This is the editorial section of the EDMO repository of European fact-checking initiatives. Scroll down to read the portraits and learn more about individual operations across Europe.
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AFP Factuel
(public, for profit)
Based in: Paris, France
Launched in: 2017
Initiator: Phil Chetwynd (journalist) & AFP
Main source of income: Commercial services
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 125
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 5000
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 7500
Focus topics: Political statements, health disinfo, hoaxes/viral disinfo, digital forensics
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- Provide accurate, balanced and unbiased news coverage
- Correct errors promptly and transparently
- Explain research/investigation methods and tools
Last update: 12/22
ARD-faktenfinder
(public, non-profit news)
Based in: Hamburg, Germany
Launched in: 2017
Initiator: Patrick Gensing (journalist and editor)
Main source of income: Fees
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 4
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 40
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 150
Focus topics: Political issues, disinformation campaigns
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- Investigate rumours
- Correct false reports
- Provide background information on current topics
Last update: 12/21
BR24 #Faktenfuchs
(public, non-profit)
Based in: Munich, Germany
Launched in: 2017
Initiator: Gudrun Riedl (journalist)
Main source of income: License fees
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 6
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 90-100
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 100
Focus topics: viral hoaxes, political statements, rumors, conspiracy narratives
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- Reveal misconceptions and misinformation, get to the bottom of rumors
- Answer questions
- Stay committed to journalistic values, transparency, principles of scrutiny
Last update: 08/22
Debunk.eu
(private, non-profit)
Based in: Vilnius, Lithuania
Launched in: 2017
Initiator: Viktoras Dauksas
Main source of income: Grants
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: 300.000 Euros (2020)
Number of fact checkers: 15
Hours spent on fact checking per week: ca. 600
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 100
Focus topics: Misinformation/disinformation in the Baltics, AI-driven verfication, collaborative verification (newsrooms + civil society)
Formats: Reports/white papers
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- research disinformation in the public space
- run media literacy campaigns
- strive for a better-informed, more resilient society
Last update: 01/22
Ellinika Hoaxes
(private, non-profit)
Based in: Thessaloniki, Greece
Launched in: 2012
Initiator: Theodoros Daniilidis (fact checker)
Main source of income: Facebook grants
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 9
Hours spent on fact checking per week: –
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 450
Focus topics: conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, political agitation, viral hoaxes
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- bring down false information on the (Greek) internet and protect it as a valuable source of information
- investigate and “demolish”
- be open for good arguments and credible sources
- stay transparent and politically independent
Last update: 04/22
EU DisinfoLab
(private, non-profit)
Based in: Brussels, Belgium
Launched in: 2017
Initiator: Alexandre Alaphillipe, Gary Machado (as citizens)
Main source of income: Grants, subsidies
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: –
Hours spent on fact checking per week: –
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: –
Focus topics: exposing disinfo networks and strategies, digital forensics
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- create a society in which all citizens understand the informational context they live in and are less susceptible to attempts of manipulation (especially on social media)
- promote education, quality information, integrity, democracy / rule of law, and collective action
Last update: 12/21
EU FactCheck
(private, non-profit)
Based in: Utrecht, Netherlands
Launched in: 2019
Initiator:Nadia Vissers and the EJTA Board
Main source of income: Grants
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 50
Hours spent on fact checking per week: –
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 120
Focus topics: supra-national policies in Europe, political statements regarding the EU or EU countries
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- build a sustainable curriculum unit on fact-checking within a European network of journalism schools
- give students (and the public) deeper insights into democratic processes on the national and European level – and foster their interest in what’s going on
- spark fact-based debates in the EU
- stimulate media and information literacy
Last update: 05/22
EURECOM CoronaCheck
(public, non-profit)
Based in: Biot, France
Launched in: 2020
Initiator: Paolo Papotti (academic)
Main source of income: Grants
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 0 (automated system)
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 10-20 (to improve the system)
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 8000
Focus topics: Coronavirus/COVID-19
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
- IFCN
- Pagella Politica
Mission statement / Objectives
- fight misinformation related to the Coronavirus/COVID-19
- automatically verify statistical claims with official data
- explain and foster automatic verification
Last update: 12/22
EU vs Disinfo
(public, non-proft)
Based in: Brussels, Belgium
Launched in: 2015
Initiator: Member states of the EU
Main source of income: Public funds
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: –
Hours spent on fact checking per week: –
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: –
Focus topics: Russian disinformation campaigns
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- increase public awareness and understanding of the Kremlin’s disinformation operations
- help citizens in Europe and beyond develop resistance to digital information and media manipulation
Last update: 08/22
Main source of income: Grants
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 3
Hours spent on fact checking per week: –
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: –
Focus topics: viral hoaxes, conspiracy narratives, disinformation on social media
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
- Facebook, WhatsApp
- IFCN
Mission statement / Objectives
- explain which news (on social media) are false, inaccurate, decontextualized, manipulated
- stick to verifiable claims and numbers
- be transparent about sources and conclusions
- remain politically independent
Last update: 07/22
factcheck. vlaanderen
(private, non-profit)
Based in: Antwerp, Belgium
Launched in: 2018
Initiator: Tim Pauwels (journalist)
Main source of income: Donations
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 19
Hours spent on fact checking per week: –
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: –
Focus topics: –
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- ensure public debate is based on facts (rather than prejudice and misinformation)
- be fair, impartial, and transparent
Last update: 09/22
Factual.ro
(private, non-profit)
Based in: Bucharest, Romania
Launched in: 2014
Initiator: A group of volunteers (young professionals)
Main source of income: Donations (crowdfunding)
Other sources of income: One grant (2016)
Annual expenditure: 2000 Euros (2020)
Number of fact checkers: 5
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 20
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 150
Focus topics: Verification of political statements in Romania
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- foster fact-based public debates
- fight populism
Last update: 01/22
FakeNews.pl
(private, non-profit)
Based in: Lodz, Poland
Launched in: 2019
Initiator: Karol Orzeł
Main source of income: Grants, donations
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: 30.000 Euros (2021)
Number of fact checkers: 3
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 40
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 100
Focus topics: Viral hoaxes, War on Ukraine, Coronavirus/COVID-19 disinfo
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- report on and analyze all kinds of “fake news”
- provide objective and reliable information
- foster fact-based, rational debates and decisions
Last update: 12/22
FaktaBaari
(private, non-profit project)
Based in: Helsinki, Finland
Launched in: 2014
Initiator: Mikko Salo & team
Main source of income: Grants
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: 50.000 Euros
Number of fact checkers: 2
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 20
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 15
Focus topics: political statements, viral hoaxes, misinfo/disinfo in the domain of education (Faktabaari EDU)
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- provide fact-checking and digital media literacy services
- adheres to the (Finnish) code ethics for journalists
Last update: 08/22
Faktrograf
(private, non-profit project)
Based in: Zagreb, Croatia
Launched in: 2015
Initiator: Croatian Journalists’ Association, GONG (Croatian NGO)
Main source of income: Grants
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 8
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 320
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 350
Focus topics: Coronavirus misinformation, anti-vaccination claims, viral hoaxes, political statements
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
- IFCN
Mission statement / Objectives
- check the statements of politicians and other actors relevant to the (Croatian) public
- verify, debunk, and evaluate in a professional, ethical, and independent way
- do away with misinformation in the public space
- prevent unfounded claims from gaining the status of facts
Last update: 12/22
FHJ Factory
(public, non-profit)
Based in: Tilburg, Netherlands
Launched in: 2008
Initiator: Monique Hamers (teacher)
Main source of income: Educational funding
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 2
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 3
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 35
Focus topics: Viral claims
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- fact-checking – “perhaps the most important principle in journalism”
- check statements by politicians, companies, NGOs, and journalists
- verify photos and videos
- blog about latest developments in both the fact checking and the disinfo scene
Last update: 04/22
Infox.fr
(private, for profit)
Based in: Paris, France
Launched in: 2019
Initiator: Spin Partners (a consulting firm)
Main source of income: Commercial income
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: –
Hours spent on fact checking per week: –
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: –
Focus topics: Business controversies, scientific controversies
Formats: –
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- consult/support organizations and individuals confronted with misinformation and disinformation.
Last update: 05/22
JOURNAL.IE #FactCheck
(private, for-profit news)
Based in: Dublin, Ireland
Launched in: 2016
Initiator: The Journal’s editorial team
Main source of income: advertisement revenue
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: 150.000 Euros
Number of fact checkers: 20
Hours spent on fact checking per week: –
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 150
Focus topics: Viral mis- and disinformation, political statements
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
Last update: 08/22
Källkritikbyrån
(private, for profit)
Based in: Stockholm, Sweden
Launched in: 2020
Initiator: Linnéa Jonjons, Åsa Larsson, Jack Werner (journalists)
Main source of income: Collaborations
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 1
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 30
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: –
Focus topics: Viral claims
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- verify/falsify/contextualize claims that have gone viral on social media
- provide correct and relevant information to readers
- stay committed to ethical, independent journalism
Last update: 05/22
KNACK Factchek
(private, for-profit news)
Based in: Brussels, Belgium
Launched in: 2012
Initiator: Jan Jagers (journalist)
Main source of income: –
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: –
Hours spent on fact checking per week: –
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 100
Focus topics: Health, science, politics (broad focus)
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
- IFCN
Mission statement / Objectives
- provide “a dam” against disinformation in uncertain times
- get to the truth
- stick to principles of unbiased information, transparency, and scrutiny
Last update: 08/22
Maldita
(private, non-profit news)
Based in: Madrid, Spain
Launched in: 2017
Initiator: Julio Montes Moreno, Clara Jiménez Cruz
Main source of income: Crowd funding
Other sources of income: media collaborations, grants, projects, services
Annual expenditure: 700.000 Euros (2020)
Number of fact checkers: 15
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 700
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 1700
Focus topics: Fact-checking and debunking with regard to politics and social issues (migration, gender), science, technology and everything else that’s relevant.
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
- IFCN
Mission statement / Objectives
- monitor and supervise political discourse
- promote transparency
- verify and fight against misinformation
- promote media and information literacy (MIL) as well as MIL tools
- help people “not to be fooled”; establish an informed community able to fight back against all kinds of lies and propaganda
Last update: 10/21
NELEŽ
(private, non-profit)
Based in: Prague, Czech Republic
Launched in: 2020
Initiator: a group of media professionals
Main source of income: none
Other sources of income: none
Annual expenditure: none
Number of fact checkers: –
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 5-10
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: –
Focus topics: disinfo monetization
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- stand for the truth and against disinformation
- fight the monetization of disinformation, alert unwitting brands about ads appearing in a shady context
Last update: 04/22
LEI Nieuwscheckers
(public, non-profit)
Based in: Leiden, Netherlands
Launched in: 2009
Initiator: Alexander Pleijter, Peter Burger (both academics)
Main source of income: Public funds, grants
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 3
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 40
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 50
Focus topics: –
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- fact-check questionable claims made by public figures and (news) media
- teach the public how to look critically at messages and narratives
- familiarize students of journalism and new media at Leiden University with fact-checking methods and tools
- improve the quality of public debate
Last update: 12/22
Notre Planète
(private, non-proft)
Based in: Salles-Sur-Mer, France
Launched in: 2001
Initiator: Christophe Magdelaine (environmentalist)
Main source of income: Subscriptions
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: 10.000 Euros
Number of fact checkers: 3
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 2
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 50
Focus topics: viral hoaxes, scientific claims
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- provide up-to-date, easy-to-understand information in the field of environmental and Earth sciences
- strive for facts and reliable information
- encourage rational debates
- remain independent of political, financial, or religious lobby groups
Last update: 07/22
Pagella Politica
(private, for profit)
Based in: Milan, Italy
Launched in: 2012
Initiator: Pietro Curatolo, Daniele De Bernardin, Federica Fusi, Giorgio Gagnor, Amerigo Lombardi, Alexios Mantzarlis, Flavia Mi, Andrea Saviolo, Silvia Sommariva e Carlo Starace (all students at the time)
Main source of income: Media partnerships, European projects
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 4
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 160
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 600
Focus topics: political statements
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- foster political debates based on hard facts and reliable data
- hold politicians to account
- verify and analyze
- enable dialogue and build trust
- be transparent
- remain independent
Last update: 04/22
Poligrafo
(private, for-profit news)
Based in: Lisbon, Portugal
Launched in: 2018
Initiator: Fernando Esteves
Main source of income: Facebook Third Party Program
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: 350.000 Euros (2020)
Number of fact checkers: 8
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 400
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 1300
Focus topics: Viral hoaxes, political statements
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- establish truth in the public sphere
- serve audiences
- advocate liberal democracy
- be politically independent
- be transparent
- use new technologies in journalism
- stick to journalism ethics and standards
Last update: 10/21
Pravda
(private, non-profit news)
Based in: Warsaw, Poland
Launched in: 2020
Initiator: Jakub Śliż
Main source of income: –
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 4
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 50
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 52
Focus topics: Political statements, current issues
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- verify and educate
- prevent the spread of misinformation
- improve the quality of public debate
- develop verification technology
- help create a world where everyone has access to reliable information and can distinguish between the truth and false, manipulative statements
Last update: 12/22
RFI Les Dessous de L'Infox
(public, non-profit news)
Based in: Issy-les-Moulineaux / Paris, France
Launched in: 2017
Initiator: RFI Newsdesks
Main source of income: Public funds (French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs)
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 1
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 1.5
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 50
Focus topics: Disinformation in international news
Formats: (Online) Radio show
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- Spot the fake in the news, help people see more clearly.
Last update: 11/21
RTVE VerificaRTVE
(public, non-profit news)
Based in: Spain11
Launched in: 2019
Initiator: Miriam Hernanz
Main source of income: Public funds
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 7
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 280
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 120
Focus topics: Health, science, social concerns, current issues
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- analyze viral social media content
- debunk hoaxes and expose false information
Last update: 12/22
Les Surligneurs
(private, non-profit)
Based in: Paris, France
Launched in: 2017
Initiator:Vincent Couronne (an academic)
Main source of income: Subsidies, advertisements
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: –
Number of fact checkers: 20
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 100
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 150
Focus topics: Political statements
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- analyze/verify statements by public figures with a focus on legal compliance (“legal checking”)
- discuss political news from a legal point of view
- put the law back at the heart of public debates
Last update: 05/22
Tjekdet
(private, non-profit news)
Based in: Denmark, Copenhagen
Launched in: 2016
Initiator: Lisbeth Knudsen
Main source of income: Public funds
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: 670.000 Euros (2020)
Number of fact checkers: 5
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 180
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 200
Focus topics: Political statements, digital forensics, heath issues, viral hoaxes
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- foster an informed, qualified public debate; strengthen democratic dialogue
- fight mis- and disinformation
- offer nuanced fact-checking
Last update: 10/21
Wojownicy Klawiatury
(private, non-profit news)
Based in: Poland
Launched in: 2019
Initiator: Ignacy Niemczycki (CEO of the Bronislaw Geremek Foundation)
Main source of income: Grants
Other sources of income: –
Annual expenditure: 30.000 Euros (2021)
Number of fact checkers: 3
Hours spent on fact checking per week: 20-40
Pieces of fact checking/verification content published annually: 25
Focus topics: Political statements, health issues (COVID-19), climate change, popular content on Polish social media
Formats: Online articles/blog posts
Partnerships / associated organisations
Mission statement / Objectives
- fight disinformation and manipulated content
- offer basic and advanced verification trainings
Last update: 12/22