Organization: Lupa
Applicant: Natalia Leal
Assessor: Sergio Lüdtke
Conclusion and recommendations
Sergio Lüdtke wrote:
Agência Lupa complies with the requirements of the application. It is an organization dedicated to fact-checking and already recognized for it in Brazil. Lupa publishes its fact checks regularly, provides embracing coverage and follows a clear policy and a code of principles. The signatory operates with transparency disclosing its sources of income, its methodology and naming its collaborators.
As a recommendation, Lupa could give more visibility to its relationship channel with the audience. And it could relate on the menu or provide direct links on its content pages for its check methodology and for frequently asked questions. Currently, these pages are only accessible from the "Quem somos" section.
Sergio Lüdtke recommended Accept
Section 1: Organization
Criterion 1a
Proof of registration
Evidence required: Please provide evidence that the signatory is a legally-registered organization set up exclusively for the purpose of fact-checking or the distinct fact-checking project of a recognized media house or research institution.
Lupa
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
Here is Agência Lupa's official tax certificate at the Brazilian Government (in Portuguese). The company exists since February 2016, has its own office in Rio de Janeiro and a team of 15 professionals. Here is the link to our CNPJ:
Sergio Lüdtke Assessor
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
According to the document of registration in the Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica - CNPJ (national registry of the legal entity), the signatory is legally constituted organization.
In the CNPJ, Agencia Lupa has registered "news agency" as its main economic activity. And it has six secondary activities.
The purpose of fact-checking as a principal activity is not specified. Probably because the activities follow a previous classification, defined by the certification body, and no specific item for "fact-checking" activity is included in that list. Thus, the signatory is obliged to choose an item that best describes its activity.
The "news agency" activity is at the root of the same code of "other information service activities", which seems to me to be an appropriate classification for the fact-checking service.
done_all 1a marked as Fully compliant by Sergio Lüdtke.
Criterion 1b
Archive
Evidence required: Insert a link to the archive of fact checks published in the previous three months. If you do not collect all fact checks in one place, please explain how the fact-checking is conducted by your organization.
Lupa
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
October 2017- http://piaui.folha.uol.com.br/lupa/2017/10/
November 2017 - http://piaui.folha.uol.com.br/lupa/2017/11/
December 2017 - http://piaui.folha.uol.com.br/lupa/2017/12/
January 2018 - http://piaui.folha.uol.com.br/lupa/2018/01/
Sergio Lüdtke Assessor
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
Yes, the signatory has systematically published its reports, almost one per day, choosing relevant facts from the news or related to events and ephemeris.
done_all 1b marked as Fully compliant by Sergio Lüdtke.
Section 2: Nonpartisanship and Fairness
Criterion 2a
Body of work sample
Evidence required: Please share links to ten fact checks that better represent the scope and consistency of your fact-checking. Provide a short explanation of how your organization strives to maintain coherent standards across fact checks.
Lupa
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
Agência Lupa has been fact-checking all politicians (from all parties) that can actually become a presidential candidate in 2018 election. We have also published fact-checked claims made in the last year by president Michel Temer and other former presidents. Please see some links bellow. In order to keep fairness, we stick to the 8 steps of our public methodology.
Temer - http://piaui.folha.uol.com.br/lupa/2018/02/02/temer-previdencia-ratinho/
Alckmin - http://piaui.folha.uol.com.br/lupa/2018/01/23/alckmin-pesquisa-bandeirantes/
Lula - http://piaui.folha.uol.com.br/lupa/2017/12/05/lula-pesquisas-eleitorais/
Henrique Meirelles - http://piaui.folha.uol.com.br/lupa/2017/12/07/meirelles-ministro-fazenda/
Marina Silva - http://piaui.folha.uol.com.br/lupa/2018/02/01/marina-entrevista-radio/
João Doria, Jair Bolsonaro, Álvaro Dias, Ciro Gomes e Manuela D'Ávila-
http://piaui.folha.uol.com.br/lupa/2017/12/19/presidenciaveis-canal-livre-2/
Jair Bolsonaro, Ciro Gomes, Álvaro Dias e Manuela D’Ávila -
Rodrigo Maia - http://piaui.folha.uol.com.br/lupa/2018/01/11/rodrigo-maia-presidencia/
Fernando Henrique Cardoso - http://piaui.folha.uol.com.br/lupa/2017/06/15/contradicoes-fh-governo-temer-psdb/
Dilma Rousseff - http://piaui.folha.uol.com.br/lupa/2017/04/05/dilma-rousseff-marcelo-odebrecht/
Sergio Lüdtke Assessor
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
Although the signatory has a greater focus on policy, other topics are also included in the website's coverage, such as health and culture.
There is diversity and balance in political facts checked and no candidate or party is benefited by coverage.
done_all 2a marked as Fully compliant by Sergio Lüdtke.
Criterion 2b
Nonpartisanship policy
Evidence required: Please share evidence of your policy preventing staff from direct involvement in political parties and advocacy organizations. Please also indicate the policy your organization has as a whole regarding advocacy and supporting political candidates.
Lupa
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
Agência Lupa asks its fact-checkers to sign a document, agreeing they will keep themselves from getting involved with political parties and advocacy organizations while working for the company. They also receive an alert about what Lupa thinks is a good public position in social media. The document is signed once every year. A copy will be sent to IFCN by email.
Sergio Lüdtke Assessor
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
There has been no evidence of any support for candidates or causes other than fact-checking on the Lupa's website.
In the application, Agência Lupa refers to a copy of a document that would be sent to the IFCN. This document would demonstrate the commitment of its fact-checkers not to affiliate with parties or advocacy organizations while working for the company. Although the document is not attached, the procedure is well described in the application. In addition, the Agência Lupa's principles are clearly explained and highlighted on the website, which leads us to give credit to the organization in that point.
done_all 2b marked as Fully compliant by Sergio Lüdtke.
Section 3: Transparency of Sources
Criterion 3a
Sources Policy
Please share a brief and public explanation (500 words max) of how sources are provided in enough detail that readers could replicate the fact check. If you have a public policy on how you find and use sources for your fact-checking, it should be shared here.
Lupa
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
All sources are revealed on our articles - except when their life is at risk. We always use hyperlinks on our texts so our readers can fact-check us anytime they want. Most of our work is based on public data.
Sergio Lüdtke Assessor
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
As far as can be verified, sources are always informed in the Agência Lupa's fact-checking. The website also provides readers with links to the original sources used to make checks. According to the application, "all sources are revealed on the articles - except when their life is at risk". The fact-check policy is also well described on the website.
done_all 3a marked as Fully compliant by Sergio Lüdtke.
Section 4: Transparency of Funding & Organization
Criterion 4a
Funding Sources
Evidence required: Please link to the section where you publicly list your sources of funding (including, if they exist, any rules around which types of funding you do or don't accept), or a statement on ownership if you are the branch of an established media organization or research institution.
Lupa
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
Sergio Lüdtke Assessor
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
Agência Lupa shows its business model in detail on a page of its website. This page also describes generally its main sources of funding, the amount of funding and the destination of the resources collected.
done_all 4a marked as Fully compliant by Sergio Lüdtke.
Criterion 4b
Staff
Evidence required: Please link to the section detailing all authors and key actors behind your fact-checking project with their biographies. You can also list the name and bios of the members of the editorial board, pool of experts, advisory board, etc. if your organization has those.
Lupa
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
Sergio Lüdtke Assessor
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
The section "Quem Somos" names the collaborators and a summary of their biographies. Clicking on the collaborator's name takes the reader to a new page with a list of published texts.
done_all 4b marked as Fully compliant by Sergio Lüdtke.
Criterion 4c
Contact
Evidence required: Please link to the section where readers can get in touch with the organization.
Lupa
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
Sergio Lüdtke Assessor
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
The signatory offers on the menu an easy way to suggest checks, but there is no comment area on the pages. The only way offered for the reader's statements on a published check is by e-mail. And this information is not available on all pages.
done 4c marked as Partially compliant by Sergio Lüdtke.
Section 5: Transparency of Methodology
Criterion 5a
Detailed Methodology
Evidence required: Please link to a section or article detailing the steps you follow for your fact-checking work.
Lupa
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
Sergio Lüdtke Assessor
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
Agencia Lupa presents its methodology on a page dedicated to detailing the eight steps that make up its method of checking. This page, however, could be more visible to readers. There is no direct link to it either on the menu or on the pages on which the website publishes its checks.
done_all 5a marked as Fully compliant by Sergio Lüdtke.
Criterion 5b
Claim submissions
Evidence required: Please link to the page or process through which readers can submit claims to fact-check. If you do not allow this, please briefly explain why.
Lupa
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
Sergio Lüdtke Assessor
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
Agência Lupa offers its readers the possibility of suggesting fact-checking. A menu-accessible link takes the reader to a page where the signatory describes very clearly what can be fact-checked and what isn't fact-checkable. On that same page, the website provides the path for sending suggestions.
done_all 5b marked as Fully compliant by Sergio Lüdtke.
Section 6: Open & Honest Corrections Policy
Criterion 6a
Corrections policy
Evidence required: Please link to the page with your policy to address corrections. If it is not public, please share your organization's handbook.
Lupa
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
Sergio Lüdtke Assessor
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
Agência Lupa publishes its correction policy on a page of its website.
done_all 6a marked as Fully compliant by Sergio Lüdtke.
Criterion 6b
Examples of corrections
Evidence required: Please provide two examples of a correction made, or correction requests handled, in the past year.
Lupa
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
1- http://piaui.folha.uol.com.br/lupa/2017/12/28/1-ano-kalil/
(Instead of 3%, we correct to 3pp)
2- http://piaui.folha.uol.com.br/lupa/2017/10/03/ciro-gomes-brasil-colombia/
(Instead of saying there was no public data on the topic, we correct to the available data)
Sergio Lüdtke Assessor
27-Mar-2018 (6 years ago)
As can be seen from the examples sent, she has applied this policy convincingly. It is not possible to verify the disclosure of these corrections and whether they were perceived by the readers who accessed the first version.