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Faktograf (Croatia), Taiwan Factcheck Center (Taiwan), Les Suligneurs (France), ElToque/DeFacto (Cuba) and Zašto ne (Bosnia and Herzegovina) are the first fact-checking organizations to complete this mentorship on public policy and advocacy against disinformation. Maldita.es conducted this course with the support of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), an international alliance that counts us as members since 2018. The goal is helping those organizations to make their voice heard when they position themselves on policies or issues that affect the fight against disinformation.
The mentorship began in September of 2022 and, since the very first workshop, we have highlighted the importance of fact-checking organizations engaging in advocacy activities: we understand that it is an effective tool to fight disinformation and that fact-checkers, as experts, have the capacity and the expertise to offer evidence-based solutions. Moreover, we are aware of the cost of being absent from public debates over disinformation: then, other actors that might not have the same experience and credibility fill that void.
Carlos Hernández-Echevarría, Assistant Director and Head of Public Policy, along Ximena Villagrán, Chief Operating Officer, imparted five different sessions on how to define objectives and positions on different public policies, how to cultivate relationships with stakeholders without compromising the organization’s editorial independence and legitimate interests, or how to act with a limited amount of resources and capacities while ensuring the sustainability of the project. Individual capacitation sessions were also organized for the different participating organizations.
For the training to be accessible to more people, we have gathered in a guidebook the content of the workshops as well as advice and reflections. If you think it can be useful for your organization and you are interested in accessing the document, do not hesitate to send an email to [email protected].