Craig Newmark Foundation to Support TruthBuzz, ICFJ’s Global Fact-Checking Challenge

By: ICFJ | 03/04/2017

Fake news orbits the planet in an instant on social media. Is the truth keeping pace?

Journalists, news sites and sharp-eyed citizens around the world are spotting dubious claims, checking facts and explaining the details to the public. But this debunking is often in the form of long explanations that don’t quickly make a strong case on social media.

With the support of the Craig Newmark Foundation, ICFJ has launched TruthBuzz: The Viral Fact-Checking Contest, a global challenge to invent new ways to help verified facts reach the widest possible audience. The contest is seeking entries that debunk fake news and share solid fact-checking in engaging or entertaining ways that are instantly understandable and shareable. ICFJ will welcome entries in any digital format (e.g., video, cartoon, graphic, .gif, photo, audio file) and in seven languages.

“We need new thinking when it comes to fact-checking,” said ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan. “This competition will do just that. It will arm journalists with new ways to tell the truth that are instantly compelling.”

ICFJ is hosting a webinar to answer questions and help prospective applicants refine their ideas. The winning entries will appear on a public site where the global truth-telling community can engage with and learn from the entries.

"As a news consumer, I want news I can trust," Newmark said. "This contest can find and share exciting new ways to help fact-checkers spread the truth."


About ICFJ

To meet the urgent need for reliable information, ICFJ promotes a professional journalism whose primary goal is to seek the truth. We help journalists use best practices and new technologies to improve the quality of news media. Above all, we empower them to serve their communities by producing trustworthy coverage in these unsettled times.

We believe that better journalism leads to better lives.

About the Craig Newmark Foundation

Based in San Francisco, the Craig Newmark Foundation is a private foundation created by craigslist founder Craig Newmark to support and connect non-profit communities and drive powerful civic engagement

News Category
Country/Region

Latest News

ICFJ Voices: María Paula Murcia Huertas, Answering Questions Audiences Are Really Asking

People searching for information online are faced with a challenge: there is so much information out there that it is often difficult to find resources you need – and to know what to trust. María Paula Murcia Huertas and her Bogotá, Colombia-based news outlet are working on a solution for their community.

Tips for Building Networks to Reach Audiences and Drive Impact

The impact journalists can create in their communities is often dependent on how widely their reporting is consumed. 

In their efforts to gain traction that might spur positive change, journalists might not realize just how many of their colleagues are working on the very same issues in other communities or parts of the world. 

Embracing AI: How to Stay Ahead of the Curve


Concerns around GenAI notwithstanding – its potential to spread mis- and disinformation, and fears it could replace journalism jobs, among them – media leaders should consider how to use the technology to uplift their work. If utilized responsibly and ethically, AI can improve how news is produced and consumed.