Webqoof's battle against fake news gets a shot in the arm

‘WebQoof’, the fact-checking arm of The Quint, has bagged a signatory status for the Poynter Institute's International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) code of principles. 

 

Fact-checkers all across the globe adhere to the “code of principles” provided by the IFCN, in order to promote transparent and unbiased fact-checking. The code of principles formulated by IFCN was drafted on the basis of collaborative discussions with fact-checkers from all around the world, and serves as a set of fundamental guidelines for all conscientious practitioners to follow. These entail a commitment to Non-partisanship and Fairness, Transparency of Sources, Transparency of Funding and Organisation, Transparency of Methodology, and an Open and Honest Corrections Policy.

 

Launched in May 2017, WebQoof utilises multiple sources, ranging from in-house technology to on-ground reportage, to verify and legitimise information. As a result, it has already earned itself a huge, dedicated audience, which draws attention to misleading or fake information circulating on social media in order to get it fact-checked on the vertical.

 

Ritu Kapur, founder and CEO, The Quint, said, “Disinformation is among the biggest malaise of our times, and The Quint is invested not just in debunking false news, but also in putting out verified facts before its readers. Our readers have partnered with us in this initiative by sharing suspicious content with us for fact-checking."