• Priority Area Boosting Fact-checking Activities in Europe
• Funding Round / Action Types 2nd Funding Round – Scale-up Projects
• Year 2022, 2023
• Country Romania
• Project Status Ongoing

Creating and developing fact-checking skills for journalists is vital for a healthy democracy.

Our project aims to support the dissemination of fact-checking skills by building a European network where experts, via digital materials, online events, and activities can share best practices with journalists.

The project wants to answer three questions: “What is the status quo of fact-checking skills in Romania?”, “What can we do to develop those skills in journalists and media experts?” and “How can we make it easily accessible, insightful, and scalable?”.

To support the first objective, the project team will conduct exploratory research on the industry’s current state regarding fact-checking capabilities, techniques, methodologies, and tools used to provide relevant outputs.

Journalists will be encouraged to develop their fact-checking skills within the network of European experts through webinars, workshops, tutorials, educational materials, newsletters, and innovative methodological frameworks. Implementation will take place through a website designed to offer the target audience personalised content and multiple opportunities to engage with other media experts, journalists, and fact-checkers. This process of knowledge sharing will not only improve the ability of journalists to write accurate materials but also offer fact-checkers more instances to exercise their methodologies and make their efforts more visible.

All the materials will be free of charge, periodically updated, and organised on a web platform, open to experts and the public.

The project “FactBoost: Strengthening the fact-checking skills of journalists” aims to deliver information, insights, and reports targeted to the different needs of critical groups. Creating an inspired community is one of our main aspirations. We intend to stimulate the creation of knowledge exchange and valuable collaborations between industries.