Organization: Pagella Politica
Applicant: TFCF SRL (VAT 02595010352)
Assessor: Paolo Attivissimo
Background
Pagella Politica has already been assessed before and has a history of excellent compliance with IFCN criteria from the outset, with only minor change requests that have always been implemented.
Assessment Conclusion
Presently there was only a Change Request in Section 6.1, which was easily remedied with a minor change to the page layout of the signatory's site.
Paolo Attivissimo assesses application as Compliant
A short summary in native publishing language
Pagella Politica è quasi perfettamente conforme ai criteri IFCN. La sola nonconformità riguarda la mancanza di un link facilmente visibile e accessibile alla pagina della policy delle correzioni nelle singole pagine di fact-checking, in modo da consentire al lettore di trovare sempre questo link, come già fatto in occasione di una valutazione precedente.
Section 1: Eligibility to be a signatory
To be eligible to be a signatory, applicants must meet these six criteria
- 1.1 The applicant is a legally registered organization, or a distinct team or unit within a legally registered organization, and details of this are easily found on its website.
- 1.2 The team, unit or organization is set up exclusively for the purpose of fact-checking.
- 1.3 The applicant has published an average of at least one fact check a week over the course of the six months prior to the date of application. For applicants from countries with at least 5 or more verified signatories need to have at least a fact check a week over the twelve months of publishing track. Consult to factchecknet@poynter.org for confirmation.
- 1.4 On average, at least 75% of the applicant’s fact checks focus on claims related to issues that, in the view of the IFCN, relate to or could have an impact on the welfare or well-being of individuals, the general public or society.
- 1.5 The applicant’s editorial output is not, in the view of the IFCN, controlled by the state, a political party or politician.
- 1.6 If the organization receives funding from local or foreign state or political sources, it provides a statement on its site setting out to the satisfaction of the IFCN, how it ensures its funders do not influence the findings of its reports.
Criteria 1.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please explain where on your website you set out information about your organization’s legal status and how this complies with criteria. Attach a link to the relevant page of your website.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago)
Pagella Politica is a registered newspaper at the court of Milan, Italy. Its parent company, TFCF SRL, is a limited liability company (società a responsabilità limitata according to the Italian law) which owns and operates two independent fact-checking projects, Pagella Politica and Facta. Both perform fact-checking, debunking, training, and consulting in the disinformation and media literacy fields. TFCF SRL falls under the
“Independent for profit company” category in the IFCN guidelines.
Information about our organization’s legal status is clearly set out in the "Chi siamo" [Who we are] webpage on Pagella Politica’s website, easily accessible from our homepage: https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago)
The applicant self-certifies its legal status in its webpage footer ("testata registrata presso il Tribunale di Milano, n. 55 del 8 marzo 2021. ISSN 2974-9387 ") and also provides a link to a scan of its Articles of Association (https://cdn.pagellapolitica.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Statuto-TFCF.pdf).
done_all 1.1 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 1.2
Proof you meet criteria
Please answer the following questions – (see notes in Guidelines for Application on how to answer)
1. When and why was your fact-checking operation started?
2. How many people work or volunteer in the organization and what are their roles?
3. What different activities does your organization carry out?
4. What are the goals of your fact-checking operation over the coming year?
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago)
Pagella Politica was established as a legal entity – originally a Srls (“società a responsabilità limitata semplificata”, according to the Italian law) – at the end of 2013. Its website (https://pagellapolitica.it/) started publishing fact-checks in October 2012. In December 2020 the name of the legal entity was changed in The Fact-Checking Factory SRL (TFCF) and Pagella Politica continued as a fact-checking project within the parent company.
Since the beginning, Pagella Politica has the objectives of (a) monitoring the statements of the main Italian politicians to evaluate their truthfulness through numbers and facts; (b) analyzing and counteracting the disinformation phenomenon in Italy and in Europe through its participation in dedicated projects; and (c ) fostering cooperation in the fact-checking community through its involvement in national, regional and international networks. Its core mission is to improve the quality of information and the Italian public debate, providing greater objectivity, and to counter the spread of false or incorrect information. Online since October 2012, Pagella Politica has verified over three thousand political statements and many hundreds of fake news.
The team is currently composed by 8 in-house staff and a variable number of external collaborators. The internal staff is: Giovanni Zagni (Director), Tommaso Canetta (Deputy director), Carlo Canepa (Chief Editor), Davide Leo (Fact Checker), Federico Gonzato (Fact Checker), Silvia Cavasola (Head of Projects), Renata Leopardi (Social media manager) and Sarah Boschetti (Administrative responsible). We do not use unpaid and voluntary work, but we occasionally have interns from journalism schools and universities.
Pagella Politica performs mainly fact-checking of political statements and publishes political news and analysis. In the recent past, it carried out important collaborations with major Italian media, such as the national broadcaster RAI2 and the newswire agency AGI. It is part of the winning consortia in some of the main European projects in the field of disinformation, such as SOMA (Social Observatory for Disinformation and Social Media Analysis, part of the Horizon 2020 program), EDMO (European Digital Media Observatory,
part of the Connecting Europe Facility program) and IDMO (The Italian Digital Media Observatory), EFCSN (European Fact-Checking Standards Network).
In the field of media literacy it is an active partner of the projects Spotted (School policies to detect and tackle fake news, part of the Erasmus+ program), GenZ, Fakespotting and GreenTaste.
With regards to our goals for the coming year, our main strategic goal is to diversify our revenue streams, in order to increase resilience and lower the financial dependency on a few main sources of income. This diversification will happen through investments in technological developments for tools that could be useful for the fact-checking and journalistic community at large, but also in new projects in media literacy and training, as well as in our membership program, launched at the end of 2022 with the same goal. We plan to extend and better structure our newsroom, opening up to new professional expertise in areas like community management, marketing and business development.
We also plan to deepen our cooperation with European fact-checkers, in the fields of both editorial content and policy, through our participation in the EFCSN, EDMO and IDMO projects.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago)
The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine records that Pagellapolitica.it had already published several fact-checks as of October 2012 (https://web.archive.org/web/20121005010739/http://pagellapolitica.it/).
The internal staff members and contributors are listed at https://pagellapolitica.it/redazione.
All the questions have been answered in detail.
done_all 1.2 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 1.3
Proof you meet criteria
- The applicant has published an average of at least one fact check a week over the course of the six months prior to the date of application.
- For applicants from countries with at least 5 or more verified signatories need to have at least a fact check a week over the twelve months of publishing track.
- Consult to factchecknet@poynter.org for confirmation.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago)
Pagella Politica currently publishes an average of 10 fact-checking articles per week. All articles published are visible at the following links: https://pagellapolitica.it/fact-checking and https://pagellapolitica.it/articoli
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The applicant regularly publishes more than the required average number of articles per week.
done_all 1.3 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 1.4
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will assess compliance through a review of the fact checks published over the previous three months. No additional information required.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The following fact checks were reviewed and found to be compliant, based on the assessor's knowledge and independent checks:
https://pagellapolitica.it/fact-checking/conte-terre-rare-cina
https://pagellapolitica.it/fact-checking/morte-moro-sospensione-parlamento
https://pagellapolitica.it/fact-checking/distrazione-causa-incidenti-stradali
https://pagellapolitica.it/fact-checking/incidenti-stradali-prima-causa-morte-giovani
https://pagellapolitica.it/fact-checking/meloni-aumento-thc-cannabis
https://pagellapolitica.it/fact-checking/lollobrigida-oms-rischi-carne-sintetica
https://pagellapolitica.it/fact-checking/eta-auto-italia-unione-europea
https://pagellapolitica.it/fact-checking/la-russa-attentato-via-rasella
https://pagellapolitica.it/fact-checking/emissioni-co2-energia-nucleare
https://pagellapolitica.it/fact-checking/case-automobolistiche-auto-elettriche-2035
https://pagellapolitica.it/fact-checking/territori-ucraina-occupati-russia
done_all 1.4 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 1.5
Proof you meet criteria
Please explain any commercial, financial and/or institutional relationship your organization has to the state, politicians or political parties in the country or countries you cover. Also explain funding or support received from foreign as well as local state or political actors over the previous financial year.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago)
Our organization is completely independent and has no relationship with the state, politicians or political parties in Italy as well as in any other country.
We participated/participate in some of the main European projects in the field of disinformation, which are funded by the European Commission of the EU, namely: SOMA (Social Observatory for Disinformation and Social Media Analysis, part of the Horizon 2020 program- ended in 2020), EDMO (European Digital Media Observatory, part of the
Connecting Europe Facility program), IDMO (Italian Digital Media Observatory), EFCSN (European Fact-checking Standards Network), Spotted (School policies to detect and tackle fake news, ended in 2022), Fakespotting, GenZ and Greentaste. Pagella Politica’s involvement in these projects is explicitly mentioned here https://pagellapolitica.it/progetti , including a statement that Pagella Politica’s involvement in these projects has no impact on its editorial independence.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The statement provided is consistent with the information published at https://pagellapolitica.it/progetti and no evidence of undeclared relationships, funding or support has been found.
done_all 1.5 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 1.6
Proof you meet criteria
If you confirmed the organization receives funding from local or foreign state or political sources, provide a link to where on your website you set out how you ensure the editorial independence of your work.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago)
At the top of the webpage where we detail Pagella Politica’s participation in projects financed by the European Commission (https://pagellapolitica.it/progetti ), we clearly state that such participation does not impact our editorial independence.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The link provided in the statement is correct and contains the information as described.
done_all 1.6 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Section 2: A commitment to Non-partisanship and Fairness
To be compliant on nonpartisanship and fairness, applicants must meet these five criteria
- 2.1 The applicant fact-checks using the same high standards of evidence and judgement for equivalent claims regardless of who made the claim.
- 2.2 The applicant does not unduly concentrate its fact-checking on any one side, considers the reach and importance of claims it selects to check and publishes a short statement on its website to set out how it selects claims to check.
- 2.3 The applicant discloses in its fact checks relevant interests of the sources it quotes where the reader might reasonably conclude those interests could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided. It also discloses in its fact checks 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.
- 2.4 The applicant is not as an organization affiliated with nor declares or shows support for any party, any politician or political candidate, nor does it advocate for or against any policy positions on any issues save for transparency and accuracy in public debate.
- 2.5 The applicant sets out its policy on non-partisanship for staff on its site. Save for the issues of accuracy and transparency, the applicant’s staff do not get involved in advocacy or publicise their views on policy issues the organization might fact check in such a way as might lead a reasonable member of the public to see the organization’s work as biased.
Criteria 2.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please share links to 10 fact checks published over the past year that you believe demonstrate your non-partisanship.
Please briefly explain how the fact checks selected show that (I) you use the same high standards of evidence for equivalent claims, (II) follow the same essential process for every fact check and (III) let the evidence dictate your conclusions.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
In all our fact-checks we use institutional and, where possible, publicly available sources, so that the operations carried out to perform the analysis are transparent and easily replicable by readers.
The systematic procedure that we follow to perform the fact-checks starts from an analysis of the declaration itself and the parts composing it, a verification of the relevant available official data, and a consequent drawing of conclusions. Our “verdicts” regarding the veracity of the analyzed declarations are based on the objective reality stemming from our verifications.
The ten fact-checks listed in the attached file deal with some of the major political issues in Italy in the past year. In the sample, it is possible to notice how our analyses give positive or negative verdicts to declarations of members of opposing political forces independently of their political affiliations, and only taking into consideration the relationship between their declarations and the facts as verifiable through the official sources.
In the list below we include two examples of fact-checks on a selected number of key leaders of the main Italian political parties: the same person was proven right in one case, and wrong in the other wrong.
The fact that we do not unduly concentrate on one political party in particular can also be seen in the 2022 annual analysis of activities which we published at the end of the year: https://pagellapolitica.it/articoli/fact-checking-2022
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The fact checks listed in the attachment, as well as a sampling of other published fact checks, appear to be balanced and non-partisan, follow a common structure and process, and present conclusions based fairly on the provided evidence.The 2022 analysis of activities ( https://pagellapolitica.it/articoli/fact-checking-2022 ) shows no undue concentration.
done_all 2.1 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 2.2
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to a place on your website where you explain how you select claims to check, explaining how you ensure you do not unduly concentrate your fact-checking on any one side, and how you consider the reach and importance of the claims you select to check.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The link https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto provides information on the methodology used to select and fact-check claims according to a procedure granting impartiality (see the “Come operiamo” section in particular). The link is easily accessible from the homepage: it is displayed as one of the main menu buttons (“Chi siamo” > “Progetto”).
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The selection method is explained clearly at the link provided (https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto) and this information is rather easily accessible from the homepage in a submenu, as described. This information also includes a brief description of how undue concentration is avoided and of how reach and importance are considered.
done_all 2.2 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 2.3
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will assess compliance through a review of the fact checks published over the previous year. No additional information required.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
A significant random sample of fact checks was reviewed and found to be compliant.
done_all 2.3 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 2.4
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will assess compliance through a review of the fact checks published over the previous year. No additional information required.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
A significant random sample of fact checks was reviewed and no declarations of support for any party, politician or political candidate were found; no advocacy for/against policy positions was found.
done_all 2.4 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 2.5
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to a place on your website where you publish a statement setting out your policy on non-partisanship for staff and how it ensures the organization meets this criteria.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
See under following link at the paragrah "Chi siamo": https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The applicant sets out its policy on non-partisanship for staff on its site at the cited link: https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto.
done_all 2.5 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Section 3: A commitment to Standards and Transparency of Sources
To be compliant on sources, applicants must meet these four criteria
- 3.1 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.
- 3.2 The applicant uses the best available primary, not secondary, sources of evidence wherever suitable primary sources are available. Where suitable primary sources are not available, the applicant explains the use of a secondary source.
- 3.3 The applicant checks all key elements of claims against more than one named source of evidence save where the one source is the only source relevant on the topic.
- 3.4 The applicant identifies in its fact checks the relevant interests of the sources it uses where the reader might reasonably conclude those interests could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided.
Criteria 3.1
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
A significant randomised number of sources in articles published over the last 12 months was reviewed and found compliant.
done_all 3.1 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 3.2
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
A significant randomised number of sources in articles published over the last 12 months was reviewed and found to use primary sources wherever available.
done_all 3.2 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 3.3
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
A significant randomised number of sources in articles published over the last 12 months was reviewed; instances of multiple evidence sources were not frequent, but owing to the nature of the fact checks and the sources, this approach is nevertheless compliant.
done_all 3.3 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 3.4
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
A significant randomised number of fact checks published over the last 12 months was reviewed and no instances of potentially influencing sources were found.
done_all 3.4 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Section 4: A commitment to Transparency of Funding & Organization
To be compliant on funding and organization, applicants must meet these five criteria
- 4.1 Applicants that are independent organizations have a page on their website detailing each source of funding accounting for 5% or more of total revenue for its previous financial year. This page also sets out the legal form in which the organization is registered (e.g. as a non-profit, as a company etc).
- 4.2 Applicants that are the fact-checking section or unit of a media house or other parent organization make a statement on ownership.
- 4.3 A statement on the applicant’s website sets out the applicant’s organizational structure and makes clear how and by whom editorial control is exercised.
- 4.4 A page on the applicant’s website details the professional biography of all those who, according to the organizational structure and play a significant part in its editorial output.
- 4.5 The applicant provides easy means on its website and/or via social media for users to communicate with the editorial team.
Criteria 4.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please confirm whether you are an ‘independent organization’
or ‘the fact-checking section or unit of a media house or other parent organization’ and share proof of this organizational status.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Pagella Politica is an independent organization.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
This is correct.
done_all 4.1 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 4.2
Proof you meet criteria
If your organization is an “independent organization”, please share a link to the page on your website where you detail your funding and indicate the legal form in which the organization is registered (e.g. as a non-profit, as a company etc).
If your organization is “the fact-checking section or unit of a media house or other parent organization”, please share a link to the statement on your website about your ownership.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Our website explains the financial start-up of the project and the identity of its founders https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto :
Paragraph: “Come ci finanziamo?”
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The link provided offers the required information.
done_all 4.2 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 4.3
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to where on your website you set out your organizational structure, making clear how and by whom editorial control is exercised.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Information about our organizational and editorial structure can be found here https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto and here https://pagellapolitica.it/redazione
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The links provided offer the required information.
done_all 4.3 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 4.4
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to where on your website you set out the professional biographies of those who play a significant part in your organization’s editorial output.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The link provided offers the required information.
done_all 4.4 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 4.5
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to where on your website you encourage users to communicate with your editorial team.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
This link https://pagellapolitica.it/contattaci provides users the possibility to contact our editorial team through a webform. Below the webform we state: “Se vuoi avere maggiori informazioni su Pagella Politica, inviarci una dichiarazione da verificare o semplicemente esprimere un commento sul sito ed il nostro lavoro, contattaci compilando il formulario sopra, ti risponderemo il prima possibile. Puoi scrivere alla redazione a questo indirizzo: contatti@pagellapolitica.it” [If you wish to know more about Pagella Politica, send a declaration to be checked by our team, or simply express a comment on our website and work, contact us via email, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.]. The link is easily accessible, as it is displayed on the homepage as one of the buttons of the main menu.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The link provided offers the required information and is easy to find. As a minor note, the contact form ("formulario") mentioned in Pagella Politica's information for this criterion no longer exists. The editors can be reached by email.
done_all 4.5 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Section 5: A commitment to Standards and Transparency of Methodology
To be compliant on methodology, applicants must meet these six criteria
- 5.1 The applicant publishes on its website a statement about the methodology it uses to select, research, write and publish its fact checks.
- 5.2 The applicant 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.
- 5.3 The applicant sets out in its fact checks relevant evidence that appears to support the claim as well as relevant evidence that appears to undermine it.
- 5.4 The applicant in its fact checks assesses the merits of the evidence found using the same high standards applied to evidence on equivalent claims, regardless of who made the claim.
- 5.5 The applicant seeks where possible to contact those who made the claim to seek supporting evidence, noting that (I) this is often not possible with online claims, (II) if the person who makes the claim fails to reply in a timely way this should not impede the fact check, (III) if a speaker adds caveats to the claim, the fact-checker should be free to continue with checking the original claim, (IV) fact-checkers may not wish to contact the person who made the claim for safety or other legitimate reasons.
- 5.6 The applicant encourages users to send in claims to check, while making it clear what readers can legitimately expect will be fact-checked and what isn’t fact-checkable.
Criteria 5.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please provide a link to the statement on your website that explains the methodology you use to select, research, write and publish your fact checks.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The link https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto provides general information on the methodology used (see the “Come operiamo” section in particular). The link is easily accessible from the homepage: it is displayed as one of the main menu buttons (“Chi siamo” > “Progetto”). Further details on methodology are provided in the individual fact-checks.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The description provided is correct and the link provides methodology information.
done_all 5.1 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 5.2
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Reach and importance criteria are explained here https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto (in the "Come operiamo?" section). The individual fact-checks provide details on the reasons for choosing a claim to check (usually the reason is that the claim touched a socially prominent topic and was made in newspapers, radio programmes, TV programmes or online media with high viewership/readership).
done_all 5.2 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 5.3
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
A significant sample of fact checks published over the last 12 months was reviewed and evidence was found to be provided in each instance, both in support of a claim and against it.
done_all 5.3 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 5.4
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
A significant sample of fact checks published over the last 12 months was examined and merit assessment of the evidence was found to be independent of who made the claim and based on high standards.
done_all 5.4 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 5.5
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
A significant sample of recent fact checks was examined and no instances of attempts to contact those who made the claim was observed; however, no need for such contact was found, and in some instances the claimants were probably aware that the signatory had fact-checked their claim but saw no reason to reply or object.
done_all 5.5 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 5.6
Proof you meet criteria
Please describe how you encourage users to send in claims to check, while making it clear what readers can legitimately expect will be fact-checked and what isn’t fact-checkable. Include links where appropriate. If you do not allow this, explain why.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
This link https://pagellapolitica.it/contattaci provides users the possibility to contact our editorial team through a webform. Below the webform we state: “Se vuoi avere maggiori informazioni su Pagella Politica, inviarci una dichiarazione da verificare o semplicemente esprimere un commento sul sito ed il nostro lavoro, contattaci compilando il formulario sopra, ti risponderemo il prima possibile. Puoi scrivere alla redazione a questo indirizzo: contatti@pagellapolitica.it” [If you wish to know more about Pagella Politica, send a declaration to be checked by our team, or simply express a comment on our website and work, contact us via email, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.]. The link is easily accessible, as it is displayed on the homepage as one of the buttons of the main menu.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The link is correct, but it does not lead to a contact webform: it provides instructions on how to contact the applicant by e-mail. A clear explanation of which claims are fact-checkable is provided at https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto ("Scegliamo esclusivamente le dichiarazioni che si basano su fatti o numeri verificabili."). Further details are provided on the contact page at https://pagellapolitica.it/contattaci ("Attenzione! Non tutte le dichiarazioni possono essere verificate. Non si possono verificare le opinioni, le previsioni per il futuro, le affermazioni troppo generiche o vaghe.")
done_all 5.6 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Section 6: A commitment to an Open & Honest Corrections Policy
To be compliant on corrections policy, applicants must meet these five criteria
- 6.1 The applicant has a corrections or complaints policy that is easily visible and accessible on the organization’s website or frequently referenced in broadcasts.
- 6.2 The policy sets out clear definitions of what it does and does not cover, how major mistakes, especially those requiring revised conclusions of a fact check, are handled, and the fact that some complaints may justify no response. This policy is adhered to scrupulously.
- 6.3 Where credible evidence is provided that the applicant has made a mistake worthy of correction, the applicant makes a correction openly and transparently, seeking as far as possible to ensure that users of the original see the correction and the corrected version.
- 6.4 The applicant, if an existing signatory, should either on its corrections/complaints page or on the page where it declares itself an IFCN signatory inform users that if they believe the signatory is violating the IFCN Code, they may inform the IFCN, with a link to the IFCN site.
- 6.5 If the applicant is the fact-checking unit of a media company, it is a requirement of signatory status that the parent media company has and adheres to an open and honest corrections policy.
Criteria 6.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please provide a link to where you publish on your website your corrections or complaints policy. If you are primarily a broadcaster, please provide evidence you frequently reference your corrections policy in broadcasts.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Link to correction policy Pagella Politica: https://pagellapolitica.it/correzioni-rettifiche-aggiornamenti
At the same link, below the correction policy, we list all of the corrections that have been made to published articles. In 2022 we had 2 such corrections.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
I checked their site and they now have a direct link to the corrections policy and to the corrections themselves on each fact-check page.
done_all 6.1 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 6.2
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the corrections policy to verify it meets critera. No additional information needed.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The policy clearly defines its coverage and error management criteria, and a review of the corrections indicates that the policy is adhered to scrupulously.
done_all 6.2 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 6.3
Proof you meet criteria
Please provide a short statement about how the policy was adhered to over the previous year (or six months if this is the first application) including evidence of two examples of the responses provided by the applicant to a correction request over the previous year. Where no correction request has been made in the previous year, you must state this in your application, which will be publicly available in the assessment if your application is successful.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
On our website there is a page where we collect all of the corrections we make to our published analyses. Two examples from the year 2022 are:
On Berlusconi's G7 Record (December 27, 2022) – In an earlier version of the fact-check https://pagellapolitica.it/fact-checking/berlusconi-g7-g8-g20 we confused US President George H. W. Bush with his son George W. Bush.
On the number of journalists' questions Meloni answers (November 30, 2022) – We have added to the article https://pagellapolitica.it/articoli/meloni-risposte-giornalisti some clarifications from La Stampa journalist Ilario Lombardo, present at Giorgia Meloni's press conference for the presentation of the budget bill.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Corrections are prominently pointed out and are presented transparently.
done_all 6.3 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 6.4
Proof you meet criteria
If you are an existing signatory, please provide a link to show where on your site you inform users that if they believe you are violating the IFCN Code, they may inform the IFCN of this, with a link to the complaints page on the IFCN site.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
At the top of this webpage https://pagellapolitica.it/progetto , under the first section called “Progetto”, we write: “Dal 2017 siamo membri attivi dell’International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), la principale rete internazionale dei progetti di fact-checking, e firmatari del suo Codice dei Princìpi, una serie di impegni che riassumono le buone pratiche nella verifica delle informazioni. Il loro rispetto, condizione necessaria per diventare firmatari, è verificato periodicamente da esperti indipendenti. Gli utenti possono riportare una presunta violazione del Codice direttamente all’IFCN attraverso questo formulario→link.”
[Since 2017 Pagella Politica is an active member of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), and signatory of the related Code of Principles [link to the Code’s webpage]. Any user can report an alleged violation of the Code directly to IFCN through this questionnaire [link to IFCN’s complaints page—>link].
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The link provided is valid and adequately accessible.
done_all 6.4 marked as Compliant by Paolo Attivissimo.
Criteria 6.5
Proof you meet criteria
If you are the fact-checking unit of a media company, please provide a link to the parent media company’s honest and open corrections policy and provide evidence that it adheres to this.
Pagella Politica
24-May-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Pagella Politica is one of the two projects of the parent company The Fact-Checking Factory Srl - TFCF Srl (previously Pagella Politica Srls), the other one being Facta: financial and administrative structure of the two fact-checking projects are the same.
Paolo Attivissimo Assessor
29-Jul-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The information provided is correct.