PUBLICO is one of the most important daily newspapers in Portugal. It is possible to compare PUBLICO with The Guardian in the UK or The New York Times in the US. PUBLICO is registered under The Portuguese Regulatory Authority for the Media (ERC) with the number 114410. You may find our own regist in this link among other information outlets in Portugal: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qqJOVwla8ar8brWTdlMErTBGaD-lsDjPzjm1LArT7C0/edit#gid=1227893899

Our editorial statute is available online in this link: https://www.publico.pt/nos/estatuto-editorial. In our web site it is also possible to find the ownership entities of our newspaper. That same information is available in this link: https://www.publico.pt/nos/estrutura-accionista

To sum up, it is possible to find all of these data here: https://www.publico.pt/nos/contactos

The applicant is a verification unit called "Prova dos Factos" and is part of Público, a media organization based in Portugal and legally registered. In addition to the documentation presented in this assessment, the Público website provides readers with information about the company's ownership and legal registration.

The first “Prova dos Factos” was published in May of 2016 and since 2020 it is published more often. Our main goal is to explain to our readers the truth behind some facts presented by key actors in our society, such as politicians, economists or sports agents.

Due to the growing number of people using social media tools to reach news, we also pay attention to disinformation campaigns on those same tools (Facebook, Twitter or Instagram).

All our journalists are used to work for “Prova dos Factos”. From the seniors to the youngest reporters on our team, all of them have already done one article to be published both online and in the print edition of PUBLICO.PT.

We also have a monthly newsletter, where we send some selected articles.

During 2022, we have created different goals. To explain two of them, in the beginning of the year, we will have general elections in Portugal. Taking into account the polarization of the political environment, we will give particular attention to this moment. COVID-19 is here to stay….and it’s a topic used by several disinformation agents. We will also pay extra attention to this topic.

The applicant answered the four questions of this criteria:

1) Prova dos Factos appeared in 2016, and the section started to publish more frequently from 2020.

2) The applicant informed that all journalists in the Publico's newsroom are qualified to publish fact-checks, but there is no information on the website which the section editors are nor their roles.

3) The different formats of publication of the fact-checks made by the applicant are described.

4) The general elections in Portugal and the persistence of misinformation about the covid-19 pandemic are the main focus of attention of Prova dos Factos for this year.

Yes, we have at least one fact check a week over the course of the six months prior to the date of application and at least a fact check a week over the twelve months of publishing track. We start publishing fact-checking texts every week, sometimes more than one, from Novembro 2020, We have started publishing fact-checking texts “Prova dos Factos” in both the print and digital editions.

Here it is possible to find all of our articles.
https://www.publico.pt/prova-dos-factos

The applicant provided a link to a page listing all published fact-checks. On this page, it was possible to confirm the publication of around 50 fact-checking reports in the last six months.

Almost all of the fact-checking reports published in the last three months relate to public interest topics relevant to society, especially politics, public policies, the economy, and the covid-19 pandemic.

As it was mentioned before, PÚBLICO is 100% owned by Sonaecom - SGPS, S.A.., a company listed on the stock exchange and fully transparent to meet the criteria for being in the market.

PÚBLICO has no relationship with any state, politicians or political parties in the countries or in the countries we cover.

As it is mentioned, early this yeas, in The Reuters Institute Digital News Report, by Oxford University, in the Spring of 2020 the Portuguese Government created an emergency financial media support scheme based on compensating for the estimated revenue loss from cancelled corporate advertising. €11.25m was awarded to national media brands and €3.75m to local and regional outlets. PÚBLICO is one of the outlets among these companies.Although this grant was conceived by the Portuguese government it has no strings attached related to the news coverage or the content published in the newspaper.

The report mentioned above is available in this link: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2021

The applicant provided the requested information about the organization's commercial, financial, and/or institutional relationships with the state and with politicians or political parties. It also informed about the emergency financial support that media organizations received from the Portuguese government to cover losses caused by the covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the Estatuto Editorial (Editorial Statute) published on the website is clear regarding the organization's independence. There is no perceived relationship or benefit to political parties or politicians in the fact-checking reports consulted in the assessment as well.

Here it is possible to find our shareholder structure:

https://www.publico.pt/nos/estrutura-accionista. In this link you may find our editorial statue: https://www.publico.pt/nos/estatuto-editorial

The Estatuto Editorial page published on Público's website describes the commitments to independence and the principles that settle the organization's editorial decisions.

https://www.publico.pt/2021/11/12/politica/noticia/salario-minimo-subiu-39-desde-2016-ate-1984740

https://www.publico.pt/2021/10/29/politica/noticia/prova-factos-paulo-rangel-pior-resultado-historia-psd-1982965

https://www.publico.pt/2021/11/15/sociedade/noticia/casos-covid19-europa-1985039

https://www.publico.pt/2021/10/20/sociedade/noticia/nova-lei-nao-proibe-entrada-menores-espectaculos-tauromaquicos-1981888

https://www.publico.pt/2021/10/14/economia/noticia/preco-gasolina-ultimate-chegou-2-euros-litro-beja-1981040

https://www.publico.pt/2021/09/24/politica/noticia/estado-apoiou-madeira-ampliacao-aeroporto-1978688

https://www.publico.pt/2021/09/10/politica/noticia/portugal-ja-crescer-media-europeia-afirma-antonio-costa-1977051

https://www.publico.pt/2021/09/05/sociedade/noticia/formacao-medicos-familia-reino-unido-menos-exigente-noutras-especialidades-1976381

https://www.publico.pt/2021/06/22/sociedade/noticia/raspadinha-representa-taxa-baixa-jogo-patologico-1967375

https://www.publico.pt/2021/05/14/economia/noticia/odemira-exporta-200-milhoes-euros-fileira-frutas-legumes-flores-1962574

As you may see, here you may find several articles from different topics. The selected fact checks are done with the same standards. We choose a quote from a key figure from our society and we try to understand if it is true or deserves an extra investigation.

All the above fact checks are performed with the same criteria no matter the topic or the person. The criteria used to establish a conclusion is common to all the listed articles above.  

The fact-checking reports accessed by this assessment demonstrate applying the same standards in different kinds of checks. Also, the evaluation did not find fact-checks that could suggest any benefit to political parties, politicians, or anyone else.

Here you can find the link with that information: https://www.publico.pt/prova-dos-factos/o-que-e?ref=prova-dos-factos&cx=formulario-contacto

The applicant does fact-checking in a balanced way. No bias was detected in the published checks. On the page where describes how the section works, Prova dos Factos declares that it selects the contents that will be the target of its checks due to the reach of these contents on social networks.

This assessment did not find any conflicts of interest that could put the evidence provided or the conclusions of the fact-check reports under suspicion.

The assessment did not find support or endorsement for politicians, political parties, candidates, or partisan causes. On the contrary, the coverage is balanced and follows well-defined patterns, as is expected from an independent media organization.

As it is well explained in our Editorial Status, PÚBLICO is a daily newspaper with great information, guided by criteria of editorial rigor and creativity, without any ideological, political or economic dependence.

Here you may find some extra information on this topic:

https://www.publico.pt/nos/estatuto-editorial

On the page where it publishes its Editorial Rules, Público emphasizes its commitment to informed, active and intervening public opinion as a fundamental condition for democracy. On the same page, the applicant presents itself as a media company guided by rigor and editorial creativity criteria, without subjection on ideological, political, and economic motivations.

The applicant identified and applied the related links to all relevant sources for fact-checking. It was observed in all fact-checks accessed by this assessment. There were no cases in which there was a need to protect the confidentiality of a source.

The Prova dos Factos fact-checking reports are well structured. The fact-checks have fixed sections. In the section "Os Factos" (the facts), the applicant always uses suitable primary sources that best support the investigation conclusions. In the section "O Contexto" (the context), is prevalent the links to reports already published by Público itself.

The fact-checks accessed randomly by this assessment demonstrate care from the applicant in selecting sources so that different views can be present and critical aspects of the investigation are clarified.

The "O Contexto" (The Context) section, present in all Prova dos Factos fact-checking reports, explains what is at stake and the interests involved in each of the fact-checks. Readers can consider these interests when they are also related to the sources consulted by the investigation.

Prova dos Factos is the fact-checking page of PÚBLICO. As other sections in our newspapers, it is done within the same criteria. It is not an independent site and all the articles are written by journalists of PÚBLICO. The topics to be analysed are discussed during meetings with editors from different sections of the newspaper.

Prova dos Factos is a fact-checking section of the Público newspaper. The organization states that there is no dedicated team, and all journalists can carry that checks out in the newsroom. The selection of topics for checking is made from meetings with editors from different newspaper sections.

Prova dos Factos is the fact-checking section or unit of PÚBLICO. Here you can find the statement about ownership of PÚBLICO: https://www.publico.pt/nos/principais-fluxos-financeiros

https://www.publico.pt/nos/estrutura-accionista

Público provided links to two pages posted on its website. The first one demonstrates the organization's shareholding structure. The second one presents the company's main financial flows, updated until June 2021.

Here you can find the requested information: https://www.publico.pt/nos/ficha-tecnica

All the directors and editors of different sections are listed in that same link.

The "Ficha Técnica" page, whose link was provided by the applicant, shows the members of the editorial team, their positions and the areas to which they are linked. As Prova dos Factos is a section that does not have its own team and, from what the applicant stated, has a horizontal decision process, no name on the page appears related to the fact-checking section.

Here you can find the professional biographies of those who play a significant part in our organization’s editorial output: https://www.publico.pt/autores

The "Autores" (Authors) page lists the names of newsroom professionals. Each name links to an author's page with information such as email, photo, and a bio. This page also lists the reports produced by the author in descending chronological order. Not all randomly consulted authors' pages contain biographical data.

There are several ways for readers to communicate with our editorial team. All our pieces have a comment section where they can give new inputs for our journalists to analyze. Readers can also send a correction suggestion when they see a mistake.

In Prova dos Factos, we also have a WhatsApp number for suggestions and an email. It is visible at the top of our website.

https://www.publico.pt/prova-dos-factos

Attached you can find two examples. 

There are several contact points for readers to contact Prova dos Factos.

There are links for sending suggestions by WhatsApp and email at the top of the home page section.

At the foot of each fact-checking report, there is a button to send correction suggestions. Readers can also email the author or use a comments area.

That information is available here:

https://www.publico.pt/prova-dos-factos/o-que-e

The "O que é a Prova dos Factos?" (What is Prova dos Factos?) page describes how the applicant selects, investigates, and publishes its fact-checks.

In the fact-checking reports randomly accessed by this assessment, there are no references to the reach of the investigated claims. However, as fact-checks mainly deal with statements made by authorities or public figures on topics of general interest, it is possible to assume that there is a correct application of the methodology for choosing the investigated claims.

In the fact-checking reports published by Prova dos Factos and assessed by this assessment, it was possible to observe the use of consistent evidence that supported the conclusions of the checks without any doubts about these conclusions.

Unlike other fact-checking initiatives, Prova dos Factos doesn't have a dedicated team and publishes fact-checking reports written by journalists from different areas of the newsroom. Even so, it is possible to affirm that the standards applied to the evidence are maintained, regardless of who has carried out the investigation or who is the target of it.

The fixed structure of the fact-checking reports - which display, in this order: the object of investigation, the context, the facts, and the summary with the conclusion - probably favor the application of its standards.

In most fact-checking reports conferred, there was no search for the claims authors or comments about unsuccessful contact attempts. The sources consulted brought enough evidence to finish the investigation in these fact-checks.

In Prova dos Factos, we also have a WhatsApp number for suggestions and an email. It is visible at the top of our website. Readers are welcomed to give new inputs when they see something relevant. We use it to answer every single new input and pay attention to all relevant suggestions from users.

https://www.publico.pt/prova-dos-factos

The comment box it is also a way for people to give inputs. Attached you can find a an example of this possibilite.

There are several points on the website where readers are informed of the possibility of suggesting a claim for verification. The "O que é a Prova dos Factos?" page also encourages readers to submit suggestions for the section. It is unclear to readers what will happen to their requests, nor what will indeed not be verified because it does not fall within the scope of verification of Prova dos Factos.

Here you can find the requestes information:
https://static.publico.pt/files/provadosfactos/livro-de-estilo.pdf

We did add a new point where we explain how we deal with any requeste change. Here you may find it in point.

O que acontece em casos de erro da Prova dos Factos?

This is the link: https://www.publico.pt/prova-dos-factos/o-que-e

The applicant provided a link to the Público Stylebook (PDF file). Although there are many references to errors in the document, no description of an error correction policy was found in the 304-page document. The Stylebook refers to a "Público Errou" (Público was wrong) section, but this section is not visible on the website. A search on the website leads to some publications that bring at the end of the text a paragraph with corrections that uses the subheading "Público Errou." But the most recent text found with these characteristics is from 2017.

The lack of a visible and accessible corrections policy causes the applicant to not comply with this criterion.

The applicant discloses its error correction policy on the page where it also describes the methodology of its fact-checking. In this section, Público informs its readers that it maintains the same strategy in Prova dos Factos used in all other areas. All readers can send a correction request by email directly to the authors or the fact-checking section.

The applicant undertakes to analyze the suggestions received and change the text if justified. Accepted the recommendation, Público includes a reference at the end of the text indicating what was changed and when it made the change.

The assessment did not find a description of the Prova dos Factos error correction policy on the Público website.

The error correction policy does not describe what it does or what it does not cover. Still, random access to pages from the fact-checking section and other editorials makes it possible to confirm that the editors care for accuracy. The evaluation found updates made even to make secondary information more accurate.

When it happens, in PÚBLICO we have a model to show it on our website.

At the end of the article, we (in bold and italic) explain the changes performed in the article.

PÚBLICO also has a Provedor do Leitor (ombudsman) who readers can send complaints about any article they have read. It is published one day per week. Provedor do Leitor contacts the journalist responsible for the article and he or she explains how the article was done.

PÚBLICO is the only newspaper in Portugal to have a Provedor do Leitor figure.

Here you may find an example of a "Prova dos Factos" that was changed after a feedback from one of our readers: https://www.publico.pt/2021/11/17/politica/noticia/ps-psd-empatados-sondagens-ate-2019-1985318

Attached is also a print of how we explain that an article was corrected.

The example provided by the applicant of a correction that follows the model described by Público in this application was also the only one found in Prova dos Factos.

Other updates follow this model but in different sections of the website.

We are not an existing signatory

Not applicable.

Here you can find the requested information:
https://www.publico.pt/nos/estatuto-editorial

In the Livro de Estilo, point 88 and point 89, it is clear our corrections policy
You may find it here: https://static.publico.pt/files/provadosfactos/livro-de-estilo.pdf.

There is no reference to the organization's error correction policy on the Estatuto Editorial page, linked to as evidence for this criterion.

The commitment to error correction is explained in Público's Style Book. There are three items (88, 89, and 90) that reference this commitment in the 304-page manual. Item 90 describes how corrections should be taken to online publications. The text aligns with the policy statement added to the page describing the Prova dos Factos methodology.

The evaluation proved the application of the policy in some updates randomly accessed. All the corrections informed the date and time of the update and what content was changed.