Fact-Checking coalition
Ekta has been formed by six independent fact-checking groups in India: AFP Fact Check, BOOM Live, Factly, India Today Fact Check, Vishvas News and WebQoof. All the groups are part of Facebook’s third-party fact-checking program, and Meedan, a global technology non-profit, has provided access to its fact-checking platform Check and strategic support for this project. Check is integrated with the WhatsApp Business API. Using Check each fact-checking group is able to manage its workflow from receiving queries and submissions from users on WhatsApp to sending back verified report to users.
Ekta first came together as a coalition between newsrooms and fact-checking groups in November-December 2018 to fact-check misinformation related to the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections. The Ekta consortium in 2021 is a pilot exercise and the groups involved hope to use this experience to improve on how such collaborations can leverage each other's strength in the future. Ekta hopes to take the best practices and insights from this collaborative process of the 2021 Assembly elections to other fact-checking groups, newsrooms and civil society organizations in order to expand the reach of fact-checks across regions, issues and languages.
Fact-Checking tiplines
All partners are running multi-lingual fact-checking tiplines on WhatsApp, to connect with audiences across the country, collect problematic content, and publish fact-checks.
Insights and analysis
Every week, editors from the Ekta consortium will publish insights in the form of blog posts and data analysis to shine a light on misinformation and disinformation trends from encrypted messaging services.
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Participating Newsrooms
BOOM
BOOM is an independent digital journalism initiative with a mission to fight misinformation, explain issues and make the internet safer. BOOM was the first Indian member of the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN) and also the first to partner with Facebook on its Third Party Fact Checking Programme from India. BOOM's team comprises of several subject experts from health and law to data analytics and foreign policy. Our daily work includes tracking trending issues to proactively explain or contextualise, so as to pre-empt further spread of misinformation or provide explanations and backgrounders for those seeking them.
India Today
India Today Fact Check is part of TV Today Network Ltd. The Fact Check section is part of the India Today website. But this section is managed separately and independently from the editorial operations of India Today. India Today Group is among the biggest media houses in India with a leadership position in different media verticles.
AFP Fact Check
AFP Fact Check works to verify information from around the globe. Part of global news agency Agence France-Presse.
Vishvas News
Vishvas News is an information fact-check and verification portal that debunks fake news and information in 12 languages: Punjabi, English, Urdu, Assamese, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Oriya, Gujarati, and Bangla. Vishvas News is certified by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), which puts the site among selected prestigious global media portals that have received this international certification. Vishvas News checks the authenticity of any news or information on the basis of facts without any fear or favour. The basic objective of the site is to curb fake news and help spread awareness to the common man about the difference between real and fake.
WebQoof
The Quint’s IFCN-certified fact-checking initiative – WebQoof – strives to provide its readers with stories that are 100 percent accurate. WebQoof has established itself as one of the leading disinformation busters in the industry. Launched in May 2017, it has built a dedicated audience who not only read our stories but also – and most importantly – brought to our attention disinformation for us to expose.
Factly
Factly is a well-known Data Journalism & Fact-Checking initiative based out of Hyderabad. In addition to content creation, Factly works on tools intended for easier consumption of data/information by the common public.