MCA Announces Fact-Checking Network For Indian Organisations

MCA launches a fact-checking network (FCN) for Indian netizens and organisations, to help combat dis/misinformation.

(Source: The Quint)

Mis- and disinformation has been spreading at an unprecedented rate on the internet, be it misleading claims, false and harmful narratives, or deepfakes. Amid the ever-growing need for information to be verified, comes the Misinformation Combat Alliance (MCA)'s fact-checking network.

The MCA – a cross industry collaborative effort to tackle mis/disinformation – has announced the framework for an independent Fact-Checking Network (FCN) in India, an initiative to develop self-governing standards and best practices for fact-checking organisations.

This initiative aims to help fact-checking organisations become trusted sources of information in the fight against the "weaponisation of misinformation and disinformation", given the significant challenge it poses in the modern age, especially in India, where misleading information has led to large-scale violence, lynchings, and deaths.

India has been no exception to this weaponisation and misuse of falsehoods, and is now home to the largest fact-checking community in the world.

Fact-checking organisations are stepping up to the ever-evolving challenge of mis- and disinformation (which are collectively, popularly known as "fake news"), to help average citizens understand the perils of misleading and false information and how they can avoid falling prey to them.

The Indian fact-checking community is "a diverse and vibrant community," which has honed its abilities to cater to the linguistically and culturally diverse people of India so as to effectively communicate with them, in a wide range of languages and formats.

This community is, therefore, an ideal partner for tech platforms, civil society, and the government to tackle rampant mis/disinformation.

FCN's Code of Principles: For the community to be an effective partner, it must earn the trust of the people it aims to help. MCA's FCN outlines "a robust Code of Principles" which is meant to provide Indian fact-checkers the guidance they need to ensure accurate work with high standards.

• Some of these principles include commitments to non-partisanship, transparency in methodology used for fact-checking and transparency in funding.

• Signatories are also required to ensure ease of accessibility of fact-checks (not hidden behind paywalls) and allow the use of their work for non-commercial purposes, such as awareness campaigns.

"They (member organisations) also have to demonstrate a commitment to privacy and safety, including considerations under Indian law for protecting the identities of children and victims of heinous crimes, as well as protecting personal data under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023," the MCA's press release reads.

Organisations that sign up to MCA's Code of Principles will be a part of the standard framework for fact-checking in the country, overseen by the FCN board, which is a self-governing body.

What will the FCN board do?: The Board will verify whether the signatory is compliant with the FCN's Code of Principles, and issue an accreditation to the signatory, which shows India's digital citizens that the organisation can be trusted and is credible.

• This FCN Board is set to comprise Indian citizens, who will be persons from media, journalism, human rights, or law, and will be headed by a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge.

• It will review reports by assessors to determine whether an organisation can be accepted as a signatory, and will ensure that any signatory violating this Code faces consequences, such as losing their accreditation.

• Any reader/viewer will be able to file complaints regarding violations by signatories, making sure that the general public can hold fact-checkers accountable.

• Organisations which publish fact-checks in any of India's 22 officially recognised languages will be eligible to apply.

As part of the efforts to build credibility in the Indian fact-checking community and to fight 'fake news', the general public can use MCA's email ([e-mail]) as a hotline to send potential or suspected misinformation for fact-checking and verification, which organisations associated with the MCA will verify.

Fact-checking organisations that are members of the MCA include:

• Boom Live,

• Fact Crescendo,

• Factly,

• India Today Fact-Check,

• Logically Facts,

• Newschecker,

• NewsMeter,

• Newsmobile,

• The Healthy Indian Project (THIP),

• The Logical Indian,

• The Quint, and

• Vishwas News.

Other members include People Like Us Create (PLUC), Tattle, Youth Ki Awaaz, and Yuvaa.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9643651818, or e-mail it to us at [e-mail] and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.