In this page we explain the shareholder structure of La Silla Vacía and the detail of our finantial incomes and expenditures. https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/quienes-somos/ We also publish our annual finantial results and the legal information (avaivable in this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lc26jkAEhOa2zlVwrpXVfMK7D_qT-6S-/view?usp=sharing). 

Founded in January 2009, La Silla Vacía (The Empty Seat) is a consolidated digital native publication in Colombia. Since 2014, it runs a fact-checking section called Detector de mentiras (Lie spotter). As requested, the applicant has presented information about its legal status, as well as its origin, staff, activities, and goals. Most references are publicly disclosed at their 'About us' page (Qué es La Silla Vacía). 

1. It started in 2014.

2. In the whole organization we currently have 40 full-time employees, plus 13 interns. Their roles and profiles can be seen at https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/quienes-somos/ 

3. La Silla Vacía is an independent news outlet, so we carry out the usual activities related to journalism (reporting, writing, editing, etc.). We also produce courses open to the public.

4. Our main goal is to be able to create factchecking products aimed at different social media.

La Silla Vacía has provided the requested in this criterion:

1. The year (2014) when this fact-checking operation started.

2. The amount of people (40 full-time employees, plus 15 interns that in 2023 work in the organization); this figures mean that the applicant currently has 5 full-time employees more and 2 interns less than the year before. Their respective identities and roles are displayed in the website.

3. An overview of the activities that are carried out by La Silla Vacía.

4. Similarly to the application it submitted a year before, and despite it was invited to provide more detailed information on this question, the applicant has described again the goals for the coming year in a rather generic way. It has only mentioned that it is pursuing to create factchecking products aimed at different social media. Although this expression remains quite unspecific and should be improved, it is assessed as compliant. 

https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/detector-de-mentiras 

La Silla Vacía published way beyond the minimum of at least one fact-check a week. In the course of the six months prior to the date of application, the pace of publishing fact-checks has been on average of five fact-checks a week, with several weeks with more than double of this figure.

More than 75% of La Silla Vacía’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 in Colombia. The topics comprise multiple topics relevant for Colombian citizens, such as politics, finance or environment, to name a few. In addition to that, a significant number of fact-checks relates to foreign news.

La Silla Vacía doesn't receive any funds or finantiation from the state, politicians or political parties in Colombia.

We receive support from the British Embassy in Colombia, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and Canada's Embassy in Colombia and United States Agency for International Development, which are organizations from countries we don't cover so they don't represent an issue for our independent journalism. Both Embassys and the KAS support our coverage of environment, gender, social leaders, polarization, and governance of other media in Colombia. 

According to the information provided by the applicant, La SIlla Vacía does not receive funding from the Colombian government or any state entity. This circumstance is publicly disclosed in their 'About us' page (Qué es La Silla Vacía > Financiación):  "We do not accept any type of contribution or pattern from political campaigns or politicians, because we understand that this fact may affect our transparency, nor gifts from any source. We also do not have any contract with the State" (translated by the assessor). The applicant receives funding from the British Embassy in Colombia, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and Canada's Embassy in Colombia and United States Agency for International Development. 

The applicant discloses publicly a detailed breakdown of the funding sources in 2022. This year, almost three quarters of its income came from international collaborations (41%) and from a fact-checking contract with Facebook / Meta (31%). 

https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/quienes-somos/ 

La Silla Vacía publishes on its website detailed information about its funding scheme. It discloses the sources of income, as well as the overall annual budget and all the relevant facts. This information is updated annualy.

La Silla Vacía has run the Lie Detector (Detector de Mentiras) since 2014 to factcheck claims made by powerful figures in Colombia and also to verify information that circulates in social media. We fact-check all parts of the political debate, not only politicians but the judgments made by opinion leaders, media, and the opposition.

Our main methodology is to check through sources and reports if their claims are true or not.

We cite all its sources, as long as it is possible and the source authorizes it. As far as possible, we include the link to the original document that demonstrates with data or regulations the veracity or falsehood of a statement.

In this list of factchecks, you can see checks for all parts of the political debate. For example, verifications of principal politicians as president Gustavo Petro, Alvaro Uribe (former president and main character of the right-wing party) and verifications of different key topics as health, security, gender and climate change. 

1. Likes por plata: así operó una campaña de desinformación contra Petro https://www.lasillavacia.com/historias/silla-nacional/likes-por-plata-asi-opero-una-campana-de-desinformacion-contra-petro/

2. Es falso que inversiones en el exterior de los Fondos no son ahorro https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/detector-de-mentiras/es-falso-que-inversiones-en-el-exterior-de-los-fondos-no-son-ahorro

3. Detector: Corte Constitucional no reversó su decisión sobre el aborto https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/detector-de-mentiras/corte-constitucional-no-revers%C3%B3-su-decisi%C3%B3n-sobre-el-aborto

4. Detector: Gobierno Duque sí pagó déficit, contrario a lo que dice Petro https://www.lasillavacia.com/historias/silla-nacional/detector-gobierno-duque-si-pago-deficit-del-fepc-contrario-a-lo-que-dice-petro/

5. Detector: foto de la Policía llevando cartera de Francia es cierta https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/detector-de-mentiras/detector-foto-de-la-polic%C3%ADa-llevando-cartera-de-francia-es-cierta

6. Senador dio argumentos engañosos contra la legalización del cannabis https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/detector-de-mentiras/senador-dio-argumentos-enga%C3%B1osos-contra-la-legalizaci%C3%B3n-del-cannabis

7. Campaña sucia en Facebook gastó $309 millones para enlodar a Petro y Fajardo https://www.lasillavacia.com/historias/silla-nacional/campana-negra-en-facebook-gasto-309-millones-para-enlodar-a-petro-y-fajardo/

8. De nuevo, datos de mala gestión de Petro son engañosos https://www.lasillavacia.com/historias/silla-nacional/detector-gobierno-duque-si-pago-deficit-del-fepc-contrario-a-lo-que-dice-petro/

9. Detector: el Ubérrimo no exportó las narcovacas detenidas en España https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/detector-de-mentiras/detector-el-ub%C3%A9rrimo-no-export%C3%B3-las-narcovacas-detenidas-en-espa%C3%B1a

10. Detector: Jaguar no fue grabado en Colombia, sino en Brasil https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/detector-de-mentiras/jaguar-no-fue-grabado-en-colombia,-sino-en-brasil 

La Silla Vacía - El Detector de Mentiras has demonstrated sufficiently its non-partisanship by providing ten examples of fact-checks to political leaders and parties from all the political spectrum in Colombia. The applicant has fact-checked under the same standards claims from political leaders from right- to left-wing parties.

https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/detector-de-mentiras/nuestra-metodologia/

La Silla Vacía discloses publicly its fact-checking methodology (Nuestra metodología) in an easy-to-find, permanent webpage. The methodology, which principles and steps are clearly explained, is deemed sound and transparent.

After a random review of a number of fact-checks published over the previous year (Aug. 2022 - Jul. 2023), no traces have been found of any commercial interest that might influence the fact-checking activity of La Silla Vacía.

Simillarly to criterion 2.3, after a random review of a number of fact-checks published over the previous year (Aug. 2022 - Jul. 2023), no traces have been found of any political or ideological interest that might influence the fact-checking activity of La Silla Vacía.

https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/quienes-somos/

In order to maintain the independence of La Silla Vacía we use the techniques of good journalism: we have anobjective method of verifying data, we report against our prejudices, we do not make stories from a single source, we call all sides of a history, and we do research until we convince ourselves of what happened.

La Silla Vacía is not politically affiliated with any party although that doesn't mean that individual journalists donot have their political preferences. But we try to report against our prejudices and preferences to filter outthose biases. We are only ideologically aligned to the Colombian Political Constitution of 1991.

We don't enter into any relationship that may restrain our freedom to report what we want. We don't accept donations or funding from national government offices or political parties. Invitations or gifts from the sources are never accepted. 

La Silla Vacía commits itself to transparency and self-describes in its 'About us' page as "the best independent journalism in Colombia, transparent, digital and without access barriers for those who want to actively participate in the construction of a better country," and "rather than allying itself with a political faction, it includes the largest number of voices" (asssesor's translation). In this same page, the applicant commits itself to non-partisanship.

After a random review of a number of fact-checks published over the previous months, the use of links to back fact-checks found in La Silla Vacía -and more especifically in its fact-checking unit, Detector de mentiras- is deemed sufficient and appropriate. These resources allow users to easily verify by themselves the relevant information published.

According to the assessor's knowledge, the sources used by La Silla Vacía to back fact-checks are well diversified, relevant and sound. 

After a random review of a number of fact-checks published over the six months prior to this assessment (Feb. - Jul. 2023), no unduly concentration in any specific sources has been detected in La Silla Vacía.

La SIlla Vavía provides details so that readers can reasonably conclude the interests that could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided. It contextualizes sufficiently the information about the sources used to back the fact-checks.

La Silla Vacía is an 'independent organization'. We are not part of any business group or association.

El Detector de Mentiras is the fact-checking section of La Silla Vacía, an independent digital-native news organization. The fact-checking unit is integrated in the news  organization and its fully consistent with the principles and values of its parent media outlet. 

https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/quienes-somos/

The integration of Detector de mentiras into La Silla Vacía is clearly revealed to every users of the website, as it is disclosed in the 'About us' page and easy-to-find through its navigation bar. 

https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/quienes-somos/

Detailed information about La Silla Vacía's staff and employees is available in the website (¿Qué es La Silla Vacía? > El equipo), including details about its decision-making structure and indicating the respective level of responsibility the staff members.

https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/quienes-somos/

Short biographies of La Silla Vacía's key team members are available in the website, including their Twitter or Instagram accounts, so that they can be reached by anyone using these platforms. Nevertheless, we kindly invite the applicant to check several links to staff members' bios, since they point to wrong pages or simply don't refer to any information at all.

https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/quienes-somos/ 

La Silla Vacía encourages users to communicate and it provides several means of contact on its website, including email (editor@lasillavacia.com), as well as social media profiles (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), as well as WhatsApp. In the bottom of several pages there is also an online form to allow external contacts from users.

https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/detector-de-mentiras/nuestra-metodologia/

We have developed a specific method for our WhatsApp checks. If a WhatsApp user contacts La Silla Vacía with a piece of misleading information, we will answer, either with a fact-check or explaining why we cannot factcheck it, mainly because it can be outside the scope of our work. The hope: each user will then share the fact-check with his or her social circle. Checking WhatsApp chain messages is a way to get involved in conversations that real people are actually participating in, and to give them tools to form opinions based on facts, rather than falsehoods. 90 percent of what we’ve factchecked turns out to be untrue, which suggests that people share information on WhatsApp based on their emotions and interests, not what they know to be factual. The WhatsApp Detector relies on the same tagging system developed for La Silla Vacía’s Lie Detector: sections are labeled as “True,” “False,” “True but…,” “Debatable and “Misleading”. La Silla Vacía publishes 15 to 20 detectors per week in order to cover enough topics and fake news.

The applicant openly discloses its fact-checking methodology, which is deemed sound and reliable.Specific information on the method for WhatsApp checks is provided. After nine years of activity since 2014, the methodology is very tested and consistent.

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 La SIilla Vacía selects claims to check based primarily on the reach and importance of the claims

Drawing on a number of randomly selected fact-checks, the assessor has come to the conclusion that La Silla Vacía 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 the applicant's fact-checks examined, no examples have been found of the objectionable situations indicated for this criterion. In absence of any evidence of misbehavior or infringement of this part of the code of principles, the assessment is positive.

Readers could replicate the fact check by writing directly to the team of La Silla Vacía by the contact form and the mail editor@lasillavacia.com.

In factchecks that come from WhatsApp, we remind our audience that they can send us information to factcheck through said line https://wa.me/573102940910. Example: https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/detector-de-mentiras/video-altera-la-voz-de-petro-para-que-suene-como-borracho. In Facebook users can report false content and then we verify it. La Silla Vacía also includes a form open to any user that want to submit new or additional information about a specific story.

La Silla Vacía allows users to send claims and corrections through different means of contact, such as a dedicated WhatsApp line, Facebook comments, email or the open contact form, present in many website pages.

https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/quienes-somos/#Pol%C3%ADtica%20de%20correcciones 

The corrections policy (¿Qué es La Silla Vacía? > Política de correcciones) is deemed sound and professional. In exceptional cases, when a debate has arisen about a piece published by La Silla Vacía, beyond correcting the article, the editor-in-chief writes an specific article, explaining the medium's position on the subject.

The corrections policy is adequate and it is explained with detail, so that readers can know in advance how their claims will be handled.

We provide en email address as an initial point of contact. We answer emails in the 24 hours afeer the initial request, and make any necessary adjustments in the following 48 hours

The previous year, we recieved six appeals. In all of them, the interested parties accepted that they needed to make a correction, and changed their publication and we thus updated our factchecks. An example of this can be seen in https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/detector-de-mentiras/detector:-sin-pruebas,-anonymous-s%C3%AD-acuso-a-pastrana-de-liderar-red-de-pedofilia 

La Silla Vacía has informed that on the year assessed (Aug. 2022 - Jul. 2023) it received six claims of correction. However, as proof of its appropriate behavior on this matter, the applicant has presented the same evidence of a clarification that it presented last year (a correction published on October 13, 2021). For future renewals of its IFCN accreditation, La SIlla Vacía is kindly invited to submit examples of corrections published within the period assessed.

https://www.lasillavacia.com/la-silla-vacia/detector-de-mentiras/nuestra-metodologia/

As requested, La Silla Vacía informs the users how to proceed in case they want to inform the IFCN of any violation of the Code of Principles.

La Silla Vacía is a stand-alone media organization, with a specific fact-checking unit called 'Detector de mentiras', which is not bound to any other parent organization.