Background
Assessed By: Ramón SalaverríaAssessed On: 3/17/2021
Assessment Conclusion
A short summary in native publishing language
As of 3/17/2021 Ramón Salaverría assesses this application as
Section 1 : ELIGIBILITY TO BE A SIGNATORY
To be eligible to be a signatory, applicants must meet these six criteria
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.
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.
The applicant is a unit within a large media organization. More specifically, T Verifica is the fact-checking platform of Noticias Telemundo Digital, which is part of the news division of Telemundo, a Spanish-language television network part of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which belongs to the US-based Comcast Corporation. As requested, it has presented evidence of its ties to a legally registred company.
The team, unit or organization is set up exclusively for the purpose of fact-checking.
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?
T Verifica is our fact-checking platform launched in August, 2020 to publish original fact-checks in Spanish. Our team is composed of two people:
Ronny Rojas: (editor and fact-checker) An investigative journalist. He is adjunct professor at CUNY´s Graduate School of Journalism. He was a fellow in the 2019 class of the John S. Knight fellowship at Stanford University. Previously, he worked as Data editor for Univision Noticias, where he founded the first Spanish-language fact-checking platform in the U.S.
Andrea López-Cruzado: (fact-checker) A bilingual journalist with 20 years in the field. She worked as an editor for The Wall Street Journal Americas. She was fact-checker for Radio Ambulante, an NPR podcast, for over 2 years. She is also an adjunct professor at CUNY.
T Verifica was created with the sole objective of debunking disinformation circulating online and fact-checking the public discourse of politicians, public officials, organizations or people that are relevant to our audience.
Noticias Telemundo is a leading provider of national news for U.S. Hispanics across all broadcast and digital platforms. We produce award-winning news specials, documentaries and news events such as political debates, town halls and forums.
Over the coming year we plan to step up our fact checking efforts around COVID-19 immunization with a special focus on disinformation and misinformation circulating among Latino communities in the US. We also plan to create a weekly fact-checking segment on our TV newscast, to reach millions of people that we already have as a recurrent audience.
We have partnered with three local Spanish-language news outlets to have an ear in Hispanic communities discussions about the COVID-19 vaccine for at least the next 12 months. Working in collaboration will help us track rumors and falsehoods circulating among the Latino communities in different cities and towns around the country.
As requested, T Verifica has presented evidence of:
1. The year (2020, September) when this news organization was set up.
2. The identity, background and roles of the journalists (2) who work in the organization.
3. The activities carried out by T Verifica, mainly focused on US political and social misleading claims debunking.
4. The goals of T Verifica over the coming year, which comprise setting up partnerships with US Spanish-language news outlets, in order to cover and fact-check news about Hispanic communities, the main target of its parent organization, Noticias Telemundo Digital.
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.
- 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.
Since our launch in September 2020, we’ve published 150 articles -an average of 5.7 a week- fact checking more than 200 statements by politicians and other relevant public officials during the presidential campaign, as well as debunking disinformation circulating online around COVID-19 and other pressing issues for our audience. During this period we published original pieces as well as translated content from several US fact checking organizations as part of FactChat, a collaborative project led by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the Poynter Institute. In March 2019, before launching our own fact-checking project, we partnered with Politifact to translate their fact-checks into Spanish for use both online and on TV. Since then, every week we publish one or two Politifact articles.
Supporting Files:
As requested, T Verifica has presented evidence of the fact-checks (150) performed over the six months prior to the date of application (Sep 2020 - Feb 2021), totalling an average of nearly 6 fact-checks per week. This amount of fact-checks corresponds to the first months of activity of this organization, which was launched in September 2020. All in all, within this initial six-month period, there were no weeks without at least one fact-check published.
An undisclosed amount of the fact-checks were not originally produced by the T Verifica journalists, but taken from FactChat, a collaborative project set up by IFCN. The percentage of fact-checks borrowed from Fact-Chat is not clearly disclosed, so it is not easy to weigh the applicant's own fact-checking activity. Anyway, this aspect is assessed as a minor deficiency that does not prevent from assessing this criterion as compliant, but it is indeed an aspect that we kindly invite to correct for future renewals of IFCN accreditation.
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.
The assessor will assess compliance through a review of the fact checks published over the previous three months. No additional information required.
After a random review of the 150 fact-checks published since September 2020 to February 2021, it has been confirmed that, according to what is requested, more than 75% of T Verifica’s fact-checks focus on claims related to issues that relate to or could have an impact on the welfare or well-being of individuals, the general public or society in US. Most of these fact-checks -in fact, more than 95%- relate to US presidential campaign and to, a lesser extent, with COVID-19 pandemic. There are just a very few examples of fact-checks (see, for instance, this and this) focused on other economic and social issues.
All in all, over the period analyzed, the topics fact-checked show a great concentration on US politics and the pandemic. Considering the news events that took place in the US during that period, this can be assessed as somewhat logical, although for the future a more diverse coverage of topics would be advisable.
The applicant’s editorial output is not, in the view of the IFCN, controlled by the state, a political party or politician.
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.
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises has NO commercial, financial and/or institutional relationships to the state, politicians or political parties, nor have they received funding from foreign or local state or political actors.
According to the information provided by the applicant, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, parent media conglomerate of T Verifica, has no commercial, financial and/or institutional relationships to the state, politicians or political parties, nor have they received funding from foreign or local state or political actors.
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.
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.
Our organization does not receive funding from any political source.
T Verifica declares not to receive any funding from local or foreign state or political sources.
Section 2 : A COMMITMENT TO NON-PARTISANSHIP AND FAIRNESS
To be compliant on nonpartisanship and fairness, applicants must meet these five criteria
The applicant fact-checks using the same high standards of evidence and judgement for equivalent claims regardless of who made the claim.
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.
These fact checks for the 2020 presidential campaign show that we keep an eye on both sides of the political spectrum. During the presidential and vice presidential debates, as well as town halls and other campaign events we paid equal attention to the statements from the Democratic and Republican tickets. For both political parties we used the same rating system and work criteria to determine whether a statement is true, false, misleading or lacks context. For fact checks on both political parties we included links to our sources of information. In many cases, we published fact checks for both candidates in one single article, to ensure that they both had the same reach among our audience and that they received the same attention from our social media team.
In this selection of links we've also included two translated articles, as part of our partnership with Politifact, to show that we chose content concerning both political parties.
When performing fact-checks, T Verifica applies a consistent and sound fact-checking methodology, backing the information with reliable links and covering issues with equivalent standars, regardless the ideological alignment of the institution, political party or person concerned.
On the 150 fact-checks performed over the six months prior to the date of application (Sep 2020 - Feb 2021), which coincided with a highly turbulent period in the US, we have detected more fact-checks related to one of the two presidential candidates (Trump) than to his opponent (Biden). Nevertheless, the non-partisanship of the applicant has been adequately demonstrated by providing, as requested, ten examples of fact-checks covering politicians of all the US political spectrum.
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.
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.
As requested, T Verifica has a page where it commits itself to non-partisanship. There, the applicant pledges "to present the facts with honesty, impartiality and transparency".
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.
The assessor will assess compliance through a review of the fact checks published over the previous year. No additional information required.
After a random review of fact-checks published since September 2020 to February 2021, no trace has been found of any commercial interest that might influence the fact-checking activity of T Verifica.
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.
The assessor will assess compliance through a review of the fact checks published over the previous year. No additional information required.
After a random review of fact-checks published since September 2020 to February 2021, no trace has been found of any political or ideological interest that might influence the fact-checking activity of T Verifica.
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.
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.
As requested, the applicant sets out its policy on non-partisanship for staff on its site. According to this policy, they "avoid expressing [their] political opinions in public and do not participate in electoral processes. [They] also do not make political contributions or campaign for parties or other groups with political interests." (asssesor's translation).
Section 3 : A COMMITMENT TO STANDARDS AND TRANSPARENCY OF SOURCES
To be compliant on sources, applicants must meet these four criteria
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.
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.
After a random review of a number of fact-checks published over the previous months, a very consistent and widespread use of links to back fact-checks has been found. These resources allow users to easily verify by themselves the relevant information puiblished by T Verifica.
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.
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.
According to the assessor's knowledge, the sources used by T Verifica to back fact-checks are well diversified, relevant and sound.
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.
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.
The sources used to back statements are clearly disclosed and consistently referred by T Verifica. The overall assessment for this criterion is positive.
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.
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.
When needed, T Verifica provides context adequately about the sources used to back the fact-checks, so that readers can easily detect any interests that could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided.
Section 4 : A COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY OF FUNDING & ORGANIZATION
To be compliant on funding and organization, applicants must meet these five criteria
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).
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.
T Verifica is the fact checking unit of Noticias Telemundo, a leading provider of national news for U.S. Hispanics across all broadcast and digital platforms.
https://www.telemundo.com/noticias/noticias-telemundo/politica/quienes-somos-tmna3861768
See the content sections on Noticias Telemundo homepage.
T Verifica is a branch of Noticias Telemundo, a private-owned television and online news platform, bound to Comcast Corporation. The applicant's funding comes from the commercial operations of its parent organization.
Applicants that are the fact-checking section or unit of a media house or other parent organization make a statement on ownership.
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.
T Verifica is bound to Noticias Telemundo, a news organization targeted to Hispanic population in the US. As requested, this relationship with its parent media house is clearly disclosed.
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.
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.
As requested, T Verifica discloses on its website the identities and profiles of its staff members (2).
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.
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.
T Verifica provides detailed, easy-to-reach information about its staff members. It includes personal email accounts.
The applicant provides easy means on its website and/or via social media for users to communicate with the editorial team.
Please share a link to where on your website you encourage users to communicate with your editorial team.
T Verifica provides several means of contact on its website, which comprise the staff members' email addresses and a WhatsApp number.
Section 5 : A COMMITMENT TO STANDARDS AND TRANSPARENCY OF METHODOLOGY
To be compliant on methodology, applicants must meet these six criteria
The applicant publishes on its website a statement about the methodology it uses to select, research, write and publish its fact checks.
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.
T Verifica openly discloses its fact-checking methodology and the criteria to qualify content as false (falso), misleading (engañoso), manipulated (manipulado), without evidence (sin evidencia), context lacking (falta contexto) or true (verdadero).
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.
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.
Based on a random review of a number of fact-checks published over several months prior to this assessment, enough examples have been found that T Verifica selects claims to check based primarily on the reach and importance of the claims.
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.
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.
Drawing upon a number of randomly selected fact-checks published by the applicant organization, the assessor has come to the conclusion that T Verifica commits to transparency and fairness when processing claims.
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.
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.
No evidence has been found of the eventual usage of different standards for fact-checking, depending on who made the claim, or the subject checked.
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.
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.
In the random sample of fact-checks used for this assessment, no examples have been found of the objectionable situations indicated in this criterion. In absence of any apparent misbehaviour or infringement of the Code of Principles, the assessment is deemed as compliant.
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.
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.
While we encourage our readers to reach out to us via email or WhatsApp to suggest statements to check, we also explain that not all the information we receive can be fact-checked. We don't check personal opinions or ambiguous statements that are not rooted in a fact that is verifiable. We explain to our readers that the information they submit will be evaluated to determine their public interest and whether a verification is feasible.
https://www.telemundo.com/noticias/noticias-telemundo/politica/el-metodo-de-t-verifica-tmna3861323
As requested, T Verifica has provided evidence on how it encourages users to propose claims to check, provide data and knowledge, as well as warn about possible errors in the checks. When such claims are received, their feasibility is assessed the staff and they proceed accordingly.
Section 6 : A COMMITMENT TO AN OPEN & HONEST CORRECTIONS POLICY
To be compliant on corrections policy, applicants must meet these five criteria
The applicant has a corrections or complaints policy that is easily visible and accessible on the organization’s website or frequently referenced in broadcasts.
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.
T Verifica allows users to send claims and corrections, mainly by email. In case a mistake has been found by anyone, it commits itself to responding to these claims within 48 hours.
As a measure for improvement, it is suggested to expand the diversity of contact forms allowed to receive correction requests.
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.
The assessor will review the corrections policy to verify it meets critera. No additional information needed.
The corrections policy is explained in reasonable detail, so that users can know in advance how their claims will be handled and how much time might take to get response.
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.
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.
Since we launched our fact checking project in September, 2020, no correction request has been received from our readers, our sources or the people subject of our fact-checks.
By the time this assessment was performed (March 2020), no correction had to be published upon request.
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.
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.
We are not an existing signatory
The evidence indicated in this criterion is not required, as T Verifica is not an existing IFCN signatory.
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.
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.
Although our parent company NBCUniversal has a correction policy, it is not public. T Verifica's public correction policy can be found on our landing page.
T Verifica is bound to Noticias Telemundo, a parent news organization. The applicant's pages are part of the parent media website, so it is implied that the corrections policy disclosed by the applicant extends to the whole organization.
We have placed three tabs at the top of our landing webpage (https://www.telemundo.com/noticias/t-verifica) to explain our readers who we are, our work methodology and our corrections and updates policy. In the section Quienes somos (who we are) we provide information about our team and the legal status of the company to which T Verifica belongs.
https://www.telemundo.com/noticias/noticias-telemundo/politica/quienes-somos-tmna3861768
T Verifica is the fact checking platform of Noticias Telemundo Digital, which is part of the news division of Telemundo, a Spanish-language television network part of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is owned by the American American telecommunications conglomerate Comcast.
https://www.telemundo.com/noticias
https://www.linkedin.com/company/nbcu-telemundo-enterprises
https://www.nbcuniversal.com/about