Les Surligneurs makes it a point of honour to be as transparent as possible, that's why on our website, by clicking on “Mentions légales” (legal notices) you will find information about our legal status. The legal status of the association is available here : https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:673f5068-a450-4478-9573-e1e8da589079 

Les Surligneurs is a legally registered organization.

All the evidences of its legal registration are presented in the “Mentions légales” section, in the Menu, here:

https://lessurligneurs.eu/

Les Surligneurs is headquartered in Paris 35, rue du Retrait, 75020 France) and is registered in the trade and companies register under number 884 638 149 R.C.S. Paris.

Information about the status of Les Surligneurs is set out quite clearly, and is quite quick to find.

1) The idea of Les Surligneurs emerged during the French presidential election of 2017. Many of the candidate proposals were either approximative or wrong in the light of the law. In order to clarify the debate, we have decided to examine their proposals from a legal point of view. Thus, it was with the aim of re-establishing the truth that we started our legal checking work. Since the beginning of our project, we have published more than 600 articles.

2) Les Surligneurs is a non-partisan French organization that consists of a core of permanent workers (Vincent Couronne, Tania Racho and Jean-Paul Markus). Moreover, we have around 60 volunteers and 3 interns, including university lecturers, students and lawyers. They have the mission to find legally false statements but also to write some articles.

Our management team is composed of Vincent Couronne as publication director, Jean-Paul Markus as Editor-in-chief and Tania Racho as head-editor in European law.

3) The main activity of our organization is related to legal checking. We publish articles that highlight mistakes made by politicians and confront them with the law. Moreover, we have created a podcast on fact check about the European Union. We also have our own radio program broadcast by Euradio Lyon.

In addition to this, we organize monthly events (suspended since the coronavirus pandemic) related to fact checking. Our last event, was a debate on the topic “is fact checking useful?” with our associate Adrien Sénécat from Les Décodeurs (the fact checking section of the newspaper Le Monde).

Last but not least, we regularly work with students to bring them a Media Literacy Education, to enable them to verify online information.

We currently are on the process to start professional training activities.

4) Given that France is entering into a new round of elections including the presidential, legislative and local elections, we have for objective to follow them very closely.

Moreover, owing to the fact that it is the second time that we cover these events, we have planned to write a series of books on specific themes (such as Europe, Health matters, environmental issues, etc.), using our previous articles.

Les Surligneurs was set up in 2017, exclusively for the purpose of fact-checking, in France. Its team (60 volunteers and 3 interns) works in French.

Les Surligneurs has also launched monthly events (suspended since the coronavirus pandemic) related to fact checking.

For the next few months, the objective of Les Surligneurs is to cover the presidential, legislative and local elections, and to follow them very closely.

The answers provided by Les Surligneurs seem trustworthy.

Please see the list in this link : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Wems8J0yEnxBUF7fK4Fkd46pF6TkfaIgGzs_Y2mW5sE/edit#gid=634347005 

Les Surligneurs team  attached a Google doc to its application. In view of what we have observed, they publish at least one fact check a week over the twelve months of publishing track.

In the future, it would be useful for the site to not only disclose the dates of the assertions it verifies, but also the date of its publications.

According to our assessment, the fact-checking articles of Les Surligneurs are in line with IFCN's expectations.

We find that these fact checks deal in majority (more than 75%) with “public interest” issues that “relate to or could have an impact on the well-being of individuals, the general public or society”.

Les Surligneurs does not have any direct link with the State, and we are completely independent of any politicians and political parties. The project is financially supported by membership fees, donations from individuals - both of them amouting for 5 % of the incomes - and by the “Chaire Citoyenneté” research center of Sciences Po Saint-Germain-en-Laye (public political science school).

Furthermore, in 2017 et 2020, we have received funding from the VIP (Versailles Institutions Publiques) research center of the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, which is a public university.

The applicant’s editorial output is not, for us, controlled by the state, a political party or politician.

Les Surligneurs sets out how the team ensure the editorial independence of its work:

"WHO FINANCES THE HIGHLIGHTERS?

The project is financially supported by membership fees, donations from individuals, by the Hippocrene Foundation, the VIP laboratory and La Diagonale of Paris-Saclay University. The Citizenship Chair of Sciences Po Saint-Germain-en-Laye also made a financial contribution."

The team also explains: "The editorial choices of Les Surligneurs are made with complete independence from the funders." ("Notre méthode" section, in the Menu page, her: https://lessurligneurs.eu/)

On our website, you will find all the information needed on the page named “Notre méthode" (accessible from main page).

The team explains: "The editorial choices of Les Surligneurs are made with complete independence from the funders." ("Notre méthode" section, in the Menu page, her: https://lessurligneurs.eu/)

Without founding from local or foreign state or political sources.

Our non-partisanship is one of the commitments of Les Surligneurs. As you will see in these 10 fact checks, we have fact checked a wide panel of politicians, from the far left to the far right. Each of these articles respects the same strict method which consists of: firstly, we look for problematic statements (compared to the law) made by politicians. They can be legally problematic because they are either false, or they need more precision, or they are simply impossible. And then we confront them with the law. By following this method, we analyze what is problematical in the statement and not the political figure. Therefore, this method ensures total objectivity, and a fine approach to the intensity of the politician’s mistake.

Links:

Éric Piolle, Europe Écologie Les Verts, Mayor of Grenoble: https://lessurligneurs.eu/grenoble-apres-un-premier-arrete-anti-pesticides-annule-par-le-juge-le-maire-eric-piolle-tente-un-arrete-anti-dechets-contre-les-pesticides/ 

Florian Philippot, Les Patriotes, President of Les Patriotes: https://lessurligneurs.eu/florian-philippot-le-decret-sur-lenseignement-de-larabe-a-lecole-decoule-directement-dune-politique-de-lunion-europeenne/

Nicolas Bay, Rassemblement national, Member of the European parliament: https://lessurligneurs.eu/nicolas-bay-rn-a-propos-de-generation-identitaire-est-ce-quune-association-lorsquelle-deplait-a-m-darmanin-ca-suffit-pour-quelle-soit-dissoute/

Christian Jacob, Les Républicains, French deputy : https://lessurligneurs.eu/christian-jacob-president-des-republicains-la-justice-est-a-larret-complet/

Audrey Pulvar, Parti socialiste, candidate for local government elections: https://lessurligneurs.eu/audrey-pulvar-propose-la-creation-de-nouvelles-taxes-pour-financer-la-gratuite-des-transports-des-2026-en-ile-de-france/ 

Hervé Morin, Les Centristes, President of Les Centristes: https://lessurligneurs.eu/herve-morin-annonce-etre-en-discussions-avec-un-laboratoire-pour-que-les-regions-puissent-acheter-des-vaccins-et-que-tous-ceux-qui-vont-bosser-le-matin-puissent-etre-vaccine/

Nadine Morano, Les Républicains, Member of the European parliament: https://lessurligneurs.eu/nadine-morano-un-probleme-pour-donner-lidentite-de-cette-racaille-condamnee-11-fois-qui-contribue-au-desordre-public-soutien-total-a-la-police/

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, La France Insoumise, French deputy: https://lessurligneurs.eu/jean-luc-melenchon-belloubet-interdit-la-visite-de-prison-au-depute-insoumis-ugobernalicis/

Marine Le Pen, Rassemblement National, President of Rassemblement National: https://lessurligneurs.eu/marine-le-pen-deplore-que-lapologie-du-terrorisme-ne-permette-pas-de-revoquer-le-statut-de-refugie/

Gérald Darmanin, La République en Marche, Minister of the Interior: https://lessurligneurs.eu/gerald-darmanin-aujourdhui-nous-ne-pouvons-pas-fermer-des-lieux-de-culte-ou-des-discours-de-haine-sont-portes/

The applicant fact-checks use the same high standards of evidence and judgement for equivalent claims regardless of who made the claim. We didn't find any example of unfair treatment...

On our website, you will find all the information needed on the page "Notre méthode" accessible from the main page.

Les Surligneurs does not seem to unduly concentrate its fact-checking on any one side; it seems to consider the reach and importance of claims it selects to check; and it publishes an explaination on its website to set out how it selects claims to check, here :

"Notre méthode" section, in the Menu page, here: https://lessurligneurs.eu/

"We highlight the comments made publicly by public figures (elected officials, candidates, and any person participating in the public debate); the subject must contain a legal dimension; the statement must be, with regard to the law, either erroneous, or call for a more or less strong nuance. Legally correct words are not dealt with unless they are publicly challenged. As far as possible, a balance is respected between the different political sensitivities present in the media."

In view of what we have observed, Les Surligneurs disclose in its fact checks relevant interests of the sources it quotes and any commercial or other such relationships it has that a member of the public might reasonably conclude could influence the findings of the fact check.

In view of what we have observed, Les Surligneurs are not as an organization affiliated with any party, any politician or political candidate. It doesn't advocate for or against any policy positions on any issues.

Please see the statement on the main page and the page "Notre Méthode" accessible from the main page https://lessurligneurs.eu/ 

See also the Code of ethics, accessible from Notre méthode page : https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3Ac2bae066-7aab-45d5-ae79-d15b78f8de75#pageNum=1 

Les Surligneurs explain their policies to preserve its non-partisan way of fact-checking claims on a page titled “Notre méthode”, in the menu section, here:

https://lessurligneurs.eu/

It evokes :

"As far as possible, a balance is respected between the different political sensitivities present in the media."

Their code of ethics is foundable via their website here:
https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3Ac2bae066-7aab-45d5-ae79-d15b78f8de75#pageNum=1

It evokes :

"Independence from all powers, freedom of choice of subjects and their treatment, critical thinking; Neutrality, impartiality, objectivity; exclusion of any political or even hateful comments; political balance;"

For our legal checking work, we mainly use primary legal sources such as European treaties or laws from official sources (eur-lex.europa.eu, Constitutional council, legifrance.gouv.fr). Nevertheless, we sometimes use secondary sources like articles from other media. All sources are cited in our articles (with a hyperlink). Legal sources do not include undisclosed legal materials such as legal contracts between private parties. All legal sources Les Surligneurs use are accessible online.

In view of what we have observed, Les Surligneurs identify the source of all significant evidence used in its fact checks (primary legal sources such as European treaties or laws from official sources). They also provide relevant links where the source is available online, in such a way that users can replicate their work if they wish.

In view of what we have observed, Les Surligneurs use the best available primary sources of evidence. 

In view of what we have observed, Les Surligneurs check all key elements of claims against more than one named source of evidence, even if their legal checking activity often requires them to use only one source.

In view of what we have observed, Les Surligneurs identify in their fact checks the relevant interests of the sources they use where the reader might reasonably conclude those interests could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided.

The SARL (Société à responsabilité limitée) company is the editor of the website lessurligneurs.eu. The SARL is independent. The website carries activities of fact-checking only and is not the fact-checking section or the unit of a media house or other parent organization.

The association Les Surligneurs is a non-profit organization aiming at supporting the participation of student and volunteers to the functioning of the website.

In the section named “Notre méthode” a statement ensures that lessurligneurs.eu defines its editorial line independently. In Mentions légales page a statement explains that the association Les Surligneurs cannot influence the editorial line of the media.

The SARL (Société à responsabilité limitée) company is the editor of the website lessurligneurs.eu. The SARL is independent. The website carries activities of fact-checking only and is not the fact-checking section or the unit of a media house or other parent organization.

The association Les Surligneurs is a non-profit organization aiming at supporting the participation of student and volunteers to the functioning of the website.

In the section named “Notre méthode” a statement ensures that lessurligneurs.eu defines its editorial line independently. In Mentions légales page a statement explains that the association Les Surligneurs cannot influence the editorial line of the media.

On this same "Notre méthode" page, a paragraph describes sources of funding of Les Surligneurs for its previous financial year.

Les Surligneurs are an independent organization.

And there's a page that sets out the legal form in which the organization is registered, here:

lessurligneurs.eu (“Notre méthode” section in the menu)

But there's no page or paragraph on its website detailing with precisions each source of funding accounting for 5% or more of total revenue for its previous financial year.

Les Surligneurs are an independent organization.

And there's a page that sets out the legal form in which the organization is registered, here:

lessurligneurs.eu (“Notre méthode” section in the menu)

There's a paragraph on its website detailing with precisions each source of funding accounting for 5% or more of total revenue for its previous financial year.

Funding is detailed on "Notre méthode" page https://lessurligneurs.eu/ 

The legal form is explained on "Mentions légales" page https://lessurligneurs.eu/ 

Les Surligneurs are an independent organization.

They detail their sources of funding and the legal form in which the organization is registered here:

https://lessurligneurs.eu/ ("Notre méthode" section in the Menu page)

The organizational structure and the way the editorial control is exercised is clarified on "Notre méthode" page. https://lessurligneurs.eu/ 

Les Surligneurs present their organizational structure and makes clear how and by whom editorial control is exercised (Chief editor, editors, authors, etc.) here :

https://lessurligneurs.eu/  ("Mentions légales" section in the Menu page - name of publication director)

https://lessurligneurs.eu/ ("Le projet" section in the Menu page - name of all the members)

On our website, you will find all the information needed on the section named “Le Projet” (The Project). https://lessurligneurs.eu/ 

Les Surligneurs present a page detailing the professional biography of all those who play a significant part in its articles here :

https://lessurligneurs.eu/ ("Le projet" section in the Menu page - name of all the members)

- In the statement on the main page: https://lessurligneurs.eu/ 

- On the page "Notre méthode' > "Nous contacter": https://lessurligneurs.eu/ 

- At the bottom of each article: https://lessurligneurs.eu/olivier-veran-reflechit-a-conditionner-le-droit-de-sortie-des-residents-dehpad-a-leur-vaccination/ 

It’s quite easy for readers to contact Les Surligneur’s team: there’s an email address here:

https://lessurligneurs.eu/ ("Notre méthode" section in the Menu page)

It would be better to make this means of communication easier in the future.

https://lessurligneurs.eu/ on "Notre méthode" page, containing as well our Code of ethics.

Les Surligneurs give precisions about its fact-checking methodology, here:

https://lessurligneurs.eu/  ("Notre méthode" page, in the Menu page)

The details are in line withe the specific domain that Les Surligneurs explore : the legal-checking. 

In view of what we have observed, Les Surligneurs select claims to check based primarily on the reach and importance of the claims, and sometimes explain the reason for choosing the claim to check.

In view of what we have observed, Les Surligneurs set out in its fact checks relevant evidence that appears to support the claim as well as relevant evidence that appears to undermine it.

In view of what we have observed, Les Surligneurs assess the merits of the evidence found using the same high standards applied to evidence on equivalent claims, regardless of who made the claim.

Since 15 June 2020, Les Surligneurs send an email or a private message on social media or via any other way aiming at establishing a contact, to those who made the claim. The answer is always taken into account. In addition, whether those who made the claim answered or not, a reference to the attempt to contact is made in the article.

The first case of this new policy can be read here : https://lessurligneurs.eu/nicolas-bay-rn-veut-abroger-la-directive-europeennes-sur-les-travailleurs-detaches/ 

In view of what we have observed, Les Surligneurs seeks where possible to contact those who made the claim.

Firstly, in a statement on our main page, users are encouraged to contact us by email if they have found a problematic statement, after reading the criteria according to which a statement can be fact-cheked: https://lessurligneurs.eu/ 

Secondly, on the section named “Notre méthode", users are encouraged to do the same. https://lessurligneurs.eu/ 

Thirdly, we encourage users to send in claims via our social medias such as Twitter and Facebook.

Concerning what readers can legitimately expect will be fact-checked and what isn’t fact-checkable, we clearly mention it on the section named “Notre méthode". We also directly answer to the request on our social media as you can see here: https://twitter.com/V_Couronne/status/1238370702232862722?s=20

There’s an e-mail address for readers who want to submit claims to fact-check on Les Surligneurs website. We can find it in the homepage here:

https://lessurligneurs.eu/

And the address is also here:  https://lessurligneurs.eu/ (“Notre méthode" section, in the Menu page).

It explains :

"A political comment to report to us? See how to do it in "Our method" and write to us.

Don’t hesitate: it’s in the public interest."

On "Notre méthode" page, it is stated that "En cas d’erreur, l’article est amendé avec mention de l’ajout en pied d’article". (In case of a mistake, the article is modified and the modification is referenced at the bottom of the article). https://lessurligneurs.eu/ 

At the bottom of each article, it is written "Une erreur dans cet article ? Faites-le nous savoir !" (A mistake in this article? Tell us!), including an hyperlink to the contact email. See here for an example https://lessurligneurs.eu/jean-luc-melenchon-lfi-levons-les-brevets-sur-les-vaccins-pas-de-profit-sur-la-sante/ 

For an example of an article which has been modified, please see https://lessurligneurs.eu/didier-raoult-nous-continuerons-a-traiter-nos-patients-avec-les-traitements-que-nous-estimons-les-plus-adaptes-en-letat-actuel-de-la-science-et-des-connaissances/ 

On "Notre méthode" page, it is stated that "En cas d’erreur, l’article est amendé avec mention de l’ajout en pied d’article". (In case of a mistake, the article is modified and the modification is referenced at the bottom of the article). https://lessurligneurs.eu/ 

At the bottom of each article, it is written "Une erreur dans cet article ? Faites-le nous savoir : contact@lessurligneurs.eu" (A mistake in this article? Tell us: contact@lessurligneurs.eu). The same email address is made available in "Notre méthode" and "Le projet" sections. As such, the reader is able to send an us an email. See here for an example https://lessurligneurs.eu/jean-luc-melenchon-lfi-levons-les-brevets-sur-les-vaccins-pas-de-profit-sur-la-sante/ 

For an example of an article which has been modified, please see https://lessurligneurs.eu/didier-raoult-nous-continuerons-a-traiter-nos-patients-avec-les-traitements-que-nous-estimons-les-plus-adaptes-en-letat-actuel-de-la-science-et-des-connaissances/ 

Les Surligneurs' website give precisions about its corrections policy in a specific webpage, here:

https://lessurligneurs.eu/ ("Notre méthode" section in the Menu page)

So Les Surligneurs has a corrections policy that is easily visible and accessible. 

But all the hyperlinks lead to the opening of an Outlook messaging ... If this messaging is not correctly configured by the Internet user, it is impossible for him to send a message. Better than Les Surligneurs refer to a specific online form.

Les Surligneurs' website give precisions about its corrections policy in a specific webpage, here:

https://lessurligneurs.eu/ ("Notre méthode" section in the Menu page)

So Les Surligneurs has a corrections policy that is easily visible and accessible. 

And it's possible for the readers to send messages. 

The definitions of the correction policy have been added in "Le Projet" and "Notre méthode" sections, as well as in the code of ethics. It states as follow :

"Readers are also welcome to comment on publications by writing to contact@lessurligneurs.eu. We give an answer by email, and we either take into account the comment and mention the amendment at the end of the article, or we explain the reader why his or her comment hasn't been taken into account.

The other way round, we may not answer whenever the reader's comment isn't a legal opinion but in fact a political one, whenever the comment's aim is not to amend an article, and whenever the comment is part of a digital harassment strategy."

Les Surligneurs' corrections policy sets out :

"-The reader is also a proofreader. At the bottom of each article, any reader can contact the editorial team and dispute a point in the article. Les Surligneurs always respond. In case of error, the article is amended with mention of the addition at the bottom of the article.

- Have you spotted an error in one of our articles? Tell us, and we will correct it after the necessary checks. We always respond to your requests."

Les Surligneurs don't explain in their website that some complaints may justify no response. And their policy doesn't set out clear definitions of what it does and does not cover, Les Surligneurs' code of ethics doesn't mention the correction policy at all...

Les Surligneurs' corrections policy sets out :

"-The reader is also a proofreader. At the bottom of each article, any reader can contact the editorial team and dispute a point in the article. Les Surligneurs always respond. In case of error, the article is amended with mention of the addition at the bottom of the article.

- Have you spotted an error in one of our articles? Tell us, and we will correct it after the necessary checks. We always respond to your requests."

Les Surligneurs explain in their website that some complaints may justify no response. And their policy sets out clear definitions of what it does and does not cover, Les Surligneurs' code of ethics mentions the transparency of their relationship with their readers, but note clearly their correction policy...

In January 2021, a politician, Mr Glucksmann, gave us more information on a statement we had written an article about. In light of his remarks we modified the article. The modification is signaled at the bottom of the article https://lessurligneurs.eu/dapres-raphael-glucksman-lunion-europeenne-ne-dispose-pas-dinstruments-commerciaux-qui-permettent-dinterdire-des-produits-dentrer-sur-le-marche-europeen-provenant/  

However, readers ask us for clarifications rather than correction. We receive these requests mainly via twitter. We answer them directly, as you can see here https://twitter.com/MenezUhel/status/1237747605674831873 and here https://twitter.com/V_Couronne/status/1258749139136978944?s=20.

Les Surligneurs provide evidence that it makes corrections openly and transparently, seeking as far as possible to ensure that users of the original see the correction and the corrected version.

Les Surligneurs give only one example of correction in their website, here:

https://lessurligneurs.eu/dapres-raphael-glucksman-lunion-europeenne-ne-dispose-pas-dinstruments-commerciaux-qui-permettent-dinterdire-des-produits-dentrer-sur-le-marche-europeen-provenant/

Les Surligneurs should make a statement (in this application form) to explain that no other correction request has been made in the previous six months...

We are not an existing signatory.

Les Surligneurs are not an existing signatory.

We are not the fact-checking unit of a media company.

Not concerned. 

But Les Surligneurs should mention their correction policy in their own code of ethics...