The IFCN welcomes new applications to its Code of Principles beginning Jan. 16, 2024. Our website is currently under renovation, so new signatories should begin the application process by emailing their interest to info@ifcn.org with "New Signatory" in the subject line.

Pagella Politica

Organization: Pagella Politica
Applicant: TFCF SRL (VAT 02595010352)
Assessor: Paolo Attivissimo

Background

Pagella Politica is a recurring applicant and has always shown excellent compliance in principle, with only minor formal changes required to achieve full compliance.

Assessment Conclusion

"In the first phase of this assessment, only relatively minor and purely formal non-compliances were found, despite the fact that current IFCN criteria are more extensive and detailed than in previous assessments. These non-

compliances were discussed with the applicant through appropriate channels and were promptly remedied by the applicant by introducing the recommended changes to Pagella Politica's website. After reviewing these 

changes, the applicant is now assessed to be fully compliant."

on 16-Sep-2020 (3 years ago)

Paolo Attivissimo assesses application as Compliant

A short summary in native publishing language

Pagella Politica ha già completato con successo gli Assessment negli anni precedenti, dimostrando sempre un'ottima conformità di principio e richiedendo soltanto alcune modifiche formali di modesta entità per raggiungere la piena conformità. Durante la presente valutazione sono emerse solo non-conformità molto modeste, che sono state prontamente corrette, raggiungendo così la piena conformità.

Section 1: Eligibility to be a signatory

To be eligible to be a signatory, applicants must meet these six criteria

  • 1.1 The applicant is a legally registered organization, or a distinct team or unit within a legally registered organization, and details of this are easily found on its website.
  • 1.2 The team, unit or organization is set up exclusively for the purpose of fact-checking.
  • 1.3 The applicant has published an average of at least one fact check a week over the course of the six months prior to the date of application. For applicants from countries with at least 5 or more verified signatories need to have at least a fact check a week over the twelve months of publishing track. Consult to factchecknet@poynter.org for confirmation.
  • 1.4 On average, at least 75% of the applicant’s fact checks focus on claims related to issues that, in the view of the IFCN, relate to or could have an impact on the welfare or well-being of individuals, the general public or society.
  • 1.5 The applicant’s editorial output is not, in the view of the IFCN, controlled by the state, a political party or politician.
  • 1.6 If the organization receives funding from local or foreign state or political sources, it provides a statement on its site setting out to the satisfaction of the IFCN, how it ensures its funders do not influence the findings of its reports.

Criteria 1.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please explain where on your website you set out information about your organization’s legal status and how this complies with criteria. Attach a link to the relevant page of your website.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

Pagella Politica is registered as a limited liability company (società a responsabilità limitata semplificata) that performs fact-checking, debunking, training, and consulting. It falls under the “Independent for profit company” category of IFCN guidelines.

Information about our organization’s legal status is clearly set out in the Who we are (“Chi siamo”) webpage that is easily accessible from our website mainpage: https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto/index 

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The applicant self-certifies its legal status and provides no independent formal evidence of such status, as it instead did for example in 2019 through a statement (visura) from the Chamber of Commerce of Reggio Emilia. However, such evidence is now no longer required by the criteria and therefore the applicant is found to be compliant.


done_all 1.1 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 1.2
Proof you meet criteria
Please answer the following questions – (see notes in Guidelines for Application on how to answer)

 1. When and why was your fact-checking operation started?
 2. How many people work or volunteer in the organization and what are their roles?
 3. What different activities does your organization carry out?
 4. What are the goals of your fact-checking operation over the coming year?

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

Pagella Politica is a Srls (“società a responsabilità limitata semplificata”, according to the Italian law) established as a legal entity at the end of 2013. Its website (https://pagellapolitica.it/) started publishing fact-checks in October 2012.

Since its birth, Pagella Politics Srls is a company that has the objectives of (a) monitoring the statements of the main Italian politicians to evaluate their truthfulness through numbers and facts; (b) counteracting the disinformation phenomenon in Italy. Its core mission is to improve the quality of information and the Italian public debate, providing greater objectivity, and to counter the spread of bad information. Online since October 2012, Pagella Politica has verified over three thousand political statements and many hundreds of fake news.

The team is currently composed by 7 in-house staff and a variable number of external collaborators. The internal staff is: Giovanni Zagni (Director), Tommaso Canetta (Deputy director), Carlo Canepa and Laura Loguercio (Fact-checkers), Silvia Cavasola (Project manager), Renata Leopardi (Social media manager), Sarah Boschetti (Administrative responsible).

Pagella Politica performs fact-checking, debunking, training, and consulting activities. It has currently important ongoing collaborations with major Italian media, including the public television RAI2, the AGI news agency and the EastWest magazine. It also has partnership agreements with the social network Facebook and the messaging app Whatsapp. It participates in some of the main European projects in the field of disinformation, such as SOMA (Social Observatory for Disinformation and Social Media Analysis, part of the Horizon 2020 program) and EDMO (European Digital Media Observatory, part of the Connecting Europe Facility program), and the Spotted project (School policies to detect and tackle fake news, part of the Erasmus+ program) on the topic of media literacy.

With regards to our goals for the coming year, we intend, on one hand, to strengthen our usual fact-checking activity aimed at Italian political statements, bringing forward our core purpose of promoting a political debate based on facts. On the other hand, we intend – and have already activated a number of projects in that direction – to increase our involvement in the media literacy sector, and implement new technological solutions that allow us to scale up the reach and impact of our work.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine records that Pagellapolitica.it had already published several fact-checks as of October 2012 (https://web.archive.org/web/20121005010739/http://pagellapolitica.it/).

Some internal staff members are listed at https://pagellapolitica.it/static/redazione (Zagni, Canetta, Canepa, Cavasola). Others (Loguercio, Leopardi, Boschetti) do not appear to be listed anywhere in the Pagellapolitica.it website.


done_all 1.2 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 1.3
Proof you meet criteria
- The applicant has published an average of at least one fact check a week over the course of the six months prior to the date of application.
- For applicants from countries with at least 5 or more verified signatories need to have at least a fact check a week over the twelve months of publishing track.
- Consult to factchecknet@poynter.org for confirmation.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

Pagella Politica currently publishes an average of 10 articles per week. The articles published in the last six months are in the spreadsheet attached. The spreadsheet features: date of publication, link, topic, our judgement if the topic is to be considered a “public interest issue” according to IFCN’s definition (yes/no). 

Files Attached
insert_drive_file IFCN - fc published... (24 KB)
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The applicant regularly publishes more than the required average number of articles per week.


done_all 1.3 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 1.5
Proof you meet criteria
Please explain any commercial, financial and/or institutional relationship your organization has to the state, politicians or political parties in the country or countries you cover. Also explain funding or support received from foreign as well as local state or political actors over the previous financial year.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

Our organization is completely independent and has no relationship with the state, politicians or political parties in any country. However, we do participate in some of the main European projects in the field of disinformation, namely: SOMA (Social Observatory for Disinformation and Social Media Analysis, part of the Horizon 2020 program), EDMO (European Digital Media Observatory, part of the Connecting Europe Facility program), and Spotted (School policies to detect and tackle fake news, part of the Erasmus+ program), all financed by the European Commission. Pagella Politica’s involvement these project is explicitly mentioned here https://pagellapolitica.it/static/progetti, where we also clearly state that Pagella Politica’s involvement in these projects has no impact on its editorial independence.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The statement provided is consistent with the information published at https://pagellapolitica.it/static/progetti and no evidence of undeclared relationships, funding or support has been found.


done_all 1.5 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 1.6
Proof you meet criteria
If you confirmed the organization receives funding from local or foreign state or political sources, provide a link to where on your website you set out how you ensure the editorial independence of your work.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

At the top of the webpage where we detail Pagella Politica’s participation into projects financed by the European Commission (https://pagellapolitica.it/static/progetti), we clearly state that such participation does not impact our editorial independence. 

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The link provided in the statement is correct and contains the information as described.


done_all 1.6 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Section 2: A commitment to Non-partisanship and Fairness

To be compliant on nonpartisanship and fairness, applicants must meet these five criteria

  • 2.1 The applicant fact-checks using the same high standards of evidence and judgement for equivalent claims regardless of who made the claim.
  • 2.2 The applicant does not unduly concentrate its fact-checking on any one side, considers the reach and importance of claims it selects to check and publishes a short statement on its website to set out how it selects claims to check.
  • 2.3 The applicant discloses in its fact checks relevant interests of the sources it quotes where the reader might reasonably conclude those interests could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided. It also discloses in its fact checks any commercial or other such relationships it has that a member of the public might reasonably conclude could influence the findings of the fact check.
  • 2.4 The applicant is not as an organization affiliated with nor declares or shows support for any party, any politician or political candidate, nor does it advocate for or against any policy positions on any issues save for transparency and accuracy in public debate.
  • 2.5 The applicant sets out its policy on non-partisanship for staff on its site. Save for the issues of accuracy and transparency, the applicant’s staff do not get involved in advocacy or publicise their views on policy issues the organization might fact check in such a way as might lead a reasonable member of the public to see the organization’s work as biased.

Criteria 2.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please share links to 10 fact checks published over the past year that you believe demonstrate your non-partisanship.
Please briefly explain how the fact checks selected show that (I) you use the same high standards of evidence for equivalent claims, (II) follow the same essential process for every fact check and (III) let the evidence dictate your conclusions.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

Please find the links to the 10 fact checks in the document attached.

In all our fact-checks we use institutional and, where possible, publicly available sources, so that the operations carried out to perform the analysis are transparent and easily replicable by readers.

The logical procedure that we follow to perform the fact-checks starts from an analysis of the declaration itself and the parts composing it, a verification of the relevant available official data, and a consequent drawing of conclusions. Our “verdicts” regarding the veracity of the analyzed declarations are based on the objective reality stemming out from our verifications.

The ten reported fact-checks deal with some of the major political issues in Italy in recent weeks (including basic “citizenship” income and its effects on poverty, the EU Recovery Fund, the European Stability Mechanism and the issue of the regularization of migrants).In the sample, it is possible to notice how our analyses give positive or negative verdicts to declarations of members of opposing political forces independently of their political affiliations, and only taking into consideration the relationship between their declarations and the facts as verifiable through the official sources. Here are some examples taken from the attached document:

In this article https://pagellapolitica.it/dichiarazioni/8622/no-il-recovery-fund-proposto-da-francia-e-germania-non-e-un-prestito-ma-neppure-soldi-a-fondo-perduto , the leader of one of the main opposition party “Lega”, named Matteo Salvini, is proven wrong in her declaration that the European Recovery fund constitutes a loan;

In this article https://pagellapolitica.it/dichiarazioni/8577/borghi-ha-ragione-sulle-caratteristiche-dei-prestiti-del-mes , a member of the same opposition party “Lega”, named Claudio Borghi, is proven right in his declaration describing the characteristics of the European Stability Mechanism.

In this article https://pagellapolitica.it/dichiarazioni/8652/no-il-reddito-di-cittadinanza-non-ha-fatto-uscire-dalla-poverta-assoluta-17-milioni-di-famiglie , the undersecretary to the ministry of Interiors Carlo Sibilia, member of one of the main government parties (5 stars movement), is proven wrong in his declaration that the government measure regarding the basic “citizenship” income has brought 1.7 million families out of absolute poverty.

In this article https://pagellapolitica.it/dichiarazioni/8651/la-poverta-e-davvero-scesa-dopo-anni-con-il-reddito-di-cittadinanza , the vice minister of Interiors and leader of one of the main government parties (5 stars movement), Vito Crimi is proven right in his declaration that as a consequence of the government measure regarding the basic “citizenship” income absolute poverty in Italy has decreased.

Files Attached
description IFCN -Pagella Politi... (6 KB)
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The fact checks listed in the attachment, as well as a sampling of other published fact checks, appear to be balanced and non-partisan, follow a common structure and process, and present conclusions based fairly on the provided evidence.


done_all 2.1 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 2.2
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to a place on your website where you explain how you select claims to check, explaining how you ensure you do not unduly concentrate your fact-checking on any one side, and how you consider the reach and importance of the claims you select to check.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The link https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto/index  provides information on the methodology used to select and fact-check claims according to a procedure granting impartiality (see the “Come operiamo”/ “What exactly do we do?” section in particular). The link is easily accessible from the homepage: it is displayed as one of the main menu buttons (“Chi siamo”). 

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The selection method is explained clearly in English and in Italian at the link provided and this information is indeed easily accessible from the homepage.

When this assessment began, there was no formal description of how undue concentration is avoided and of how reach and importance are considered. Following discussion with the applicant, this description was added.


done_all 2.2 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 2.3
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will assess compliance through a review of the fact checks published over the previous year. No additional information required.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

A significant random sample of fact checks was assessed and no disclosures were found to be required.


done_all 2.3 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 2.4
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will assess compliance through a review of the fact checks published over the previous year. No additional information required.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

A significant random sample of fact checks was assessed and no declarations of support for any party, politician or political candidate were found; no advocacy for/against policy positions were found.


done_all 2.4 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 2.5
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to a place on your website where you publish a statement setting out your policy on non-partisanship for staff and how it ensures the organization meets this criteria.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

A public non-partisanship statement of the editorial staff is provided here: https://pagellapolitica.it/static/redazione. Our internal hiring policy foresees that only individuals with no affiliation to political parties or political activism can be hired, and candidates are explicitly asked about it during the job interview. 

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The statement is published as described.


done_all 2.5 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Section 3: A commitment to Standards and Transparency of Sources

To be compliant on sources, applicants must meet these four criteria

  • 3.1 The applicant identifies the source of all significant evidence used in their fact checks, providing relevant links where the source is available online, in such a way that users can replicate their work if they wish. In cases where identifying the source would compromise the source’s personal security, the applicant provides as much detail as compatible with the source’s safety.
  • 3.2 The applicant uses the best available primary, not secondary, sources of evidence wherever suitable primary sources are available. Where suitable primary sources are not available, the applicant explains the use of a secondary source.
  • 3.3 The applicant checks all key elements of claims against more than one named source of evidence save where the one source is the only source relevant on the topic.
  • 3.4 The applicant identifies in its fact checks the relevant interests of the sources it uses where the reader might reasonably conclude those interests could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided.

Criteria 3.1
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

A significant randomised number of sources was reviewed and found compliant.


done_all 3.1 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 3.2
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

A significant randomised number of sources was reviewed and found compliant.


done_all 3.2 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 3.3
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

A significant randomised number of sources was reviewed; a small number of instances of multiple evidence sources was found, but owing to the nature of the fact checks and the sources, this use is nevertheless compliant.


done_all 3.3 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 3.4
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

A significant randomised number of fact checks was reviewed and no instances of potentially influencing sources were found.


done_all 3.4 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Section 4: A commitment to Transparency of Funding & Organization

To be compliant on funding and organization, applicants must meet these five criteria

  • 4.1 Applicants that are independent organizations have a page on their website detailing each source of funding accounting for 5% or more of total revenue for its previous financial year. This page also sets out the legal form in which the organization is registered (e.g. as a non-profit, as a company etc).
  • 4.2 Applicants that are the fact-checking section or unit of a media house or other parent organization make a statement on ownership.
  • 4.3 A statement on the applicant’s website sets out the applicant’s organizational structure and makes clear how and by whom editorial control is exercised.
  • 4.4 A page on the applicant’s website details the professional biography of all those who, according to the organizational structure and play a significant part in its editorial output.
  • 4.5 The applicant provides easy means on its website and/or via social media for users to communicate with the editorial team.

Criteria 4.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please confirm whether you are an ‘independent organization’
or ‘the fact-checking section or unit of a media house or other parent organization’ and share proof of this organizational status.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

Pagella Politica is an independent organization.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

This is correct. 


done_all 4.1 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 4.2
Proof you meet criteria
If your organization is an “independent organization”, please share a link to the page on your website where you detail your funding and indicate the legal form in which the organization is registered (e.g. as a non-profit, as a company etc).
If your organization is “the fact-checking section or unit of a media house or other parent organization”, please share a link to the statement on your website about your ownership.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

Our website explains the financial start-up of the project and the identity of its founders (https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto/index), all past and current clients (https://pagellapolitica.it/servizi/index), as well as the projects Pagella Politica is involved in (https://pagellapolitica.it/static/progetti).

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The links provided offer the information described.


done_all 4.2 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 4.3
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to where on your website you set out your organizational structure, making clear how and by whom editorial control is exercised.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

Information about our organizational and editorial structure can be found here https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto/index and here https://pagellapolitica.it/static/redazione

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The links provided offer the information described.


done_all 4.3 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 4.4
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to where on your website you set out the professional biographies of those who play a significant part in your organization’s editorial output.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The link provided offers the information described.


done_all 4.4 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 4.5
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to where on your website you encourage users to communicate with your editorial team.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

This link https://pagellapolitica.it/contattaci provides users the possibility to contact our editorial team through a webform. Below the webform we state: “Se vuoi avere maggiori informazioni su Pagella Politica, inviarci una dichiarazione da verificare o semplicemente esprimere un commento sul sito ed il nostro lavoro, contattaci compilando il formulario sopra, ti risponderemo il prima possibile.” [If you wish to know more about Pagella Politica, send a declaration to be checked by our team, or simply express a comment on our website and work, contact us by filling out the form above, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.]. The link is easily accessible, as it is displayed on the homepage as one of the buttons of the main menu. 

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The description provided is correct.


done_all 4.5 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Section 5: A commitment to Standards and Transparency of Methodology

To be compliant on methodology, applicants must meet these six criteria

  • 5.1 The applicant publishes on its website a statement about the methodology it uses to select, research, write and publish its fact checks.
  • 5.2 The applicant selects claims to check based primarily on the reach and importance of the claims, and where possible explains the reason for choosing the claim to check.
  • 5.3 The applicant sets out in its fact checks relevant evidence that appears to support the claim as well as relevant evidence that appears to undermine it.
  • 5.4 The applicant in its fact checks assesses the merits of the evidence found using the same high standards applied to evidence on equivalent claims, regardless of who made the claim.
  • 5.5 The applicant seeks where possible to contact those who made the claim to seek supporting evidence, noting that (I) this is often not possible with online claims, (II) if the person who makes the claim fails to reply in a timely way this should not impede the fact check, (III) if a speaker adds caveats to the claim, the fact-checker should be free to continue with checking the original claim, (IV) fact-checkers may not wish to contact the person who made the claim for safety or other legitimate reasons.
  • 5.6 The applicant encourages users to send in claims to check, while making it clear what readers can legitimately expect will be fact-checked and what isn’t fact-checkable.

Criteria 5.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please provide a link to the statement on your website that explains the methodology you use to select, research, write and publish your fact checks.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The link https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto/index provides general information on the methodology used (see the “Come operiamo”/ “What exactly do we do?” section in particular). The link is easily accessible from the homepage: it is displayed as one of the main menu buttons (“Chi siamo”). Further details on methodology are provided in the individual fact-checks.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The description provided is correct and the link provides methodology information in Italian and English.


done_all 5.1 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 5.2
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

When this assessment began, there was no formal description of how undue concentration is avoided and of how reach and importance are considered. Following discussion with the applicant, this description was added.


done_all 5.2 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 5.3
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

A significant sample of fact checks was examined and evidence was found to be provided in each instance, both in support of a claim and against it.


done_all 5.3 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 5.4
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

A significant sample of fact checks was examined and merit assessment of the evidence was found to be independent of who made the claim and based on high standards.


done_all 5.4 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 5.5
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

A significant sample of fact checks was examined and no instances of attempts to contact those who made the claim was observed; however, no need for such contact was found.


done_all 5.5 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 5.6
Proof you meet criteria
Please describe how you encourage users to send in claims to check, while making it clear what readers can legitimately expect will be fact-checked and what isn’t fact-checkable. Include links where appropriate. If you do not allow this, explain why.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

This link https://pagellapolitica.it/ contattaci provides users the possibility to contact our editorial team through a webform. Below the webform we state: “Se vuoi avere maggiori informazioni su Pagella Politica, inviarci una dichiarazione da verificare o semplicemente esprimere un commento sul sito ed il nostro lavoro, contattaci compilando il formulario sopra, ti risponderemo il prima possibile.” [If you wish to know more about Pagella Politica, send a declaration to be checked by our team, or simply express a comment on our website and work, contact us by filling out the form above, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.]. The link is easily accessible, as it is displayed on the homepage as one of the buttons of the main menu. 

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The correct link is "https://pagellapolitica.it/contattaci" (without the space after the final slash). Other than this very minor typo, the information is correct and there is a clear explanation of which claims are fact-checkable at https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto/index ("Scegliamo esclusivamente le dichiarazioni che si basano su fatti o numeri verificabili.").


done_all 5.6 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Section 6: A commitment to an Open & Honest Corrections Policy

To be compliant on corrections policy, applicants must meet these five criteria

  • 6.1 The applicant has a corrections or complaints policy that is easily visible and accessible on the organization’s website or frequently referenced in broadcasts.
  • 6.2 The policy sets out clear definitions of what it does and does not cover, how major mistakes, especially those requiring revised conclusions of a fact check, are handled, and the fact that some complaints may justify no response. This policy is adhered to scrupulously.
  • 6.3 Where credible evidence is provided that the applicant has made a mistake worthy of correction, the applicant makes a correction openly and transparently, seeking as far as possible to ensure that users of the original see the correction and the corrected version.
  • 6.4 The applicant, if an existing signatory, should either on its corrections/complaints page or on the page where it declares itself an IFCN signatory inform users that if they believe the signatory is violating the IFCN Code, they may inform the IFCN, with a link to the IFCN site.
  • 6.5 If the applicant is the fact-checking unit of a media company, it is a requirement of signatory status that the parent media company has and adheres to an open and honest corrections policy.

Criteria 6.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please provide a link to where you publish on your website your corrections or complaints policy. If you are primarily a broadcaster, please provide evidence you frequently reference your corrections policy in broadcasts.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

Link to correction policy Pagella Politica: https://pagellapolitica.it/blog/show/50/quando-i-fact-checker-sbagliano

At the same link, below the correction policy, we list all of the corrections that have been made to published articles. In 2020 (January to June), we had 4 such corrections.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The link provided is valid, includes both the corrections policy and the corrections themselves, contains information that fully meets the compliance criteria, and is clearly linked on the home page. This is true also for the mobile version of the home page.

At the beginning of this assessment, this link was not available on the pages of the individual fact checks. This may have made it difficult for some readers to find it, and therefore it could not be considered easily visible and accessible. Following my recommendation, the link to each fact check page was added as a sidebar element.


done_all 6.1 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 6.2
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the corrections policy to verify it meets critera. No additional information needed.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The policy clearly defines its coverage and error management criteria, and a random sampling of the corrections indicates that the policy is adhered to scrupulously.


done_all 6.2 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 6.3
Proof you meet criteria
Please provide a short statement about how the policy was adhered to over the previous year (or six months if this is the first application) including evidence of two examples of the responses provided by the applicant to a correction request over the previous year. Where no correction request has been made in the previous year, you must state this in your application, which will be publicly available in the assessment if your application is successful.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

On our website there is a page where we collect all of the corrections we make to our published analyses. Two recent examples are: one of 12 May 2020 [link: https://pagellapolitica.it/dichiarazioni/8598/no-in-svezia-il-governo-non-ha-pieni-poteri-come-orban-in-ungheria ] where we updated an analysis published on 5 May to correct some errors that were reported to us by the member of the political party whose declaration we had analysed, and one of 20 May [link: https://pagellapolitica.it/dichiarazioni/8619/no-litalia-non-e-il-paese-che-ha-fatto-piu-tamponi-al-mondo ], when we updated an analysis of the previous day, to replace a source we used that in the meantime had proved unreliable thanks to an investigation by the CNN (although the substance of the analysis remained unchanged). 

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

Corrections are prominently pointed out and are presented transparently.


done_all 6.3 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 6.4
Proof you meet criteria
If you are an existing signatory, please provide a link to show where on your site you inform users that if they believe you are violating the IFCN Code, they may inform the IFCN of this, with a link to the complaints page on the IFCN site.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

At the top of this webpage https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto/index , under the first section called “What is Pagella Politica” (Che cos’è Pagella Politica), we write (both in the Italian version of the text, and in the English version that is available below): “Since 2017 Pagella Politica is an active member of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), and signatory of the related Code of Principles [link to the Code’s webpage]. Any user can report an alleged violation of the Code directly to IFCN through this questionnaire [link to IFCN’s complaints page].”

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

The link provided is valid and adequately accessible.


done_all 6.4 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.

Criteria 6.5
Proof you meet criteria
If you are the fact-checking unit of a media company, please provide a link to the parent media company’s honest and open corrections policy and provide evidence that it adheres to this.

Pagella Politica
28-Jul-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

N/A: Pagella Politica is not the fact-checking unit of a media company, but a fact-checking organization itself.

Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
11-Aug-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago

This criterion is not applicable to this signatory.


done_all 6.5 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.