Fast Check CL is a fact checking media project, legally registered as Tlön Comunicaciones SpA. Their legal representative is Mr. Fabián Padilla Arenas.

You can find this legal details in the home page, also more information in www.fastcheck.cl/nosotros/

Fast Check CL, a Chilean fact-checking organization operating since October 2019, has presented some evidence of its activities. However, as regards its legal status, more detailed information would be avisable in the applicant's website. On its 'about us' page (Nosotros), Fast Check CL just briefly refers to Tlön Comunicaciones SpA as its parent company. However, it does not provide any information about the legal status of that company or any link with more contextual information. For the purpose of this assessment, the applicant has provided, as needed, a document proof of its legal status (see criterion 4.4 of this application). We kindly suggest the applicant to link that document from the Fast Check CL website. 

1. Fast Check CL was created in october 22, 2019, after a month of a several violent protests and riots. In this context, known as “Estallido Social” (Political turmoil), people began to spread a huge amount of viral misinformation and “fake news”. Because of this, we saw the need to found an Instagram profile, named Fast Check CL (@fastcheckcl), —inspired in fact checking discipline and the quickness who should publish— who fight desinformation, which was spread mostly on social media, about human rights, politics and public order. 

We spend the next three months fighting misinformation on social media channels, and because of this we earn 100.000 followers on Instagram in just one month (complety organic followers). This huge amount of readers proves that a fact checking project was complety necessary in our country. Also, credibility and trust in our media companies was crushing down since 2017. This fact boost our possibility to position Fast Check CL in news chilean ecosystem.

In 2020, the Universidad Alberto Hurtado give us the Premio Periodismo de Excelencia 2019 (Excelence Journalism Prize 2019), in honor to our contribution to chilean journalism.

If you want to read more about us, check: www.fastcheck.cl/historia/ 

2. Currently, the team is composed by five people: You can find us in www.fastcheck.cl/equipo/

· Fabián Padilla – Director y General Editor

· Jorge Vidal – Community Manager

· Isidora Osorio – Health Fact Checker 

· Paula Altamirano – Public Speech Fact Checker

· Isabel León – Volunteer.

3. We do fact checking and investigative journalism. Also Fast Check CL fight misinformation through educational social media post, in our channels, about private data uses, easy fact checking tools, fact checking advises, and more.

Another important part of our work is to assist to seminars or talks about democracy, journalism, and fact checking. Fast Check CL has presented their work on national radio and TV. Also we participate in differents virtual conversations during pandemic crisis about false health claims and viral misinformation coronavirus related.

We publish a fact checking toolkit with different apps to promote our journalism in youngest: www.fastcheck.cl/kit-de-verificacion/

During 2020, we promoted the first colaborative fact checking initiative with other 4 fact checking independent projects, called "Verifica Chile", to verify the Presidential Nacional Public Speech to the Congress: https://wwww.factcheckingcuentapublica.cl. Then, we present our learning lessons about this experience in 2020 MESO Congress.

4. We have three main goals in this coming year. The first one to get the IFCN Signatory, to further validate our work in Latin America and Chile. The second one is to create a sustainable journalism model, paid by our readers, based on subscription. The third one is popularize fact checking journalism in our country, and do it the ethical standard to Chilean journalism.

Fast Check CL has presented, in full detail, information about:

1. The year (2019) and the reasons why this fact-checking operation started. Information about the developments of this organization since it was launched is also available.

2. The amount of people (5) who work -either paid or voluntarily- for the organization, indicating their respective roles.

3. The different activities that are carried out by Fast Check CL.

4. The goals that Fast Check CL is pursuing, which comprise: 1) achieving the economic sustainability by setting up a subcrption-based business model, 2) keep popularizing fact-checking in Chile and 3) obtaining the IFCN accreditation.

Fast Check CL has publish 332 fact checks between april 2020 to january 2021. In average we have 8,7 fact checks per week in 38 weeks.

As evidence of their uninterrupted fact-checking activity, Fast Check CL has presented a spreadsheet with 332 fact-checks performed over the eight months prior to the date of application (Apr. 2020 - Jan. 2021), totalling an average of 8.3 fact-checks per week. The additional details on these fact-checks have been also provided, with full clarity.

As needed, more than 75% of the 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 in Chile. The topics covered comprise a wide array of issues -Government and national politics, foreign affairs, economy, army, justice, education, and social networks-, although over the period of this assessment (Apr. 2020 - Jan- 2021) many of the fact-checks concentrated on covid-19 pandemic, something very reasonable considering the circumstances and the special impact that this disease has got on Chile.. 

Fast Check CL between 2019-2020 did not receive any funding from the Chilean State, or politics, or political parties from Chile or any other place. Also, Fast Check CL did not receive internacional funding of any kind. To see details, visit: www.fastcheck.cl/financiamiento                            

According to the information available on its website, over the slightly more than a year of activity, Fast Check CL has not received any funding from national or foreign states, nor from political parties or other relevant lobbying organizations. 

Fast Check CL provides a transparent disclosure of all the relevant information about its income sources and funding scheme.

(right wing) Macarena Santelices “No podemos desconocer lo bueno del Régimen Militar”: #Real: https://www.fastcheck.cl/2020/05/05/no-podemos-desconocer-lo-bueno-del-regimen-militar-macarena-santelices-real/ 

(left wing) Renato Garin: “Los parlamentarios de Revolución Democrática donan la mitad de su sueldo”: #Impreciso: https://www.fastcheck.cl/2020/05/07/los-parlamentarios-de-revolucion-democratica-donan-la-mitad-de-su-sueldo-impreciso/ 

(right wing) Sebastián Piñera sobre cajas de alimentos: “Vamos a llegar a cerca del 70% de las familias”: #Fake: https://www.fastcheck.cl/2020/05/22/sebastian-pinera-sobre-cajas-de-alimentos-vamos-a-llegar-a-cerca-del-70-de-las-familias-fake/ 

(left wing) Molécula DR-10 presentada por el presidente Nicolás Maduro “cura” el Covid-19: #Fake: https://www.fastcheck.cl/2020/12/03/molecula-dr-10-presentada-por-nicolas-maduro-cura-el-covid-19-fake/ 

(right wing) Karla Rubilar: “Nunca, nunca en este país se pensó en una inmunidad de rebaño”: #Fake: https://www.fastcheck.cl/2020/06/18/karla-rubilar-nunca-nunca-en-este-pais-se-penso-en-una-inmunidad-de-rebano-fake/ 

(left wing) Izkia Siches sobre muertos por Covid-19: “Somos el país con más fallecidos por habitantes en Latinoamérica”: #Real: https://www.fastcheck.cl/2020/07/07/izkia-siches-sobre-muertos-por-covid-19-somos-el-pais-con-mas-fallecidos-por-habitantes-en-latinoamerica-real/ 

(political center) Claudio Orrego “En este plebiscito votó más gente que en la segunda vuelta presidencial de 1999 entre Lagos y Lavín y la de Piñera y Guiller el 2017”: #Real: https://www.fastcheck.cl/2020/10/27/claudio-orrego-en-este-plebiscito-voto-mas-gente-que-en-la-segunda-vuelta-presidencial-de-1999-entre-lagos-y-lavin-y-la-de-pinera-y-guiller-el-2017-real/ 

(right wing) (Cristóbal Urruticoechea) Carabinero herido por “trampa vietnamita” de la Coordinadora Arauco-Malleco: #Fake : https://www.fastcheck.cl/2020/08/10/carabinero-herido-por-trampa-vietnamita-de-la-coordinadora-arauco-malleco-fake/

(right wing) José Antonio Kast: “Hay muchos países que después de procesos electorales tuvieron alza en los contagios, República Dominicana y Serbia, entre otros”: #Real: https://www.fastcheck.cl/2020/09/22/jose-antonio-kast-hay-muchos-paises-que-despues-de-procesos-electorales-tuvieron-alza-en-los-contagios-republica-dominicana-y-serbia-entre-otros-real/

(right wing) Ministro Crístian Monckeberg: “Hoy día destruir un bus es gratis y no tiene sanción”: #Fake: https://www.fastcheck.cl/2020/12/15/hoy-dia-destruir-un-bus-es-gratis-y-no-tiene-sancion-fake/  

Fast Check CL uses the same high standards to the fact checking process of all these selected claims.

For example, we used the same Method to check claims on Izkia Siches, president of the Medical College of Chile (left wing) and José Antonio Kast, president of the Republican Party (right wing), about international data, who justify their opinion. In both cases we used transparent and open sources to verify the accuracy of their claims.

Also, we follow the same essential process in all the claims. We do an open call to our community to provide us with political statements and viral content to verify, from there we do an editorial selection of what we will fact check based on its relevance for Chilean citizens.

Then, our team evaluates if the claim is fact-checkeable according to our high standards. Finally, we consult all the available sources (original, alternative, official) to complete the process. Further we add rich content to complement the context in our piece.

Our results are based on evidence. For example, when President Sebastián Piñera told the country the government will reach 70% percent of the people with food boxes to fight the pandemic crisis, we just need to consult the official documents to dismiss their conclusion. Other examples are Siches, Kast, Maduro and Orrego claims, which are built with public and open source information to rate the claim with our system.

When performing fact-checks, Fast Check CL applies a consistent and sound fact-checking methodology, backing the information with reliable links and covering issues with equivalent standars, regardless the ideological alignment of the institution, political party or person concerned. The non-partisanship has been adequately demonstrated by providing, as requested, ten examples of fact-checks to politicians of all the Chilean political spectrum. 

www.fastcheck.cl/metodo and www.fastcheck.cl/politica-de-imparcialidad 

As requested, Fast Check CL has presented evidence of a page where it provides information about its non-partisanship and policy to avoid any unduly concentration of fact-checking on any ideological side.

After performing a random review of a number of fact-checks published over the previous year (Feb. 2020 - Jan. 2021), the assessor has found no trace of any commercial interest that might influence the fact-checking activity of Fast Check CL. Nevertheless, in order to increase the transparency as regards such possible conflicts of interests, more detailed information about the ownership and commercial interests of its parent company (Tlön Comunicaciones SpA) would be advisable.

After a random review of a number of fact-checks published over the previous year, no trace was found of any political or ideological interest that might influence the fact-checking activity of Fast Check CL.

www.fastcheck.cl/politica-de-imparcialidad under the subheading "Imparcialidad de Equipo"

As requested, the applicant sets out its policy on non-partisanship for staff on its site. According to this policy, "members have the right to have a political opinion and to be registered in political parties or movements", but this "should not affect the professional work they do" (asssesor's translation). The license given to staff members to be part of political parties or movements is controversial, as it could be source of conflicts of interests. In order to strengthen the policy on non-partisanship, this assessor kindly advises the applicant to adopt a more restrictive position in this regard. 

Thanks to the availability of these information resources, the users of Fast Check CL can easily verify the relevant information by themselves. After a random review of a number of fact-checks published over the previous months, a very consistent and widespread use of links to back fact-checks was found. 

According to the assessor's knowledge, the sources used by Fast Check CL to back fact-checks are well diversified, relevant and sound. 

Fast Check CL provides consistently details about the sources used to back its statements. After a random review of a number of fact-checks published over the previous year (Feb. 2020 - Jan. 2021), the overall assessment for this criterion is positive.

When needed, Fast Check CL provides context adequately about the sources used to back the fact-checks, so that readers can easily detect any interests that could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided.

Fast Check CL is an independent fact checking media project, legally registered as Tlön Comunicaciones SpA. All legal information is on the pdf which we attached here.

Fast Check CL belongs to the private, for-profit company Tlön Comunicaciones SpA, individually owned by the managing editor and publisher, Fabián Padilla. Legal information about the company's ownership has been adjuncted to this application, but it is not fully disclosed on the applicant's website. As suggested in the comments of criterion 1.1, such disclosure seems an advisable practice.

www.fastcheck.cl/financiamiento

Although not very detailed, the information provided by Fast Check CL about its funding scheme is deemed sufficient. It discloses a list of funding sources, all of them donations, since the beginning of 2020, as well as the overall amount of money received. Considering the little amount of money of these donations, the lack of detail as regards the identity of donors is acceptable. As indicated in the assessment of criterion 4.1, Fast Check CL is bound to Tlön Comunicaciones SpA, a parent for-profit and non-partisan organization.

www.fastcheck.cl/equipo

www.fastcheck.cl/equipo

Fast Check CL, take the advice of IFCN assessor, expanding and improving the staff biographies. The url link es the same: www.fastcheck.cl/equipo 

Fast Check CL provides on its website a list of the staff members (3) and trainees (2). The information provided consists of a personal photo, role in the organization, education level, and email (not available in the case of the two trainees). No details are provided, however, about the professional biographies of the workers, their social media accounts and, especially, their possible bounds to political parties or activism movements. As this fact-checking organization allows membership of a political party by its staff members, for the sake of transparency, it would be advisable to disclose if any of the current (and future) staff members belong to any politcal party and/or movement. All in all, the information provided about the editorial team is deemed somewhat limited, so we kindly suggest to improve and expand it. 

Original assessment (Feb. 5, 2021): 
Fast Check CL provides on its website a list of the staff members (3) and trainees (2). The information provided consists of a personal photo, role in the organization, education level, and email (not available in the case of the two trainees). No details are provided, however, about the professional biographies of the workers, their social media accounts and, especially, their possible bounds to political parties or activism movements. As this fact-checking organization allows membership of a political party by its staff members, for the sake of transparency, it would be advisable to disclose if any of the current (and future) staff members belong to any politcal party and/or movement. All in all, the information provided about the editorial team is deemed somewhat limited, so we kindly suggest to improve and expand it. 

Updated assessment (Feb. 12, 2021)
Fast Check CL provides on its website a list of the staff members (3) and trainees (2). As a result of a request from the IFCN assessor, the applicant expanded notably the information available about the workers and their biographies. It also added disclosures of non-membership to political parties, a possibility allowed by the policies of this organization. As a result of these improvements, this criterion is assessed as compliant.

www.fastcheck.cl/equipo 

www.fastcheck.cl/equipo 

Fast Check CL, take the advise of IFCN assessor and we add in this section the complete content of our Team webpage (Spanish only). Each journalist and trainees develop a short biographie of their career, and declare if they have any political bond with an organization. In this case, none of our team members have a bond with a political organization.

But, as you can read in https://www.fastcheck.cl/politica-de-imparcialidad/ our impartiality is a huge commitment with our readers.

Staff biographies:

Fabián Padilla

Periodista de la Universidad de Santiago de Chile. Especialista en marketing digital y comunicación estratégica. Ha desarrollado su vida laboral asesorando empresas, organizaciones sociales (chilenas e internacionales), personas, gobiernos locales y nacionales. Es fundador de www.fastcheck.cl: ganador del Premio Periodismo de Excelencia 2019 en categoría Digital – Innovación. Fundador de la iniciativa #VerificaChile: el primer fact-checking colaborativo a la Cuenta Pública del Presidente de la República 2020; www.factcheckingcuentapublica.cl. 

Fue consultor en comunicación estratégica para EDF (Temas Públicos), Jefe de marketing digital en Comunidad Limpia (2019), asesor de discurso y contenido en el gabinete del Ministerio de Educación (2014-2018), asesor digital en Municipalidad de Providencia (2013). He sido expositor sobre fact checking y desinformación para Google + Municipalidad de Quilicura, Fundación Colunga, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de Concepción, Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Universidad Andrés Bello, entre otras instituciones públicas y privadas.

No tengo vínculos políticos con partidos o movimientos chilenos y extranjeros.

* Editor general de www.fastcheck.cl y director del medio. 

* Correo: fabian@mail.fastcheck.cl

Paula Altamirano

Mi nombre es Paula Altamirano Ortíz, soy una mujer de letras desde que tengo uso de razón. Soy periodista de la Universidad de Santiago de Chile, lugar donde junto a otros colegas, a través del premio de la bidireccionalidad de la Vicerrectoría de Vinculación con el Medio junto a la Facultad de Humanidades, fundamos la radio comunitaria “Re-conexión”, y levantamos una serie de iniciativas para fomentar el conocimiento e información sobre temas de política, género, deporte y medioambiente.

He incursionado en el periodismo corporativo, comunitario y de medios, como en Las Últimas Noticias.

No tengo vínculos políticos con partidos o movimientos chilenos y extranjeros.

* Coordinadora de fact checking de discurso público.

* Correo: paltamirano@mail.fastcheck.cl

Isidora Osorio

Mi nombre es Isidora Osorio, periodista de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Trabajé como investigadora en el Premio InspiraTec del Ministerio de Economía de Chile, en el programa Mi Barrio de Canal 13 y fui finalista del premio Periodismo de Excelencia de la Universidad Alberto Hurtado (2018).

Mi gran pasión son analizar temas con datos, hacer fact checking y descubrir cosas nuevas en ciencia y salud.

No tengo vínculos políticos con partidos o movimientos chilenos y extranjeros.

* Coordinadora de verificación de salud y ciencia.

* Correo: iosorio@mail.fastcheck.cl

Jorge Vidal

Soy Jorge Vidal, periodista de la Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción. 

Me incorporé a Fast Check CL, tras conocer su trabajo en Verifica Chile, iniciativa masiva de fact checking liderada por este medio. Me encanté con la idea de participar y ser un aporte al periodismo chileno.

Me desempeñé como editor radial en la Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción (UCSC) Radio durante más de tres años, también he publicado reportajes y notas de investigación judicial en el diario El Penquista Ilustrado.

Durante mi formación académica fui seleccionado para publicar un foto reportaje en Bio Bio Chile, el cual fue destacado a nivel regional. Además fui ayudante de la cátedra “Radio ll” por un año en la universidad.

No tengo vínculos políticos con partidos o movimientos chilenos y extranjeros.

* Coordinador del área de comunidad y community manager.

* Verificador de contenido.

* Correo: jvidal@mail.fastcheck.cl

Isabel León

Soy Isabel León, estudiante en práctica de periodismo de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Durante mi carrera universitaria realicé trabajos de verificación de datos y discurso público para Fact Checking UC, uno de las iniciativas independientes de fact checking universitario más importantes del país. Además, colaboré en Red Estudiantil de Información (REI CHILE), iniciativa de periodismo en redes sociales, que fue finalista del Premio Periodismo de Excelencia – Digital (2019).

No tengo vínculos políticos con partidos o movimientos chilenos y extranjeros.

Tengo mucho interés en los temas de periodismo de investigación, medioambiente y derechos humanos.

* Practicante del equipo de verificación.

* Correo: contacto@fastcheck.cl

Delanie Vásquez

Soy Delanie Vásquez, estudiante de último año de periodismo en la Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción. Trabajé como editora y reportera en el medio independiente Vitácora: La Revolución de la Cultura. Actualmente soy community manager en @Hechoenconce. Mis temas favoritos son estrategias comunicacionales para redes sociales.

No tengo vínculos políticos con partidos o movimientos chilenos y extranjeros.

* Practicante del equipo de Comunidad como community manager.

* Correo: contacto@fastcheck.cl 

As noted in the assessment of criterion 4.3, the information on staff members and trainees is just a brief description of their past education and current role in the applicant organization. It does not include their professional biographies. We advise Fast Check CL to provide full information about their staff, revealing any possible links with political parties, and including a summary of their professional career and means of contact.

Original assessment (Feb. 5, 2021):
As noted in the assessment of criterion 4.3, the information on staff members and trainees is just a brief description of their past education and current role in the applicant organization. It does not include their professional biographies. We advise Fast Check CL to provide full information about their staff, revealing any possible links with political parties, and including a summary of their professional career and means of contact.

Updated assessment (Feb. 12, 2021):
As indicated in the re-assessment of criterion 4.3, the improvements on the information about the workers have been adequately adopted. Now the information available is much more transparent and complete. Therefore, this criterion is also assessed as compliant.

www.fastcheck.cl/contacto, www.fastcheck.cl/politica-de-correcciones/ 

Fast Check CL provides several means of contact, which comprise email, several social media profiles and a WhatsApp number. 

www.fastcheck.cl/metodo y www.fastcheck.cl/sistema-de-calificacion/ 

Fast Check CL openly discloses its fact-checking methodology and the criteria to qualify  content as 'real', 'vague', 'false' or 'unverifiable'. This methodology, inspired in the procedures developed by well-established fact-checking organizations  -Politifact (U.S.), Chequeado (Argentina), Full Fact (UK), and First Draft (U.S.) are mentioned by the applicant as reference-, is deemed sound and reliable. 

Based on a random review of a number of fact-checks published over several months prior to this assessment, enough examples have been found that Fast Check CL selects claims to check based primarily on the reach and importance of the claims

Drawing upon a number of randomly selected fact-checks published by the applicant organization, the assessor has come to the conclusion that Fast Check CL commits to transparency and fairness when processing claims. 

No evidence has been found of the eventual usage of different standards for fact-checking, depending on who made the claim, or the subject checked.

In the random sample of fact-checks used for this assessment, the assessor has found indeed several examples (see: 1, 2) when the applicant organization has contacted those who made the claim to seek supporting evidence. In absence of any apparent misbehaviour or infringement by Fast Check CL of this criterion of the Code of Principles, the assessment is deemed as compliant.

In Fast Check CL we encourage our users to send claims and all kinds of misinformation through our social media channels, as mail, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Discord, and WhatsApp. Also we encourage our users to read all the politics in our web site. Finally, we include an specific URL answering wich content can and cannot be fact checked here: www.fastcheck.cl/inchequeable 

As requested, Fast Check CL has provided evidence on how it encourages users to propose claims to check, provide data and knowledge, as well as warn about possible errors in their team’s checks. Both the corrections policy and the criteria to determine which claims can be verified and which can not, are deemed sound.

www.fastcheck.cl/politica-de-correcciones

Fast Check CL has a sound corrections policy. It allows users to send claims and corrections by email. In case a mistake has been found by anyone, the organization commits itself to responding to these claims within 48 hours and to publish a clear correction or update of the fact-check. In order to improve this aspect, we suggest them to expand these means of submitting corrections to social media accounts and/or messaging apps.

The corrections policy is explained in reasonable detail, so that users can know in advance how their claims will be handled and how much time might take to get response.

Fast Check CL contemplates within its journalistic work the maximum rigor and accuracy in its publications, that is why we have a policy of corrections to rectify and update the information whenever necessary, encouraging the community to actively participate in this process of content production.

An example of this is the correction included in the post entitled: “Veganos y vegetarianos representan el 14% de la población de Chile: #Impreciso”: https://www.fastcheck.cl/2020/12/22/veganos-y-vegetarianos-representan-el-14-de-la-poblacion-en-chile-impreciso/  This time we correct a percentage included in the post after its publication.

On a second occasion, our social media community warned us of a content error in the post titled: “Pacientes con rellenos faciales han presentado efectos secundarios a la vacuna moderna: #Real”: https://www.fastcheck.cl/2020/12/30/pacientes-con-rellenos-faciales-han-presentado-efectos-secundarios-a-la-vacuna-de-moderna-real/  This correction required a modification of the original title and a subsequent explanation included in the post.

Every time Fast Check CL adds a correction to its posts, these are at the beginning of the post, they are written in italics and include the date of rectification. You can check the correction policy at the following link: https://www.fastcheck.cl/politica-de-correcciones 

As requested, Fast Check CL has presented evidence of two corrections (see: 1, 2) made over the time frame considered for this assessment. The corrections are clearly highlighted and labeled as such.

Fast Check CL is not an existing IFCN signatory.

The evidence indicated in this criterion is not required, as Fast Check CL is not an existing IFCN signatory.

Fast Check CL is not a fact checking unit of a media company.  

Fast Check CL is bound to a parent company, Tlön Comunicaciones SpA. According to the information provided by the applicant organization, so far the only media start-up launched by that parent company is Fast Check CL. Therefore, the corrections policy of the applicant is the only one ruling both the applicant and the parent company.