The Center for Democratic Transition’s (CDT) fact-checking platform Raskrinkavanje.me, has become a verified member of the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) as of yesterday.
In 2022, with the support of the European Union, 44 fact-checking organizations from all over Europe, including CDT, worked on developing the European Code of Practice for Independent Fact-Checking Organizations. This Code serves as the foundation for organizations to join this network.
Immediately after the Code was adopted, independent assessors from EFCSN began the process of verification, which resulted in our membership in the network. This means that Raskrinkavanje.me adheres to the Code’s standards, operates independently and ethically, and remains devoted to serving the public interest.
EFCSN supports and promotes the highest fact-checking standards and media literacy. The Code encourages network members to strive for excellence by meeting standards that range from impartiality to source quality and financial transparency.
The Code consists of three main categories of standards: methodological standards, ethical standards, and transparency standards. Methodological standards regulate the steps verified members must take to ensure their research is transparent, professional, and committed to the highest factual accuracy. Ethical standards outline the principles that members must follow to maintain their impartiality, transparently correct any errors, and prioritize the safety and privacy of subjects. Finally, transparency standards stipulate that members must share information about their organizational structure, funding sources, and partnership agreements to promote trust and ensure editorial independence.
For Raskrinkavanje.me, being a verified member of EFCSN is an important validation and incentive to continue providing verified and credible information to the public and educating the public about how to assess the accuracy of information in the public sphere.
The Raskrinkavanje.me portal was launched in October 2018 and has been a verified member of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) since 2019. Furthermore, Raskrinkavanje.me is one of the founders of the regional SEECheck network.
Jelena Jovanovic, Executive Editor of Raskrinkavanje.me