1. Foundation for Internet and Society
The Media Fact-Checking Service:
Holding Macedonian Media
Accountable
Filip Stojanovski @razvigor
Media Fact-Checking Service @proverkanafakti @verifikofaktet
Metamorphosis Foundation @fmeta
POINT Conference 3.0 @pointconference, #POINT30
May 22, 2014
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2. Media Fact-Checking Service
USAID Strengthening Media in Macedonia
Project - Media Fact-Checking Service
Component implemented by
Metamorphosis aims to empower
Macedonian citizens to hold media
accountable, and to aid journalists in
implementation of their professional
standards, by providing online tools and
resources for public education and raising
awareness.
The Service works on increasing citizen
demand for fact-based, objective and
professional news and information.
FactChecking.mk
3. Origins
• Expanding the concept of Truth-Meter
(@vistinomer), which holds politicians
accountable
• Media are also essential part of the political
process
• Media accountability based on standards of
ethical journalism
• Code of Conduct of Journalists of Macedonia
• International Journalist Codices
USAID Media Strengthening in Macedonia Project
Media Fact-Checking Service Component, implemented by Metamorphosis.
4. Production
Expert Pool
•Experts (human rights, law, media… ~10)
•Experienced Journalists (~30)
Articles
•Critical Discourse Analyses (93)
•Journalistic Peer Reviews (715)
•Educative Articles Journalistic Lessons (53)
USAID Media Strengthening in Macedonia Project
Media Fact-Checking Service Component, implemented by Metamorphosis.
5. Methodology: Peer Reviews Research
Questions
1. Truthfulness of facts
2. Information sources
3. Extensiveness
4. Partiality (Bias)
5. Commenting in News
6. Plagiarism
7. Quality of the title
8. Photograph
9. Discrimination / Hate
speech
10.Optimized for the web
+ A screen shot for documentation and Infographic to present the findings
6. Peer Reviews Examples
• Faulty Image
• Blatant Disinformation
• Political Propaganda
• Crime news vs
Dignity
• Personality Cult
• Character
Assassinations
• Quality Articles
7. Analysis and Lessons Examples
• How-to articles
• Children’s rights
• Deconstructing
propaganda
• Public health
issues
• Promoting
diversity
• …incl. the rights
of People with
Disabilities
8. Engagement of Journalists and Editors
• Republishing
• Over 30 various websites republished Service’s articles
• Direct Feedback
• Positive and
• Negative
• Public discrediting attempts
• Defamation lawsuit threats
• Changes within newsrooms
• Improvement of daily practices
• Removal of some reviewed articles (51 in 2013)
9. Publishing and Reading Data
Kind of articles
Number
Published
Number of
Readings
Readings
Average
Analysis 93 357.329 3.842
Peer Reviews
715 161.422 226
Journalistic
Lessons 53 156.399 2.951
• Data for the period between January 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014.
• Includes data from Service websites and available data on readings of
articles republished on other sites (minimal estimates)
10. Citizen Engagement
• Comments and Reactions
• Review Proposals
• Website visits & number of readings of
republished articles
• Facebook Pages Fans Twitter Followers
• in Macedonian 11.526 | in Macedonian 717
• in Albanian 2.029 | in Albanian 346
www.metamorphosis.org.
mk
11. Key Factor: Credibility
• Transparent and Accountable
Methodology
• Consistent Application of the
Methodology
• Openness for communication and
corrections
www.metamorphosis.org.
mk
12. Thank you for your attention
FactChecking.mk
Metamorphosis.org.mk
Twitter: @fmeta @proverkanafakti @verifikofaktet
Published under Creative Commons BY-ND 4.0 License.
This presentation was created within the framework of the USAID Media Strengthening in Macedonia Project – Media
Fact-Checking Service Component (factchecking.mk), implemented by Metamorphosis. The presentation is
made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of its author and do not necessarily
reflect the views of Metamorphosis, USAID or the United States Government. For more information on the work
of USAID in Macedonia please visit its website (macedonia.usaid.gov) and Facebook page
(www.facebook.com/USAIDMacedonia).
Editor's Notes
Orally add short explanation on the media situation in Macedonia.
Explain the origins, expanding on the concept of the Truth-Meter which is aimed at providing accountability of political actors. The media are also essential part of the political process and need to be hold accountable to the journalistic standards.
The citizens are saturated and grow accustomed to low quality production by unethical media.
The Service provides public education through practical examples and raising awareness about the standards of journalism as a profession.
The numbers are cumulative for the period February 2013 to end of March 2014.
In 2013 456 peer reviews were published. At the end of the year, 51 of the reviewed articles were no longer available on their original websites
Explain cumulative effects via constant updates (reminders) directed to the public and the contents producers, versus labeling media and individual journalists as unethical.
