Organization: Estadão Verifica
Applicant: Daniel Bramatti
Assessor: Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura
Edits made by the organization after this assessment
IFCN Staff wrote:
Following criterion 4B (staff), we added a list detailing who are our authors and editor. It can be found at our landing page, in the column “Quem Faz/Correções”.
- Following criterion 4C (Contact), we added to the same column two ways readers can get in touch with our fact-checkers: Twitter (@estadaoverifica) and e-mail (estadaoverifica@estadao.com).
- Following criterion 6A (Corrections), we also included within the same section a link to Estadão’s correction form. We also stressed that readers can send correction requests to our e-mail or Twitter. [IFCN Note: the fact-checking project added a corrections policy on its landing page as well.]
- Regarding criterion 2b, we can say that there is complete separation between the newsroom and the opinion team. The fact that the editorial page endorses a candidate in any way influences the election coverage, much less the work of Estadão Verifica.
___________
[comments by the assessor after the applicant made edits]
Summary of changes
The team of Estadão Verifica has updated their project and assessment, granting them a new review.
Their landing page was updated, including information on the about/who’s on the team. Now, authors are clearly stated, making them fully compliant with IFCN criterion 4B. The same applies to ways of getting in touch with the organization, which now are clearly stated in the same section in the landing page, making them fully compliant with IFCN criterion 4C. Finally, there is now a clear call for sending corrections via Twitter and email, and the corrections link is available on the same page, which is positive. Although that is very positive, there isn't still a corrections policy available. [IFCN Note: the fact-checking project has now added a corrections policy on its landing page as well.]
The team of Verifica has stated that, although Estadão, the parent company, has endorsed political candidates before, there is a separation between opinion writers and the news team, especially Estadão Verifica. However, since it does have taken this action before, as per IFCN criteria, it should be noted as partialy compliant.
Conclusion and recommendations
Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura wrote:
Estadão Verifica is the fact checking arm of Estadão, one of the largest and most serious newspapers in Brazil. Estadão is also known for its data-driven approach to news.
As for the applicant, Estadão Verifica, it’s a relevant fact checking actor with a thorough and serious conduct.
Below are some points to pay attention, according to IFCN criteria, especially regarding making some institutional info more easily accessible:
- The names of the team, and their roles, should be disclosed in the webpage prominently, not only in the fact-checks;
- There should be a public corrections policy, explaining how the outlet deals with mistakes and how they are corrected. Also, the link for the corrected stories and fact checks should also be displayed on the splash page, and posts should be marked as corrected, in order to be transparent with the public;
- As for the methodology, it is clear and well described both in text and video, but it would be important to insert a link in the initial page of Estadão Verifica, so it’s findable on the webpage, and not only on Google;
- Finally, regarding how to get in touch with Estadão Verifica, WhatsApp it’s a great resource for that. It should just state more clearly if it’s also dedicated to complaints/suggestions, not only sending fact checks, and, same as the items listed above, it should be more easily findable on the front page.
Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura recommended Accept with edits
Section 1: Organization
Criterion 1a
Proof of registration
Evidence required: Please provide evidence that the signatory is a legally-registered organization set up exclusively for the purpose of fact-checking or the distinct fact-checking project of a recognized media house or research institution.
Estadão Verifica
16-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
Estadão Verifica is a fact-checking project of O Estado de S.Paulo, one of the largest newspapers in Brazil. It was announced in June 2018 (https://politica.estadao.com.br/blogs/estadao-verifica/estadao-verifica-vai-checar-fatos-e-desmontar-boatos/) . Between June and November, more than 200 articles and videos were published, debunking rumors and fact-checking election debates. From August to October, Estadão Verifica was a partner of the Comprova project, a coalition of 24 media outlets coordinated by First Draft and the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism to fight disinformation during the electoral campaign.
Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura Assessor
30-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
The evidence sent by the applicant complies with IFCN criteria.
done_all 1a marked as Fully compliant by Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura.
Criterion 1b
Archive
Evidence required: Insert a link to the archive of fact checks published in the previous three months. If you do not collect all fact checks in one place, please explain how the fact-checking is conducted by your organization.
Estadão Verifica
16-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
Spreadsheet with all fact checks published by Estadão Verifica: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sxk6pfA8qSYDGTYvL7Y7aS6gjHTi35YRhP6RsrTRgbg/edit?usp=sharing
Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura Assessor
30-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
The applicant is compliant with IFCN criteria. The amount of fact checks between June and October, as per the spreadsheet sent by the applicant, when Estadao was being part of Projeto Comprova, is much larger than the amount in November, when only 8 fact checks were published. However, the applicant still meets the criterion of an average of at least one fact-check per week.
done_all 1b marked as Fully compliant by Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura.
Section 2: Nonpartisanship and Fairness
Criterion 2a
Body of work sample
Evidence required: Please share links to ten fact checks that better represent the scope and consistency of your fact-checking. Provide a short explanation of how your organization strives to maintain coherent standards across fact checks.
Estadão Verifica
16-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
In order to debunk rumors or fact-check claims, Estadão Verifica not only states whether some information is false or not, but it explains why, quoting experts and other authoritative sources. Here are some examples:
Fernando Haddad não comemorou a queda das torres gêmeas em aula na USP
Amoêdo não trabalha para o megainvestidor George Soros
Imagem de Marina Silva ‘invadindo fazenda’ é, na verdade, de ato contra desmatamento
Datena não gravou vídeo em apoio a Bolsonaro, e sim a Alckmin
Áudio atribuído a Jair Bolsonaro no hospital é falso
Checamos a sabatina de Ciro Gomes — veja o resultado
Checamos a sabatina de Henrique Meirelles — veja o resultado
Pai de Guilherme Boulos não tem imóvel desocupado na Vila Mariana
Checamos o debate Estadão/Gazeta/Jovem Pan: veja o resultado
Checamos o debate Estadão/Gazeta/Jovem Pan com os candidatos ao governo de São Paulo
Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura Assessor
30-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
The evidence sent by the applicant complies with IFCN criteria. Estadão Verifica covers a variety of topics and viewpoints.
done_all 2a marked as Fully compliant by Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura.
Criterion 2b
Nonpartisanship policy
Evidence required: Please share evidence of your policy preventing staff from direct involvement in political parties and advocacy organizations. Please also indicate the policy your organization has as a whole regarding advocacy and supporting political candidates.
Estadão Verifica
16-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
Our Code of Conduct (page 10) states that "The Estado Group does not allow the personal promotion or promotion of public agents, public bodies or political parties in journalistic matters, events carried out or sponsored by the Group or in any other way".
Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura Assessor
30-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
Staff must follow internal (but publicly accessible) very specific nonpartisanship policies, and Estadao Verifica has a reliable and balanced coverage. However, Grupo Estado, the parent company, has openly endorsed presidential candidates in their editorial pages in the last elections. Examples follow:
Grupo Estado has openly endorsed José Serra as candidate in 2010: https://www.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,editorial-o-mal-a-evitar,615255
In three separate occasions their editorials endorsed Aécio Neves in 2014:
https://opiniao.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,alivio-e-esperanca-imp-,1572728
https://opiniao.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,a-hora-da-razao-imp-,1571206
https://opiniao.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,a-razao-contra-a-baixaria-e-a-apelacao-imp-,1559888
Their Code of Conduct (compliant with IFCN) is available here: https://www.estadao.com.br/ext/codigoetica/codigo_de_etica_miolo.pdf
____________
[comments by the assessor after the applicant made edits]
The applicant has stated that there is a strict separation between the opinion team and the fact-checking team, which seems to be the case, given that the fact-checks are balanced (as seen on the other criteria). However, since there have been support by the parent company to candidates before, they are partially compliant with IFCN criteria.
done 2b marked as Partially compliant by Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura.
Section 3: Transparency of Sources
Criterion 3a
Sources Policy
Please share a brief and public explanation (500 words max) of how sources are provided in enough detail that readers could replicate the fact check. If you have a public policy on how you find and use sources for your fact-checking, it should be shared here.
Estadão Verifica
16-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
When it is possible, Estadão Verifica provides links to original sources or documents in its articles. We never use anonymous sources.
Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura Assessor
30-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
Fact checks usually provide links to original sources, even dedicating a special highlight to PDFs and documents. There seems to be a special attention to transparency on where the sources come from.
done_all 3a marked as Fully compliant by Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura.
Section 4: Transparency of Funding & Organization
Criterion 4a
Funding Sources
Evidence required: Please link to the section where you publicly list your sources of funding (including, if they exist, any rules around which types of funding you do or don't accept), or a statement on ownership if you are the branch of an established media organization or research institution.
Estadão Verifica
16-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
Estadão Verifica is part of Grupo Estado, a media organization whose main sources of revenue are advertising and readers subscriptions. Finance reports from Grupo Estado can be found here: https://www.estadao.com.br/relatorio-da-administracao/.
Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura Assessor
30-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
Grupo Estado is a large and reference news company in Brazil. Their publicly stated accounts are in order, but there isn't a breakdown of how much each source of funding (subscriptions, sales and advertising) adds to the company. Other than that, financial reports are public and accessible.
done_all 4a marked as Fully compliant by Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura.
Criterion 4b
Staff
Evidence required: Please link to the section detailing all authors and key actors behind your fact-checking project with their biographies. You can also list the name and bios of the members of the editorial board, pool of experts, advisory board, etc. if your organization has those.
Estadão Verifica
16-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
Daniel Bramatti, 49, is the editor of Estadão Dados (data journalism desk of the newspaper O Estado de S.Paulo) and editor of Estadão Verifica, the area responsible for fact-checking and verification. He is also the president of Abraji (Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism and a spokesman for the Comprova project, a coalition of 24 media outlets, coordinated by Abraji and created by the initiative of First Draft.
Caio Sartori, 23, works as a reporter at O Estado de S. Paulo since March 2018. Part of his daily attributions includes writing fact-checking and politics stories. Previously, he has worked at O Dia, a local newspaper in Rio de Janeiro, and has contributed to media outlets such as Piauí magazine. Sartori has graduated from Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.
Alessandra Monnerat, 24, works as a reporter at O Estado de S. Paulo since March 2018. She also writes for the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas since 2016. Previously, she has worked at newspapers O Dia and Destak. Monnerat has graduated from Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and spent a semester at the University of Texas at Austin.
Luiz Fernando Toledo, 27, has been working as a reporter for Estadão since September 2013. He writes about public administration and education. He uses techniques of data journalism and transparency, using the Acess to Information Law (or LAI, similar to FOIA in USA). In 2018 he was a fellow at the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) in Washington, where he studied entrepreneurship in digital journalism with a scholarship granted by the American government. He had the opportunity to work for ProPublica, one of the main investigative media outlets in the US. He worked there with issues related to the Freedom of Information Act and data-driven stories. Since 2011, he received seven journalistic awards, such as Allianz - Ayrton Senna, Republica (ANPR) and two Premio Estado de Jornalismo for O Estado de São Paulo (Estadão).
Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura Assessor
30-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
The authors of each fact check are displayed, but there isn't a list on the website of the responsible journalists. Since names are only available on each fact check, it's not possible to know the current team exactly. There is a section on the splash of Estadao Verifica with the title "Quem faz" (Who are the authors), but it's blank. There should be a clear list of names and roles specifically for Estadao Verifica.
___________
[comments by the assessor after the applicant made edits]
The team of Estadão Verifica has updated their landing page, including information on the about/who’s on the team. Now, authors are clearly stated and comply with IFCN criteria.
done_all 4b marked as Fully compliant by Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura.
Criterion 4c
Contact
Evidence required: Please link to the section where readers can get in touch with the organization.
Estadão Verifica
16-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
Estadão Verifica uses WhatsApp to communicate with their readers (https://politica.estadao.com.br/blogs/estadao-verifica/recebeu-algum-boato-pelo-whatsapp-envie-para-o-estadao-verifica/). Between June and October, our WhatsApp channel received 107 thousand messages (https://politica.estadao.com.br/blogs/estadao-verifica/estadao-verifica-chega-ao-fim-das-eleicoes-com-107-mil-mensagens-no-whatsapp/).
Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura Assessor
30-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
There is a dedicated WhatsApp number where the public can send information to be fact checked. It's shown in most fact checks and there is mostly an active invitation, but it's not displayed in the splash page of the project. More importantly, it's not clear whether that channel can be used for complaints or comments, being described by the applicant only for sending info to be fact checked - if it's also a conversation channel, if could be clearer. Emails of reporters are not available. Social network links are available, but not specific call to actions to get in touch.
___________
[comments by the assessor after the applicant made edits]
The applicant has edited their landing page, and now the WhatsApp number for sending info to be fact-checked is clearly stated. There is also a clear call for getting in tpuch via Twitter and email.
The revision complies with IFCN criteria.
done_all 4c marked as Fully compliant by Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura.
Section 5: Transparency of Methodology
Criterion 5a
Detailed Methodology
Evidence required: Please link to a section or article detailing the steps you follow for your fact-checking work.
Estadão Verifica
16-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
This article details our methodology: https://politica.estadao.com.br/blogs/estadao-verifica/estadao-verifica-vai-checar-fatos-e-desmontar-boatos/. A video also explains the criteria used by the team: https://tv.estadao.com.br/politica,estadao-verifica-vai-checar-fatos-e-desmentir-boatos,884169
Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura Assessor
30-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
The fact checking methodology is clearly explained in text and a video, stating how claims are classified and checked. Those are published in blog entries in Estadao Verifica. However, they could be more accessible from the splash page, as links.
done_all 5a marked as Fully compliant by Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura.
Criterion 5b
Claim submissions
Evidence required: Please link to the page or process through which readers can submit claims to fact-check. If you do not allow this, please briefly explain why.
Estadão Verifica
16-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
Readers can submit claims by social media or using our WhatsApp channel, as explained here: https://politica.estadao.com.br/blogs/estadao-verifica/recebeu-algum-boato-pelo-whatsapp-envie-para-o-estadao-verifica/
Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura Assessor
30-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
There is a dedicated WhatsApp number where the public can send information to be fact checked. However, that number was widely published when Estadao first became part of Comprova, but has not been as widely publicized now. It's shown in most fact checks, but not in the splash page of the project.
done_all 5b marked as Fully compliant by Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura.
Section 6: Open & Honest Corrections Policy
Criterion 6a
Corrections policy
Evidence required: Please link to the page with your policy to address corrections. If it is not public, please share your organization's handbook.
Estadão Verifica
16-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
Corrections are published here: https://www.estadao.com.br/correcoes . Readers can submit correction claims using this link: https://www.estadao.com.br/correcoes/enviar
Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura Assessor
30-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
The applicant has both a webpage where readers can send suggestions of corrections and a section of the website where all the corrected stories are displayed. However, there isn't a clear corrections policy available, stating how mistakes are handled, timeframe etc. Also, those pages are not easily findable, since their links appear only on the foot of some pages. Location could be more prominent. Finally, the correction page regards Estadao newspaper, and doesn't mention Estadao Verifica. It should be mentioned in Estadao Verifica as well.
________
[comments by the assessor after the applicant made edits]
There is now a clear call for sending corrections via Twitter and email, and the corrections link is available on the same page. However, there isn't a corrections policy displayed, as demanded by IFCN criteria.
[IFCN Note: the fact-checking project has now added a corrections policy on the right bar of its landing page as well. It reads:
Encontrou algum erro em uma de nossas checagens? Você pode preencher este formulário do Estado para pedir uma correção. Também é possível entrar em contato pelo e-mail estadaoverifica@estadao.com A equipe se compromete a analisar todas as contestações. Se ficar comprovado o erro, atualizaremos a publicação original com um aviso e divulgaremos a correção em nosso blog e redes sociais.
Você também pode enviar críticas e sugestões por meio do nosso Twitter e pelo e-mail citado anteriormente.]
done_all 6a marked as Fully compliant by Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura.
Criterion 6b
Examples of corrections
Evidence required: Please provide two examples of a correction made, or correction requests handled, in the past year.
Estadão Verifica
16-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
When fact-checking a press conference of a presidential candidate in September, Estadão Verifica considered that one of its statements was "half true". We changed that to "mostly true" after receiving clarifications from the candidate. (“70% do (orçamento do) MEC é para universidades. É uma inversão de prioridades” - https://politica.estadao.com.br/blogs/estadao-verifica/checamos-a-sabatina-de-geraldo-alckmin-veja-o-resultado/ )
Marcelo Crispim da Fontoura Assessor
30-Nov-2018 (5 years ago) Updated: 5 years ago
Grupo Estado has a public page with all the corrections, not only the ones from Estadao Verifica. The applicant provided only one example, a fact check where one of the info was indeed corrected after a political candidate contacted the agency. However, the blog entry is not marked as corrected, so there isn't in the article any disclosure of the correction. Another problem is that the given example is not available in the public corrections page along with the others - perhaps for being a blog entry, and not a regular news post.