Aos Fatos is a journalistic company trading name. It is registered under the CNPJ 22.408.117/0001-41 as news agency. Reference: https://aosfatos.org/nossos-parceiros/

The link provided by Aos Fatos points to a page with detailed information about the organization and how it is financed. The document attached to the application confirms the organization's registration.

Aos Fatos is Brazil's benchmark fact-checking organization. Launched in July 2015 by a journalist and a developer with scarce funding and the ambitious mission of shedding light on what is true and what is false in politics, Aos Fatos has grown to be one of the most innovative websites in Latin America. Since 2015, our team covered two elections and a presidential impeachment with verification and data driven approach. However, what makes Aos Fatos stand out from other media outlets in Brazil and abroad is its technology-savvy team that adds up automation solutions to a creative approach.

The combination of journalism, social engagement, technology and design results in groundbreaking tools to tackle misinformation, such as conversational bots, monitoring bots, cartoons and a well developed use of social media. Aos Fatos reached editorial maturity developing such projects and, with that, gathered even more relevance in the journalistic environment. These innovations were responsible, for example, for the expansion of its editorial and technology teams. Now, Aos Fatos employs 15 full and part-time professionals, in addition to seasonal collaborators and consultants.

For the next 12 months, Aos Fatos aims to deepen its mis/disinformation campaigns coverage by building an algorithm that will help us identify low quality content in real time on social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp. This, together with the a mis/disinformation monitor that is currently being developed, might improve our workflow and give us more data in order to tackle false or misleading content and fact-check them.

The answer of Aos Fatos fully meets the four items of this criterion. 

Besides debunking false or misleading content online, as listed in the attached file, Aos Fatos also fact-checks statements from politicians and published investigations and fact-sheets regarding popular mis/disinformation topics.

All of Bolsonaro's statements, fact-checked: https://aosfatos.org/todas-as-declara%C3%A7%C3%B5es-de-bolsonaro/

All of Aos Fatos' fact-checks in one place: https://aosfatos.org/noticias/

In the link provided by the applicant, we identified more than 150 fact checks published in the last three months.

The applicant's fact checks are concentrated on topics of relevance to society. More recently, most investigations have focused on misinformation and falsehoods about coronaviruses and COVID-19. In addition, when the claims originate from social networks, Aos Fatos has dealt preferentially with those messages that have a wide audience reach.

Aos Fatos has never received any funding from the state or politicians or political parties in Brasil or anywhere else. It is registered here: https://aosfatos.org/nossos-parceiros/

Aos Fatos, however, collaborate with Electoral Courts and state level agencies around the country in order to republish its content for free. It is coherent with our efforts to reach as many people as possible with verified information.

The applicant displays on a page the total revenue from previous years and declares its principles regarding financing.

On the same page, Aos Fatos describes its main sources of financing, declares that it is part of Facebook's third-party verification project, and confirms that it does not receive funds from foundations, governments or political parties.

It doesn't.

The applicant declares it does not receive amounts from local or foreign state or political sources.

Each link listed here has a different main character and complies with our policy of fact-checking as many different topics and politicians as possible, without leading to false equivalences and a biased coverage.

1. Donald Trump: https://aosfatos.org/noticias/trump-nao-disse-em-entrevista-que-mandara-tropas-ao-brasil-se-bolsonaro-sofrer-golpe/

2. Wilson Witzel (PSC), João Doria (PSDB) and Rui Costa (PT): https://aosfatos.org/noticias/video-que-mostra-acao-da-pm-em-praia-e-antigo-e-sem-relacao-com-isolamento-social/

3. Bolsonaro (sem partido): https://aosfatos.org/noticias/contra-moro-bolsonaro-omite-pressao-na-pf-ao-afirmar-que-nunca-pediu-blindagem/

4. Rodrigo Maia (DEM): https://aosfatos.org/noticias/rodrigo-maia-nao-descartou-projeto-do-governo-bolsonaro-sobre-quarentena/

5. Justice Luís Roberto Barroso: https://aosfatos.org/noticias/e-falso-que-barroso-declarou-apoio-manifestacoes-bolsonaristas-de-15-de-marco/

6. Eduardo Bolsonaro (sem partido): https://aosfatos.org/noticias/eduardo-bolsonaro-difunde-e-amplifica-informacoes-falsas-para-atacar-jornalista-da-folha/

7. Sergio Moro: https://aosfatos.org/noticias/no-roda-viva-moro-distorce-fatos-ao-comentar-relacao-de-bolsonaro-com-imprensa-e-policia-federal/

8. Carlos Bolsonaro (sem partido): https://aosfatos.org/noticias/carlos-bolsonaro-nao-publicou-foto-com-arma-minutos-apos-marielle-ser-assassinada/

9. Justice Gilmar Mendes: https://aosfatos.org/noticias/gilmar-mendes-nao-mandou-excluir-perfis-de-carlos-bolsonaro-em-redes-sociais/

10. Joice Hasselmann (PSL): https://aosfatos.org/noticias/contra-serie-de-evidencias-joice-diz-no-roda-viva-que-nao-difundiu-noticia-falsa-nas-eleicoes/

Although fact check publications in recent weeks have been dominated by COVID-19 and rumors published by ordinary people or anonymous sources on social networks, Aos Fatos has been doing fact checks and verifying statements involving different public figures in Brazil. In all fact checks, there is a regularity in both the rigor and the standards adopted, which does not allow any commitment or preference to be perceived by any side in the political debate.

https://aosfatos.org/nosso-m%C3%A9todo/

Aos Fatos describe on the "Our Method" page the criteria for selecting the content that it investigates. This selection considers three aspects:

1) the content is relevant

2) there is a public authority endorsing it

3) the content has a high engagement on social media platforms.

There was no perceived conflict of interest in the assessment with the sources used in the fact-checking by Aos Fatos. The applicant uses reliable sources and gives links to all sources used in the checks.

Aos Fatos does not declare support for any party, politician, or political candidate. It is not noticed in the fact-checks published any support or opposition to any political positions or causes that could compromise the transparency and accuracy of its investigations.

https://aosfatos.org/nosso-m%C3%A9todo/

Aos Fatos, on the Our Method page, it states that its professionals are expressly instructed not to endorse any political party discourse and that the team does not advocate or express preferences. On the contrary, journalists are encouraged to listen to all sides. The candidate also declares that any behavior that differs from the look for exemption and plurality is not part of the philosophy nor the editorial line of Aos Fatos.

All sources consulted for the fact-checks are related to the end of the publications, with links that allow users to review the checks if they wish.

As a rule, Aos Fatos uses adequate primary evidence sources. When suitable primary sources are not available, the applicant uses secondary sources.

On the page where it expresses its principles, the applicant declares that if the security of a source is under threat, it will offer as much detail as possible without mentioning the source. We did not find in the evaluation any case that exemplifies this issue.

Aos Fatos uses different sources to verify or confirm the information obtained. In some cases, the use of a single source is noted for checking the evidence, but they are usually primary and convincing sources or the only one where the necessary information is available.

We did not find in the analyzed checks examples of the use of fonts that could demand a disclaimer to readers about the possible interests of these fonts. Aos Fatos, however, is very transparent in its fact-checks and offers readers the necessary links to the sources it uses and gives access to all the evidential material of its findings.

Aos Fatos is a journalistic company trading name. It is registered under the CNPJ 22.408.117/0001-41 as news agency. Reference: https://aosfatos.org/nossos-parceiros/

Aos Fatos is an independent organization. The applicant describes on its Quem Somos (about us) page the main revenue sources and the total revenue in previous years. The applicant does not declare the values or percentages of each source of income. 

https://aosfatos.org/nossos-parceiros/

Aos Fatos is an organization registered as a news agency and uses a simplified taxation model called Simples Nacional.

Our staff: https://aosfatos.org/nossa-equipe/

Our editorial control as a method: https://aosfatos.org/nosso-m%C3%A9todo/

The Nossa Equipe page lists all the staff of Aos Fatos with photo, bio, and function. On another page, Nosso Método, there is a description of the workflow and the editorial decision process.

https://aosfatos.org/nossa-equipe/

The staff page (Nossa Equipe) lists all the team of Aos Fatos with photo, bio, and function.

Aos Fatos has plenty of ways to a reader reach out to our editorial team:

1. In our homepage, there are links to our e-mail and social media channels, including WhatsApp: https://aosfatos.org/

2. Aos Fatos' WhatsApp is one of our most strategical communication engines. It has a link in the homepage (https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=5521999565882) as well as a link to how to use it (https://aosfatos.org/noticias/aos-fatos-agora-esta-no-whatsapp-veja-como-usar/).

There is a very visible area on the homepage called Nossas Redes with shortcuts to email, to the WhatsApp number and to profiles and pages on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The same links are available at the website footer.

https://aosfatos.org/nosso-m%C3%A9todo/

On the Nosso Método page (our method) Aos Fatos describes, step by step, its methodology and how it selects, researches, writes and publishes its fact-checks.

The fact-checks published by Aos Fatos refer to the origin of the claim, where it was identified and the reach obtained. It is not common for articles to emphasize directly other reasons that motivated the fact-checking, such as the relevance of the topic or the potential to cause damage. While these reasons are almost always implicit in the reports, giving more evidence to them would probably add even more transparency to the fact-checking work.

The applicant fact-checks strictly follow its methodology, are conclusive, supported by relevant evidence, and links to primary sources, leaving no room for doubt.

It is possible to identify patterns in the Ao Fatos fact-checks, regardless of who did it and when the investigation was carried out. In addition to the applied methodology being evident, the conclusions are quite objective and there are no different weights used to different personalities or themes.

Some of the analyzed fact-checks report that contact with whoever made the claim was attempted, but Aos Fatos did not receive feedback in any of these attempts.

Aos Fatos' WhatsApp is one of our most strategical communication engines, with more than a 5,000 subscribers. It has a link in the homepage (https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=5521999565882) as well as a link to how to use it (https://aosfatos.org/noticias/aos-fatos-agora-esta-no-whatsapp-veja-como-usar/). Aos Fatos receives some 200 messages daily with fact-checking suggestions, compliments and complaints. There are two journalists in our team that are focused in answering those messages and improving our readers' experience. Either way, an automatic message is sent to our readers proving that we received their suggestion and we'll keep them posted if their suggestion is fact-checked. 

The contact points are very visible. There is a link for email and WhatsApp in the center of the homepage and in the footer of the website as well. But there is no incentive for readers to send check requests or guidance on how to do so.

There is a link at the bottom of the website with the phrase "We check for you" that seems to indicate a way to submit suggestions, but it is not working.

Even though Aos Fatos already receives 200 daily requests for checks, as stated in its application, a more visible orientation for readers on how to do this would be recommended.

https://aosfatos.org/politica-de-erros/

Aos Fatos has a very clear corrections policy that is accessible by a link on the website footer. 

The error correction policy clearly describes what should happen when the applicant makes a mistake and what it will do to correct it.

Our correction policy is here, with details on how to proceed in case of mistakes made by our team: https://aosfatos.org/politica-de-erros/

This specific example of a correction was motivated by a mistake while interpreting a dataset about military pensions. A reader flagged us, stating that the dataset we used as a source to our fact-check was incomplete. Because it changed substantially our evaluation, we corrected our content and warned about the mistake on the title: https://aosfatos.org/noticias/correcao-regina-duarte-recebe-pensao-por-ser-filha-de-militar-mas-de-r-68-mil-nao-r-20-mil/

This mistake was flagged by our own review control and our correction was explained at the bottom of the story, as our policy suggests: https://aosfatos.org/noticias/verificamos-cinco-fatos-sobre-cobranca-de-mensalidade-em-universidades-publicas/

The correction policy was applied according to what Aos Fatos proposes to do in case of errors in the two examples that it submitted with this application. However, there is no explanation as to how the policy was adhered to over the previous year.

There are two pages in our website that inform readers about IFCN's complaints page:

https://aosfatos.org/politica-de-erros/

https://aosfatos.org/nosso-m%C3%A9todo/

The page describing its correction policy also informs that Aos Fatos follows IFCN principles and gives the reader a link to IFCN's website in case the reader understands that the applicant does not comply with the guidelines.

We are an independent website.

Aos Fatos is an independent fact-checking organization.