The "About Us" page on our website clearly states that FactSpace West Africa is a legally registered non-profit organisation set up for the purpose of fact-checking and news verification in August 2019. Copies of our registration documents with Ghana's Registrar General's department have been attached for verification.

https://ghanafact.com/about/

According to the information on the website and the documents provided in this application, it is believed that GhanaFact is a project by FactSpace West Africa, a legally registered non-profit organisation set up for fact-checking and news verification in August 2019.

The West African subregion, broadly, and Ghana to be specific have seen rapid growth in internet access which has also come with the proliferation of news content creators including blogging websites, satirical news websites, citizen journalists and “rented propagandists” of politicians. These actors increasingly have become the initiators/assigns contributing to the spread of misinformation/disinformation on social media, with direct offline implications. In a 2019 survey conducted to understand the misinformation ecosystem in Ghana(n = 400 ), 69% of respondents indicated that they had encountered "Fake News" in the last year.

Ghana, held up as a shining example of a thriving democracy in Africa is grappling with waning public trust in the current system of governance. There is growing disillusionment among the populace about the country’s pace of development. The political disappointment coupled with the control of the media narrative and framing by politicians is fueling citizens' disenchantment. Meanwhile, the subregion is also experiencing a rollback of democratic gains, with a number of countries experiencing political turmoil, civil unrest, coup d'états, and military insurrections. The weaponization of mis/disinformation online is playing a significant role in polarizing citizens and sowing seeds of discord.

These emerging issues - growing disinformation online and the waning trust in the media - informed our decision to launch a fact-checking and news verification project in August 2019, with our flagship project in Ghana and subsequent efforts to spread operations across 4 other Anglophone West African countries - Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Our mission is to help safeguard democracies across the subregion by minimizing the spread of disinformation/misinformation on social networking and messaging platforms and promoting accuracy in public discourse. The fact-checking project has a team of 14 - four non-executive directors and ten writers/ researchers. 

FactSpace West Africa is principally focused on fact-checking and news verification on social and traditional media. We have helped train more than 600 tertiary students from the University of Ghana, the Ghana Institute of Journalism and the Institute of Business Management and Journalism. We have also created a fact-checking network of 210 journalists drawn from more than 75 media organisations across our focus countries to help curb the spread of misinformation online and offline. We aim to develop web applications and maximise technologies in helping our fact-checking work.

Our vision is to be West Africa’s independent, non-partisan digital fact-checking organization. We aim to ensure ready access to credible information, increase public knowledge across West Africa, train the subregion's youthful population and grow a budding community of fact-checkers.

GhanaFact was borne out of the need to provide a panacea to the growing problem of misinformation in the subregion. Since August 2019, FactSpace West Africa through GhanaFact has produced factcheck reports which are published on its website, trained over 600 students and expanded operations across 4 other Anglophone West African countries - Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

To accomplish its objectives, there are 14 staff - 4 non-executive directors and 10 writers/ researchers.

All our fact-checks centre around five key public interest areas plus issues related to synthetic media. The sectors include governance, economy, politics, environment and health. These areas do relate to or could have an impact on the welfare and well-being of individuals, the general public or society.

The public interest areas we focus on are informed by research into sectors most impacted by information disorder across the subregion.

An assessment of GhanaFact shows that factchecks are published based on public interest. Sometimes, this results in at least one fact check per week; in other cases, less than or more than one factcheck is published each week. Nevertheless, it is clear that GhanaFact tries to reduce misinformation that could have an impact on the welfare and well-being of individuals, the general public or society.

Based on the evidence provided, it seems that on average, at least 75% of GhanaFact's fact checks focus on claims related to issues that relate to or could have an impact on the welfare or well-being of individuals, the general public or society. These factchecks span issues in the following sectors: governance, economy, politics, environment and health.

Our fact-checking project has NO funding relationship whatsoever with either a local/foreign state, politicians, political parties or political sources.

According to GhanaFact, there is no funding relationship whatsoever with either a local/foreign state, politicians, political parties or political sources. There are also no media reports to undermine GhanaFact's credibility.

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GhanaFact does not receive funding from local or foreign state or political sources.

The FactSpace West Africa's team selects claims to fact-check based on reach, how relevant the claim is to the public and the potential impact the claim might have on the public if it goes unchecked. The five broad public interest areas we focus on also guide us in the selection of these claims. We are only committed to the facts and listen to all relevant stakeholders in executing our fact-check reports while applying the same methodology to ensure fairness.

The process we use is clearly stated on the "How we work" page on the website as follows:

Acquisition: The factSpace WA team first independently identifies or is alerted to information that needs to be fact-checked/verified by subscribers

Determination of source of news: The factSpace WA team then examines the information/statement and traces the source of the information to establish a veracity

Sources of further information: The FactSpace WA team brainstorms and outlines possible sources to engage and seek clarification or further information

Further research: The FactSpace WA team sanctions further research on the subject to ensure a comprehensive report

Report: A fact-checked report is produced/edited using ethical journalistic standards and adhering to the principles of IFCN

Publication: The FactSpace WA team would publish the conclusions of the Fact-checked report and rate the accuracy of the information /statement.

EXAMPLES OF FACT CHECKS THAT DEMONSTRATE OUR NON-PARTISANSHIP

1. We fact-checked a viral doctored picture of Ghana's President seated on a bed on a private jet with his alleged mistress. 

https://ghanafact.com/2022/04/4225/

2. We fact-checked a number of claims made by Ghana's President when he sat for an interview with the BBC. 

https://ghanafact.com/2022/04/4187/

3.  We fact-checked a claim made by Ghana's leading opposition leader and former President and found it to be misleading. 

https://ghanafact.com/2022/03/4157/

4. We fact-checked multiple claims made by Ghana's Vice President on the state of the economy. 

https://ghanafact.com/2022/04/4204/

5. We fact-checked a claim made by Ghana's President about the country's GDP growth rate. 

https://ghanafact.com/2021/09/3764/

6.  We fact-checked a claim made by Ghana's leading opposition leader and former President about the levels of access the population has to electricity and found the claim to be false.

https://ghanafact.com/2022/05/4252/

7. We fact-checked a claim made by Ghana's Vice President, suggesting a Ghanaian ID card had been "duly recognized globally as a valid e-passport" and found the claim to be misleading.

https://ghanafact.com/2022/02/4025/

8. We fact-checked a claim on social media suggesting Ghana's President had threatened to fine Russia if Ghanaians in Ukraine are harmed during the war. 

https://ghanafact.com/2022/02/fact-check-ghanas-president-has-not-threatened-to-fine-russia-if-ghanaians-in-ukraine-are-harmed-in-the-military-attacks-on-the-country/

9. We verified claims made by Ghana's President at the G20 summit and found 2 claims to be true and one unproven.

https://ghanafact.com/2021/09/3734/

10. We verified a claim about how much of Ghana's national budget was spent on Education, made by the President.

https://ghanafact.com/2021/08/3581/

Our political fact-checks concentrated on the two leading political parties in Ghana, the opposition NDC and governing NPP. However, it should be noted that we also fact-checked information around governance due to greater reach and its impact on citizens.

According to the evidence provided, GhanaFact seems to have a non-partisan way of selecting claims to be factchecked.

"We are only committed to the facts and listen to all relevant stakeholders in executing our fact-check reports while applying the same methodology to ensure fairness."

In researching claims, the source is first determined, after which investigations will be conducted to determine the accuracy of claims. In the reviewed factchecks, the same process seemed to be followed, the same standards were used for equivalent claims and the conclusions were a derivative of the supporting arguments.

https://ghanafact.com/how-we-work/

GhanaFact has a 6-step process for factchecking, from claim sourcing to publication. This information can be found on its "How We Work" page

• Acquisition: The factSpace WA team first independently identifies or is alerted to information that needs to be fact-checked/verified by subscribers
• Determination of source of news: The factSpace WA team then examines the information/statement and traces the source of the information to establish a veracity
• Sources of further information: The FactSpace WA team brainstorms and outlines possible sources to engage and seek clarification or further information
• Further research: The FactSpace WA team sanctions further research on the subject to ensure a comprehensive report
• Report: A fact-checked report is produced/edited using ethical journalistic standards and adhering to the principles of IFCN
• Publication: The FactSpace WA team would publish the conclusions of the Fact-checked report and rate the accuracy of the information /statement.

Upon review of the factchecks published on its website, it seems that GhanaFact does not share any political affiliation. Factchecks do not seem to promote any political candidate over another or unduly focus on any given political party

FactSpace West Africa explains its policies to preserve its non-partisan way of fact-checking claims on the “Our principles” page:

https://factspace.org/principles/

FactSpace West Africa, ensures our team members have no current or past direct involvement in political or advocacy organisations. Future employees will also not be hired if they have – in the past or at present – had an active role in any political party.

Non-partisanship is crucial in our work, which means this is frequently discussed at meetings and team members are always reminded to be wary of their personal communication on social media in view of our standards. We do not support any political party.

GhanaFact has a comprehensive nonpartisan policy on its website.

"Our team of writers strive to uphold the principles of ethical journalism by promoting truth and accuracy, independence, fairness and impartiality, humanity and transparency in the fact-checking/reporting process.

Members of the GhanaFact team have no current or past direct involvement in political or advocacy organizations. FactSpace West Africa will also ensure that future employees will not be hired if they have – in the past or at present – had an active role in any political party.

Non-partisanship is crucial in our work and it is frequently discussed at meetings. Team members are regularly reminded to be wary of their communication on social media. We do not support any political party." 

GhanaFact seems to identify the source of all evidence it uses in the fact checks and provides links for replication. There doesn't seem to be any fact check with unknown sources.

The applicant identifies the source of all significant evidence used in their fact checks, providing relevant links where the source is available online, in such a way that users can replicate their work if they wish. In cases where identifying the source would compromise the source’s personal security, the applicant provides as much detail as compatible with the source’s safety.

In most fact checks, multiple sources of information are used except in cases where only one source is possible and that source can be regarded as a very strong piece of evidence.

In some instances, GhanaFact provides the description of sources, especially if the source can be considered to be of influence to the fact check.

FactSpace West Africa is an independent non-partisan organisation executing the GhanaFact fact-checking project. This is stated on the "About Us" page on our website.

https://ghanafact.com/about/

FactSpace West Africa is an independent non-partisan organization executing the GhanaFact fact-checking project. This is stated on the "About Us" page on our website.

These two pages detail our funding as an independent non-profit organisation:

https://factspace.org/funding/

https://factspace.org/about/

According to GhanaFact, it was launched in 2019 as a team of volunteers with no funders. The organization has since evolved after the first funding support from the Shuttleworth Foundation to include funding from the following organizations

• Ambrasse De France Au Ghana
• The European Union
• UNESCO
• AfricaCheck

https://ghanafact.com/team/

On the "How we work" page- https://ghanafact.com/how-we-work/, we detail the editorial control for our work.

FactSpace West Africa seeks to promote accuracy in engagements on social media and in public discourse by correcting the spread of false or misleading claims or statements.

The Managing editor has control over the day-to-day editorial decisions of FactSpace WA. No other body or source has any influence over our editorial policy & independence.

We select claims to fact-check based on reach, how relevant the claim is to the public and the potential impact the claim might have on the public if it goes unchecked. FactSpace WA is only committed to the facts and listen to all relevant stakeholders in executing our fact-check reports.

GhanaFact's team page clearly sets out the organizational structure. This page in combination with the How We Work page details how editorial control is exercised

https://ghanafact.com/team/

GhanaFact is comprised of a team of non-executive directors and researchers. These people collectively influence the organization's editorial output, and their biographies (as well as their social media handles) can be found on GhanaFact's team page

FactSpace West Africa has a "Contact Us" page on our fact-checking websites where we encourage users to communicate with the editorial team.

https://ghanafact.com/contact-us/

GhanaFact has a Contact Us page for editorial communication. Readers are also encourage to contact the team via its social media channels.

https://ghanafact.com/principles/

On its How We Work page, GhanaFact provides a clear methodology for the selection, research, writing and publishing of fact checks.

The evidence provided in this application and the fact checks published on its website show that GhanaFact selects claims to check based primarily on the reach and importance of the claims, and where possible explains the reason for choosing the claim to check.

The evidence provided in this application and the fact checks published on its website show that GhanaFact sets out in its fact checks relevant evidence that appears to support the claim as well as relevant evidence that appears to undermine it.

https://ghanafact.com/submit-a-claim-to-check/

We provide the following information to the public on our website to guide the submission of claims:

Claims that are researched by FactSpace WA are done only with publicly available sources.

We concentrate our fact-checks on public interest areas including politics, governance, economy, environment, elections and health.

When we see an inaccurate, misleading or unsubstantiated claim, we push for corrections and withdrawals.

For our team to research a claim, the claim must be:

A statement made in public, which can be attributed to a specific person (e.g. a public official or a social media user) or organization (e.g. a report)

An assertion or allegation that can be validated or refuted

Based on past or present actions (i.e. not speculative about the future or an opinion)

A widely shared claim that might have an impact on the public if it goes unchecked

You can send a claim via the “Contact Us” page on our website or reach us on social media-Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. But note that our focus is to fact-check claims and not individuals.

While there is no evidence to show that GhanaFact attempts to contact those who made the claim, fact checks are assessed following the standards set by IFCN, and conclusions are drawn from supporting evidence that can be verified.

The "contact us" page is one medium where we expect users to send in claims to check. Also, we have an active WhatsApp line we encourage users to send their claims for verification. We are also present on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and we receive requests via these platforms as well.

https://ghanafact.com/contact-us/

We have created a “submit a claim to check” page- https://ghanafact.com/submit-a-claim-to-check/ to make users aware of what can and can't be fact-checked.

Just as recommended, here are the details on the page:

Submit a claim to check

Claims that are researched by FactSpace WA are done only with publicly available sources.

We concentrate our fact-checks on public interest areas including politics, governance, economy, elections and health.

When we see an inaccurate, misleading or unsubstantiated claim, we push for corrections and withdrawals.

For our team to research a claim, the claim must be:

A statement made in public, which can be attributed to a specific person (e.g. a public official or a social media user) or organization (e.g. a report)

An assertion or allegation that can be validated or refuted

Based on past or present actions (i.e. not speculative about the future or an opinion)

A widely shared claim that might have an impact on the public if it goes unchecked

You can send a claim via the “Contact Us” page on our website or reach us on social media-Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. But note that our focus is to fact-check claims and not individuals.

GhanaFact has a contact us page and allows requests via its various social media accounts on the leading platforms.

https://ghanafact.com/corrections/

According to GhanaFact's corrections policy, a claim will only be researched if it meets certain conditions - 

• A statement made in public, which can be attributed to a specific person (e.g. a public official or a social media user) or organization (e.g. a report)
• An assertion or allegation that can be validated or refuted
• Based on past or present actions (i.e. not speculative about the future or an opinion)
• A widely shared claim that might have an impact on the public if it goes unchecked

These conditions remain for corrections. Further, not all requests for corrections will be attended to, however, there is a "promise to read all suggestions". 

We have not received any correction requests in the last year. 

According to GhanaFact, there has not been any correction request in the past year. Hence, no evidence of adherence

https://ghanafact.com/about/

The following statement is gotten from the About Us page of GhanaFact - 

"We subscribe to the International Fact-Checking Network’s code of principles and if you believe that we are in breach of these principles you can lodge a complaint."

Users are directed to IFCN's complaint policy page to submit complaints

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