• Priority Area Boosting Fact-checking Activities in Europe
• Funding Round / Action Types 3rd Funding Round – Urgent Actions
• Year 2023, 2024
• Country Germany
• Project Status Ongoing

The first season of CORRECTIV’s German-language fact-checking podcast “Desinformiert” (working title, German: disinformed) will examine viral disinformation related to the Russian war in Ukraine. In each episode, CORRECTIV’s Faktencheck team looks at specific pieces of disinformation, makes transparent how they fact-checked those, explain the mechanism and effects behind them and address the larger narrative context. With EMIF’s support, at least six episodes will be produced, each with its own topic. Disinformation that was specifically tailored to German-speaking countries, such as false claims of Russophobic incidents or the role of native influencers for Russian propaganda, will be examined, alongside the more personal effects of verification in times of war on fact-checkers themselves. The project adds significant value to the field of fact-checking, a typically written format, which by nature has to be very matter-of-fact. Podcasts on the other hand are convenient on the go, provide space for contextualization and can help create a more lasting bond with audiences. The target audience are adults between the age of 29-45 across German-speaking countries who might feel overwhelmed with daily coverage or simply do not find the time to follow up with written fact-checking formats. They will be reached directly through the launch campaign and collaborations with experts, multipliers and podcast platforms. CORRECTIV is a non-profit investigative newsroom and member of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN), and contributor to the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) and the German-Austrian Digital Media Observatory (GADMO).