initiative by the International Fact Checking Network has culminated in 'Ukraine Facts', a collaboration of over 1000 fact checks by credible fact checkers to contest fake news originating in countries across the globe in the first month of the fighting. The 'Ukraine Facts' initiative has been launched on the lines of 'CoronaVirus Facts Alliance' in the wake of misinformation around COVID-19 pandemic which broke out in 2019 in China.

In the coming week, the International Fact Checking Network will be announcing two special grants- 'Climate Misinformation Grant Program' and 'Global Mentorship/Mentee Program' in an effort to give an opportunity to fact checkers a platform to present their fact checks to combat misinformation. Besides the International Fact Checking Network, tech giant Google and noted media watchdog IFJ have made major announcements lending their support to the International Fact Checking Day, 2023.

In a blog post ahead of the fact check day, Google said that its mission is to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”. Google has introduced the 'About This Result' feature, available globally and in nine Indian languages, with which users will be able to evaluate the information and understand its source.

Other than Google, in light of the escalating disinformation on the internet and in social media, a new report from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has advocated for greater support and recognition for fact-checking initiatives throughout Asia.“Fact-checking is a strong ally for journalists on the frontline of the war against misinformation. And although fact-checking requires a specialised skillset, many of these skills, especially verification, are very similar to journalistic procedures,” IFJ said in a report while recommending that the mainstream media houses should integrate fact-checking into standard journalistic protocols and rapidly correct their own mistakes.