Organization: PT. Kompas Cyber Media
Applicant: Deasy Diansari
Assessor: Yenny K
Edits made by the organization after this assessment
IFCN Staff wrote:
After screening the concern from IFCN, please kindly see attached, and visit this link : https://inside.kompas.com/kode-etik-jurnalistik to see the example of the correction that Kompas.com made. I’m sorry for missunderstand about point 6b.
Conclusion and recommendations
Yenny K wrote:
Kompas.com is a member and media partner of the Indonesian media fact-checking collaborative effort, called Cek Fakta: https://cekfakta.com/media. It is also one of the most established and leading news outlets in Indonesia.
However, readers cannot independently or easily find the fact-check section on the Kompas.com website, making it difficult to locate fact-check reports independently. It'd be better for Kompas.com to add a special link on the website for the fact-checking section so readers can easily find the section.
Its fact-check reports can be improved with more consistent steps in fact-checking claims, for example providing links to sources when possible, and giving archived links, in addition to screenshots, of misleading or false posts, so that readers can easily replicate the fact-checks. It should also explain its verification methodology in more details.
I'd suggest to make the corrections policy information more easily accessible, instead of being hidden two or three layers from the home page. The readers can give comments or critiques via Kompas.com's email form and social media accounts. The "Report a Hoax" button is available at the bottom of each fact-check report. However, if readers don't have a fact-check report on hand, or a link to the fact-check front page, they may have difficulties to find it.
The applicant also doesn't give examples of corrections for the fact-check reports in the past year, and it doesn't have a public page listing the corrections it has made.
Yenny K recommended Accept with edits
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.
PT. Kompas Cyber Media
20-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
Kompas.com has been verified factually and administratively by Press Council as Cyber Media. Kindly check and find out us on http://dewanpers.or.id/perusahaan
Yenny K Assessor
15-Jan-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
Kompas.com is a verified member of the Indonesian Press Council (see: https://dewanpers.or.id/data/perusahaanpers), and the fact-checking is part pf this legally registered media outlet.
done_all 1a marked as Fully compliant by Yenny K.
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.
PT. Kompas Cyber Media
20-Dec-2019 (4 years ago)
Yenny K Assessor
15-Jan-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
The applicant, Kompas.com, has published an average of more than one fact-check per week over the past three months.
done_all 1b marked as Fully compliant by Yenny K.
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.
PT. Kompas Cyber Media
20-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
Yenny K Assessor
15-Jan-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
The applicant fact-checks a variety of topics and subjects, from health to politics, including both sides of political divides in Indonesia.
However, the fact-checks don't specify the reach or the potential reach of each claim.
done 2a marked as Partially compliant by Yenny K.
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.
PT. Kompas Cyber Media
20-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
Yenny K Assessor
15-Jan-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
Kompas.com has a clear policy that prohibits its employees from getting involved in political activities, including disseminating political propaganda (see: https://inside.kompas.com/about-us#laranganpolitik). It has also not endorsed any candidate or party.
done_all 2b marked as Fully compliant by Yenny K.
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.
PT. Kompas Cyber Media
20-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
For data, Kompas.com make sure the data produced comes from a credible official source, whether a government agency or an international institution.
Kompas.com is also supported by independent research institute namely LITBANG KOMPAS which for decades tested with objective, valid, and independent data.
Screenshot_1.png (263 KB)
Yenny K Assessor
15-Jan-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
In its fact-check reports, key sources are referenced, but online sources are not always linked.
For example, this fact-check report -- https://www.kompas.com/tren/read/2019/11/12/160000265/hoaks-jokowi-kenakan-kaos-bertuliskan-aica-aibon?page=all#page2 -- found the original photo of the Indonesian president wearing a yellow T-shirt via a Google reverse image search, but it didn't give the link of the original picture. Original online links are not given either in this fact-check about "drugs hidden inside curry meat" -- https://www.kompas.com/tren/read/2019/09/21/151059065/klarifikasi-video-rendang-yang-diduga-berisi-narkoba?page=all#page2.
Therefore, it will not be easy for readers to replicate the fact check.
The false or misleading posts are either shown with a screenshot or online links (but not archived, which is risky because once the original post is deleted, it disappears from the fact-check report). It is suggested that the applicant would make a consistent fact-check, by using a screenshot and also an archived link to show the false or misleading social media posts if possible, particularly if it's from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Facebook. (It won't be possible for WhatsApp.)
done 3a marked as Partially compliant by Yenny K.
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.
PT. Kompas Cyber Media
20-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
https://inside.kompas.com/about-us#pendanaan provides general statement of Kompas.com funding from online advertising, event production and content marketing as financial sources which are used to cover costs of editorial employment, providing technical facilities & its maintenance and to support the IT innovation. However, there is no detail report of its money income available for public. In addition, the link: http://www.meetkcm.com (mother of Kompas.com) does not allow reader to directly access a full report of Kompas.com funding.
Yenny K Assessor
15-Jan-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
The applicant is part of Kompas.com, which in turn is a subsidiary of PT Kompas Cyber Media, a big media conglomerate in Indonesia (see: https://inside.kompas.com/about-us#pendanaan).
It also provides a link to the budget (https://asset.kompas.com/data/2018/Anggaran%20Fact%20Check%20KOMPAScom.pdf?v=2&_ga=2.181817191.1360329789.1579487268-1392751978.1576483866), stating the expenditures, but it does not provide the source of income or funding.
done 4a marked as Partially compliant by Yenny K.
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.
PT. Kompas Cyber Media
20-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
Screenshot_20191223-... (393 KB)
Yenny K Assessor
15-Jan-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
The names of Kompas.com's fact-checking editorial team can be seen in the bottom of the Journalistic Ethics Code page (https://inside.kompas.com/kode-etik-jurnalistik), along with links to their personal biographies. The fact-checking team consists of the team's chairman, Wisnu Nugroho, and four team members. The applicant also provides a screenshot of the relevant information.
done_all 4b marked as Fully compliant by Yenny K.
Criterion 4c
Contact
Evidence required: Please link to the section where readers can get in touch with the organization.
PT. Kompas Cyber Media
20-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
20191223_101759.jpg (261 KB)
Yenny K Assessor
15-Jan-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
There is a link for Contact Us page in the homepage, which leads to an email form here: https://inside.kompas.com/about-us#meet
It encourages readers to send questions, suggestions and critiques through the form.
The Contact Us page is also on the same page as the About Us page, and lists the address, phone numbers and social media accounts of Kompas.com (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Line), but no email addresses are provided.
done_all 4c marked as Fully compliant by Yenny K.
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.
PT. Kompas Cyber Media
20-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
Yenny K Assessor
15-Jan-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
The applicant's verification methodology is accessible here: http://inside.kompas.com/about-us#metodologi – it gives the general verification methodology for both its news and fact-checking department, which includes finding and contacting reliable and credible sources. However, the methodology is not explained in great detail.
done 5a marked as Partially compliant by Yenny K.
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.
PT. Kompas Cyber Media
20-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
Screenshot_20191223-... (440 KB)
Yenny K Assessor
15-Jan-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
The applicant gave a link to the front page of the fact-check section, which includes a "Report a Hoax" button: https://indeks.kompas.com/topik-pilihan/list/4390/berita.viral.hoaks.atau.fakta
The "Report a Hoax" button and link is also provided at the bottom of each fact-check report.
done 5b marked as Partially compliant by Yenny K.
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.
PT. Kompas Cyber Media
20-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
Yenny K Assessor
15-Jan-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
For its general corrections policy, Kompas.com follows the Cyber Media Guide from the Indonesian Press Council, which is posted here: https://inside.kompas.com/pedoman
Kompas.com's more detailed corrections policy is listed here, in the Journalistic Code of Ethics page, –https://inside.kompas.com/kode-etik-jurnalistik – which listed the email addresses that readers can be used to contact the editorial team. The fact-checking team doesn't have a separate corrections policy but follows the media company's.
The link for the Journalistic Code of Ethics page is not easily found – it is in the About Us page, and can be easily missed.
I'd suggest to make the corrections policy information more easily accessible, instead of being hidden two or three layers from the home page.
done 6a marked as Partially compliant by Yenny K.
Criterion 6b
Examples of corrections
Evidence required: Please provide two examples of a correction made, or correction requests handled, in the past year.
PT. Kompas Cyber Media
20-Dec-2019 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
Yenny K Assessor
15-Jan-2020 (4 years ago) Updated: 4 years ago
The applicant does not have a public page listing all corrections made. It provides two examples of a correction but none are corrections for the fact-check reports.