By utilizing technology in the battle against dis/misinformation in Uganda and beyond, Factjaja.com aims to tackle the two (02) main problems related to information faced by countries in the African continent as they work on tackling the spread of fake news:
These problems can be classified into three main thematic areas:
Awareness:
- basic information. Giving citizens the correct information they need through media information literacy (MIL)
Misinformation and disinformation – correcting and fact-checking wrong and misleading information that if left unchecked might make citizens take decisions that will endanger them.
Prevention:
- providing clear recommendations on actions that citizens can take to prevent or mitigate the risks related to dis/misinformation.
Factjaja Core principles
1. We rate statements of fact
Factjaja.com does not rate the accuracy of ideas, opinions, philosophies or arguments. We rate the accuracy of what people say and present as statements of fact. We focus on both the precise words they use and the context of the statement.
2. A focus on what is significant
When we rate the accuracy of statements, we do not set out to identify tiny inconsistencies. Precision is important but we are not interested in numbers down to three decimal places unless that matters for a reason.
4. The best evidence publicly available – at the time
Almost all data, the whole world over, is something of an estimate. Across Africa, the quality of data varies, not just from country to country but from subject to subject. To rate claims, we rely on the best evidence publicly available at the time the claim is made. This ranges from clearly sourced data and statistics to on-the-record interviews. We do not use off-the-record briefings or evidence unavailable to the public.
5. Mistakes and updating when new or better evidence appears
With our mandate that guides us to always produce final accurate reports, we work hard to make our research findings accurate, according to the best evidence available at the time. When there is something we miss, let us know and we will review the report. If the report needs a correction or update, we will do that and direct readers to the change.
Factjaja.com
Deciding our ratings
When our fact-checkers complete their investigations, three staff members–the report fact-checker and two editors [Associate and Managing Editors] – deliberate on the suitable rating for the claim. In case they do not all agree, they take a vote.
We choose each rating to give readers the clearest understanding of the accuracy of the statement we can – according to the best evidence publicly available at that particular time.
Below are the five key principles behind our ratings.
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True - The claim is accurate, according to the best evidence publicly available at the time, and leaves out nothing significant.
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False - The claim is inaccurate according to the best evidence publicly available at the time.
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Unproven - Evidence publicly available at the time neither proves or disproves the statement. More research is needed.
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Misleading - Elements of the claim are accurate but presented in a way that is misleading.
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Exaggerated - The claim exaggerates the facts.
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Understated - The claim understates the facts.
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Checked - Multiple claims have been fact-checked.
