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Faktograf

Organization: Faktograf-udruga za informiranu javnost
Applicant: Faktograf
Assessor: Ivana Jeremic
Edits made by the organization after this assessment

IFCN Staff wrote:

Faktograf:

Published a breakdown of its finances for 2015-2017 on its website http://faktograf.hr/metodologija/. Compliance with criterion (4a) is now complete.

Added a phone number to its contact page

Added a call-out to readers at the bottom of every fact check inviting them to send claims to check. Compliance with criterion (5b) is now complete

Published an explanation of its corrections policy on its webiste http://faktograf.hr/impressum/. Compliance with criterion (6) is now complete.


Conclusion and recommendations
on 17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

Ivana Jeremic wrote:

Faktograf fulfils most of the criteria. It has a clear methodology of fact-checking of the statements. Since it is a project based on the principles of journalists’ objectivity and fairness my conclusion, having in mind all the examples and evidences sent, is that Faktograf represents a good candidate and should be accepted with minor changes which can improve their transparency. Along with Istinomer and Istinomjer, Faktograf is a pioneer of fact-checking in the Balkans.

on 17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

Ivana Jeremic recommended Accept with edits


Section 1: Organization

Criterion 1a
Proof of registration
Evidence required: Please provide evidence that the signatory is a legally-registered organization set up exclusively for the purpose of fact-checking or the distinct fact-checking project of a recognized media house or research institution.

Faktograf-udruga za informiranu javnost
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

Faktograf is legally registered as an electronic media with the Croatian Agency for Electronic Media (AEM registry added in the document sent to factchecknet@poynter.org). Faktograf is a joint project of Croatian Journalists' Association (HND) http://hnd.hr/eng/ and civil society organization GONG http://gong.hr/en/, created with the main purpose of fact-checking.

Files Attached
picture_as_pdf 1a - Knjiga_ElPublik... (332 KB)
Ivana Jeremic Assessor
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

Faktograf is registered as an electronic media. From its website presentation it is clear that it is dedicated strictly to fact-checking of public officials statements.


done_all 1a marked as Fully compliant by Ivana Jeremic.

Criterion 1b
Archive
Evidence required: Insert a link to the archive of fact checks published in the previous three months. If you do not collect all fact checks in one place, please explain how the fact-checking is conducted by your organization.

Faktograf-udruga za informiranu javnost
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)
Ivana Jeremic Assessor
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

Faktograf publishes reports more than 4 times a week approximately with one exception in the last 3 months when it took more than 10 days. An overall look shows the outlet fits in the criteria.


done_all 1b marked as Fully compliant by Ivana Jeremic.

Section 2: Nonpartisanship and Fairness

Criterion 2a
Body of work sample
Evidence required: Please share links to ten fact checks that better represent the scope and consistency of your fact-checking. Provide a short explanation of how your organization strives to maintain coherent standards across fact checks.

Faktograf-udruga za informiranu javnost
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

Ten fact-checks proving the consistency of our fact-checking:

http://faktograf.hr/2017/01/13/grabar-kitarovic-mobbing-mediji/

http://faktograf.hr/2017/02/15/kolinda-grabar-kitarovic-ne-smijemo-a-priori-osudivati/

http://faktograf.hr/2017/03/08/zekanovic-istanbulska-konvencija/

http://faktograf.hr/2017/04/12/plenkovic-lex-agrokor-podravka-adris-atlantic/

http://faktograf.hr/2017/05/17/grmoja-zupanije-hdz-spin/

http://faktograf.hr/2017/03/30/bernardic-minimalna-placa-blokirani/ http://faktograf.hr/2016/08/26/milanovic-sdp-red-rast-zaposlenost/

http://faktograf.hr/2017/03/14/miroslav-simic-hrvatska-broj-pobacaj/

http://faktograf.hr/2016/03/29/vujcic-politika-me-ne-moze-smijeniti/ http://faktograf.hr/2017/03/20/bernardic-glas-u-slavoniji-ne-vrijedi-jednako-kao-u-dalmaciji/

We fact-check statements of top officials, members of government, members of parliament and other elected officials and deputies, including local authorities. We fact-check claims made by the members of ruling parties as well as by the opposition. We are focused on statements of great public interest or on statements that are in the public eye at the moment.

We maintain coherent standards across fact-checks, regardless whether it's a claim of the ruling politician or opposition. However, our researches are more focused on the government members and members of influential groups because their decisions have greater impact on everyday lives of the citizens.

In every fact-check we have the same procedure – we give link on the public statement and then we try to determine the truth by comparing what is said with documents, registers, statistics, court decisions, articles previously published on this topic or the opinion of eminent experts.

We have five grades – from “Ni f od Fakta“ that stands for statements that are completely untrue to “Fakt“, meaning that the statement is completely based on facts. Grades are explained on our website http://faktograf.hr/sto-su-ocjene/ Grade for every statement is placed in the corner of the picture added to the article.

Ivana Jeremic Assessor
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

Faktograf is fulfilling the criteria. Articles cover various topics and involve both ruling officials and opposition leaders. As explained in the application Faktograf uses the same system of analyses in the articles which gives it structure that maintains the standard of objectivity.


done_all 2a marked as Fully compliant by Ivana Jeremic.

Criterion 2b
Nonpartisanship policy
Evidence required: Please share evidence of your policy preventing staff from direct involvement in political parties and advocacy organizations. Please also indicate the policy your organization has as a whole regarding advocacy and supporting political candidates.

Faktograf-udruga za informiranu javnost
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

Statute of Croatian Journalists Association (http://hnd.hr/dokumenti) states that HND is an independent non-profit organization, free of influences from political parties or the government.

Statute of GONG (http://gong.hr/media/uploads/statut_gong_17.12.2015._final.pdf) states that GONG is non-partisan and independent organization, founded in 1997 to encourage citizens to actively participate in political processes. Its goal is promoting and elevating human and civil rights, as well as encouraging and empowering citizens to participate in political processes.

Being joint project of HND and GONG, Faktograf is obliged to respect the same principles. We are not involved in political parties or in supporting political candidates.

Ivana Jeremic Assessor
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

Even though there is not an official statement at the web presentation of faktoraf.hr that covers this topic, since articles concern both officials and opposition representatives it is clear that the signatory is not advocating for any other cause than fact-checking itself. Since it’s a project of GONG and Croatian Journalist Association in which statute states that it is strictly forbidden to be politically involved faktograf.hr has to respect that principle too.


done_all 2b marked as Fully compliant by Ivana Jeremic.

Section 3: Transparency of Sources

Criterion 3a
Sources Policy
Please share a brief and public explanation (500 words max) of how sources are provided in enough detail that readers could replicate the fact check. If you have a public policy on how you find and use sources for your fact-checking, it should be shared here.

Faktograf-udruga za informiranu javnost
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago

We choose statements on the basis of relevance or interest for particular topic in public. We start with providing link to the statement and then, as can be seen from the examples provided above, give links on every document, registry or other source that we use in checking the truthfulness of the statement. Readers can use those links to establish the correctness of our conclusions. If we cannot provide a hyperlink to the source, we name the source and quote it in detail.

Sources that are relevant for our fact-checks are: official documents like statements from the institutions, laws, statistics; domestic and international relevant organizations' reports; relevant media. More on our methodology on a following links: http://faktograf.hr/metodologija/

and

http://faktograf.hr/sto-su-ocjene/

We use the similar method in our “Promises“ section, determining the fulfillment of the promises that were given before the elections. We compare that promises with the government results and grade it from “broken promise“ to ”fulfilled“. 

Ivana Jeremic Assessor
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

Faktograf has a fair methodology and it is very well explained for their readers at the website section named “methodology.” It shows what kind of sources are being used such as press releases, official documents, FOIA, other organization articles and research etc.


done_all 3a marked as Fully compliant by Ivana Jeremic.

Section 4: Transparency of Funding & Organization

Criterion 4a
Funding Sources
Evidence required: Please link to the section where you publicly list your sources of funding (including, if they exist, any rules around which types of funding you do or don't accept), or a statement on ownership if you are the branch of an established media organization or research institution.

Faktograf-udruga za informiranu javnost
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)
Ivana Jeremic Assessor
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

It can be improved by publishing financial records per year, so the public can easily access more information on money spending and money given to the Faktograf.


done_all 4a marked as Fully compliant by Ivana Jeremic.

Criterion 4b
Staff
Evidence required: Please link to the section detailing all authors and key actors behind your fact-checking project with their biographies. You can also list the name and bios of the members of the editorial board, pool of experts, advisory board, etc. if your organization has those.

Faktograf-udruga za informiranu javnost
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)
Ivana Jeremic Assessor
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

Team members and their biographies are listed at the webpage.


done_all 4b marked as Fully compliant by Ivana Jeremic.

Criterion 4c
Contact
Evidence required: Please link to the section where readers can get in touch with the organization.

Faktograf-udruga za informiranu javnost
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)
Ivana Jeremic Assessor
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

There is only an office email address. It may be better if there would be an official telephone number as well.


done_all 4c marked as Fully compliant by Ivana Jeremic.

Section 5: Transparency of Methodology

Criterion 5a
Detailed Methodology
Evidence required: Please link to a section or article detailing the steps you follow for your fact-checking work.

Faktograf-udruga za informiranu javnost
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)
Ivana Jeremic Assessor
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

There is a step by step explained methodology at the “methodology” webpage section. It gives a fair overview how Faktograf chooses statements and the methodology behind the fact-checking.


done_all 5a marked as Fully compliant by Ivana Jeremic.

Criterion 5b
Claim submissions
Evidence required: Please link to the page or process through which readers can submit claims to fact-check. If you do not allow this, please briefly explain why.

Faktograf-udruga za informiranu javnost
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

http://faktograf.hr/kontakt/ or https://www.facebook.com/faktografhr/?fref=nf. We are currently working on cooperation with N1 television with the purpose to establish a new platform for readers where they can contact us and submit claims for fact-checking.

Ivana Jeremic Assessor
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

There is no clear explanation at the webpage. It uses social media and other media platforms to promote the idea of reader’s suggestions. It can be improved by putting it on their webpage as well.


done_all 5b marked as Fully compliant by Ivana Jeremic.

Section 6: Open & Honest Corrections Policy

Criterion 6a
Corrections policy
Evidence required: Please link to the page with your policy to address corrections. If it is not public, please share your organization's handbook.

Faktograf-udruga za informiranu javnost
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)
Ivana Jeremic Assessor
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

It is only stated that complaints and comments are based on the Law on media. It should be a bit more detailed for those who are not familiar with the procedure.


done_all 6a marked as Fully compliant by Ivana Jeremic.

Criterion 6b
Examples of corrections
Evidence required: Please provide two examples of a correction made, or correction requests handled, in the past year.

Faktograf-udruga za informiranu javnost
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
Ivana Jeremic Assessor
17-Sep-2017 (6 years ago)

Examples show that there is a fair policy of article corrections and comments.


done_all 6b marked as Fully compliant by Ivana Jeremic.