The International Fact-Checking Network Global Fact-Checking Mentorship Program 2022

The International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter Institute is seeking to award up to $450,000 in a partnership with Meta. The partnership will launch a program dubbed Global Mentorship Program which will leverage the expertise of member organizations in the peer-to-peer exchange of information. The intention is to scale these programs to a wider community. The deliverables for the scaled training include webinars, online courses, case studies and many more. The funding to be rewarded in this program will be a compensation for both mentors and mentees. The application deadline for this program is December 3^rd, 2021. (The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) Global Fact-Checking Mentorship Program 2022 (Up to $450,000 in Funding)

The signatories to the IFCN with demonstrated expertise in specific topics with other IFCN signatory organizations with an interest in enhancing skill sets in those areas will be matched to this mentorship program. All applicants must clearly define their area of expertise and their intended audience for impact. The topics under this mentorship program may include, but not limited to the following listed below;

Detecting misinformation on social media: How monitoring tools and sourcing tips can be used to identify potential misinformation.

Communicating fact-checks with innovative formats: How to communicate fact-checks to a wider audience using videos, podcasts, memes and other unique formats.

Industry collaboration: How to effectively partner with other fact-checking organizations and publishers, especially during breaking news events, to address misinformation in a better way.

Media literacy: How to help local communities spot misinformation by starting media literacy campaigns and other initiatives.

Training and operations: How effective training programs and operational tactics to help fact-checking organizations better address misinformation can be built.

Health and science information:  How scientific claims and creating a system to increase an organizations capacity to debunk health misinformation can be approached.

Who is eligible?

Mentors

• This program is open to all IFCN signatories, fact-checking organizations and ecosystem partners who have demonstrated success or expertise in a given area
• The mentors will provide educational materials to support other fact-checkers and journalists as required
• All applications which include a partnership between an IFCN signatory and another organization will also be considered but this will require an additional MOU which will be provided in the application
• Previously completed project in the subject area with success metrics
• Previously conducted training or teaching
• Existing training materials or curricula on the subject of a given topic
• And lastly, a public recognition or awards around the organizations established success in a given area

It is important to note that documented success in developing or implementing training and development on a core topic area is what is termed as ‘Demonstrated expertise.’

Mentees

• Mentees must be signatories to the IFCN Code of Principles in good standings
• They should commit to completing all required training and assignments
• When the application kicks off in early 2022, more details on the requirements will be provided for mentees

The Benefits of This Award

Mentors who will be selected will each receive $50,000 which will be distributed in payments of;

• $20,000 delivered upon initial acceptance into the program
• $20,000 delivered upon completion of mentoring of mentees
• $10,000 when scaled training program is competed

Selection Criteria

Projects will be reviewed against the following criteria and weighed equally by the selection committee.

• The relevance of the training to a global and/or regional audience even if the initial programs or trainings were initially conducted in narrower settings
• The ability to scale the proposed topic into a training deliverable for the greater fact-checking community across geographic borders, languages and many more
• If the application reflects a strong actionable plan to achieve the intended goals of the project
• If the proposal meets a high priority and timely topic for the fact-checking community

You can click here for more information about the IFCN global fact-checking mentorship program 2022 / The International Fact-Checking Network Global Fact-Checking Mentorship Program 2022