Truco is the fact-checking project from Agência Publica, a non-profit news organization specialized in investigative reporting located in Brazil. Pública was created in 2011 and Truco, in 2014. In our home page we have a special area to explain who we are, to tell our story and to disclose who is responsible for our funding: https://apublica.org/quem-somos/. More information about Truco is available at https://apublica.org/truco.

Truco is recognized in Brazil as a relevant fact-checking project created by Agência Publica. Although the signatories have not attached documents in the application form that demonstrate they are legally registered, they legitimated the project by informing they were acknowledged by IFCN already. The Agência Publica has a pretty solid network of advisors. However, it is not entirely clear if Truco itself is also under the same advice. We recommend Agencia Publica attaches a proof of legal registration, as requested by IFCN.

Truco began as a project created to cover the 2014 presidential elections. After that, we focused on statements from politicians on the Brazilian Congress from 2015 to 2016 (Truco no Congresso) and on the mayoral elections of 2016 in five state capitals (Truco Eleições 2016). Since February 2017, we've revamped the project. We've started to fact-check quotes from politicians and public figures and also rumors and viral messages. Our system was changed from the old cards to more standardized labels, for added clarity. Our archive can be found at https://apublica.org/truco.

The fact-checking production and analysis are consistent and made on a regular basis. We could notice an intensification of the production particularly in the second half of 2017 compared to the first half of 2017. There was a hollow of stories in January 2017, but the same situation does not occur in January 2018

https://apublica.org/2018/02/truco-deputados-usam-dados-falsos-ao-debater-intervencao-no-rio/

https://apublica.org/2017/12/truco-marina-silva-usa-dados-falsos-e-imprecisos-em-discurso/

https://apublica.org/2017/11/truco-exageros-e-imprecisoes-marcam-discurso-de-lula-em-caravana/

https://apublica.org/2017/10/truco-alimento-para-pobres-elogiado-por-doria-nao-e-completo-em-nutrientes/

https://apublica.org/2017/10/truco-dados-falsos-e-omissoes-marcam-estatuto-do-armamento/

https://apublica.org/2017/09/truco-o-que-ha-por-tras-da-queda-no-desmatamento-celebrada-por-temer/

https://apublica.org/2017/08/truco-meirelles-recebeu-r-50-milhoes-no-cargo-mas-repasse-nao-e-irregular/

https://apublica.org/2017/06/truco-checamos-o-que-o-mbl-diz-sobre-regime-semiaberto/

https://apublica.org/2017/04/truco-checamos-8-frases-de-jair-bolsonaro/

https://apublica.org/2017/04/truco-dilma-diz-que-empresas-deixaram-de-investir-para-aumentar-lucro-mas-e-impossivel-provar/

To maintain coherent standards and fairness, we always fact-check quotes based on relevance and change the people who are fact-checked every time. We try to put on scrutiny people from all political parties and different public figures, in order to maintain our balance. Our methodology also requires that we contact the person whose quote is being verified to ask for the source of the data. After the work ends, we call them again, to tell our conclusion and give them the opportunity for a final comment.

The signatory's production confirms that fact checks cover a diversity of subjects, from political to cultural and also health data. (E.g., yellow fever, abortion, slave labor, income tax, etc.).

Agência Pública is a journalist NGO, so our mission is to make a fair and ethical coverage in every aspect, based on journalistic standards. This is clear on our website, at https://apublica.org/quem-somos. We disclose the names of all members of our staff and none of them is part of political parties or advocacy organizations. We think that this kind of involvement compromises fairness. As a news agency, our stories and fact-checks are reproduced by some of the main media outlets in Brazil, which is our proof of our balanced coverage.

We have not found any evidence the signatory supports a candidate in any election nor advocate or take policy positions on any issues not strictly related to fact-checking. Inside methodology section, Truco does not explain precisely how the staff is prevented from direct involvement in political parties and advocacy organizations. Though, they are pretty clear on how they avoid those situations by informing their contact email so readers can send criticisms, suggestions or point errors. When it happens, Truco claims to fix and update the article, explaining the whole correction process. On top of that, they send an alert to readers/republishers. Also, Truco discloses the names of all members of the staff.  

We always disclose the sources that were used in our fact-checks. If there is an URL to the available source, we always point it inside the text. We include also tables and graphs that help understand the fact-checking, and reveal the sources for this data. If the source is a document that is not available online and we have a copy of it, we upload it to our servers and disclose it inside the text too. In these cases, everyone can download the file and see for themselves. Our policy of disclosing our sources is also revealed in our methodology, described at https://apublica.org/truco, in "Como funciona".

There are links to the sources and documents that support the fact-checking. Also, the agency shows charts and tables to make it easier for the reader to understand how the fact-checking process is established. At the end of each article, there is a box with an explanation of Truco's mission and its methodology, which has a chronological order of steps to follow. These steps were developed in all texts analyzed. The methodology is properly described at http://apublica.org/truco/#metodologia.

https://apublica.org/truco, label "Como funciona". It links to https://apublica.org/transparencia/

The Agência Pública explains how Truco is funded at https://apublica.org/transparencia. It is reported on the website that the institutional sponsors are the Ford Foundation and the OAK Foundation. Nevertheless, the text states that Truco also receives funding for specific projects, but the signatories do not inform details about those projects or who financed them. Only project funders via Crowdfunding are specified. Also, the agency inserts logos from institutions that are not mentioned in the text, as Climate and Land Use Alliance, Open Society Foundations and Betty Institute and Jacob Lafer.

https://apublica.org/truco, label "Como funciona". It links to https://apublica.org/quem-somos/. Each author has a personal page with a detailed biography.

Authors (with biographies) are explicitly listed at https://apublica.org/quem-somos/. 

https://apublica.org/contato. At the bottom of our fact-checks, we also include an e-mail for suggestions and critics: truco@apublica.org. We also have a mobile number which readers can use to contact us on WhatsApp and Telegram.

Truco website has a comment area. Also, it provides an email address, and WhatsApp/Telegram numbers for readers to contact the staff (https://apublica.org/contato).

https://apublica.org/truco, label "Como funciona".

Truco distinctly explains its fact-checking methodology at https://apublica.org/checagem/ 

At the bottom of our fact-checks, we include an e-mail for suggestions (truco@apublica.org) and also a mobile number which readers can use to contact us on WhatsApp and Telegram.

There is a box at the bottom of each check report with the email (truco@apublica.org) and WhatsApp and Telegram numbers for readers to contact them. In this same box, there is a link explaining the applied methodology. 

https://apublica.org/truco, label "Como funciona".

The correction policy is available at https://apublica.org/checagem-truco/como-funciona/

https://apublica.org/2017/04/truco-checamos-8-frases-de-jair-bolsonaro/

https://apublica.org/2017/06/truco-imprecisoes-cercam-argumentos-a-favor-da-reforma-trabalhista/

Truco provided two examples of corrected checks: https://apublica.org/2017/04/truco-checamos-8-frases-de-jair-bolsonaro/ and https://apublica.org/2017/06/truco-imprecisoes-cercam-argumentos-a-favor-da-reforma-trabalhista/