International Fact-Checking Network nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the Poynter Institute has been nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, chosen by the former leader of Norway’s Liberal Party Trine Skei Grande.

“‘In war, truth is the first victim.’ And we live in a time where fighting lies is so important that ⁦Joe Biden mentioned it in his speech yesterday. This year I have nominated the fact checkers for the Nobel Peace Prize. They need our support,” she tweeted on January 21.

In his inaugural speech, US President Joe Biden reminded American citizens and leaders of their duty and responsibility to “defend the truth and defeat the lies.”

Since the IFCN’s founding in 2015, its Code of Principles for fact-checkers now has 79 verified signatories in 51 countries.

Rappler has been a verified signatory of the IFCN’s Code of Principles since 2017, and is one of the two verified signatories in the Philippines, along with Vera Files.

Tackling the state of fact-checking, the IFCN held Global Fact 7, its annual conference, in June 2020. At the opening of the conference, United Nations Undersecretary General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming pointed out the need for fact-checking and a free press amid a global pandemic.

In January 2020, the IFCN launched the #CoronaVirusFacts Alliance, a collaborative project to debunk misinformation and disinformation about the novel coronavirus.

As of November 2020, 94 fact-checking organizations around the globe have published over 9,464 fact checks related to COVID-19. The database containing all the falsehoods tracked by the alliance is available to the public. (READ: Fact-checking: A year of infodemic)

In a statement about the nomination, IFCN Director Baybars Örsek cited the work of fact-checkers in providing quality information and combatting false information that endangers society and freedom.

Örsek said, “While we recognize that this nomination is a long way from being shortlisted for this unparalleled award, we see it as an important validation of the work of fact-checkers worldwide. Simply put: facts matter and fact-checking can save lives.” – Rappler.com