On March 2, 2014 Kyiv Mohyla Journalism School lecturers, graduates and students along with the KMA Digital Future of Journalism project launched the Stopfake.org fact checking site. Stopfake is a flagship project of the non­governmental organization “Media Reforms Center” located in Ukraine. Journalists, editors, IT specialists, translators, all those who cared about the future of Ukraine during this dangerous time of the annexation of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine joined the project. Initially the goal of the project was to verify and refute disinformation and propaganda about events in Ukraine being circulated in the media. Eventually the project grew into an information hub where we examine and analyze all aspects of Kremlin propaganda. In our website on "About us" menu we explaine who we are in details: https://www.stopfake.org/ru/o-nas/; Also at the bottom of the site you can click to the link to read our detailed 2016-2017 Report.

StopFake is run by Ukrainian NGO "Media Reform Center" (MRC) and fact-checking is major activity of this NGO. Yet the MRC is not noticed in the About us page and on the other pages of the site.

Our Archive and articles are at the bottom of this page:

https://www.stopfake.org/ru/glavnaya-2/

The site has extended archive and there are 3-4 stories per week published.

1. https://www.stopfake.org/ru/fejk-ukrainskij-samolet-sbili-iz-za-iranskih-fizikov-yadershhikov-na-bortu/

2. https://www.stopfake.org/ru/fejk-ssha-ne-predostavila-sputnikovye-snimki-sledstviyu-po-delu-mh17/

3. https://www.stopfake.org/ru/ogoltelaya-propaganda-top-10-samyh-nelepyh-fejkov-telekanala-zvezda/

4. https://www.stopfake.org/ru/fejk-rossiya-vernula-ukraine-voennye-korabli-po-svoej-dobroj-voli/

5. https://www.stopfake.org/ru/fejk-ukraina-otkazalis-ot-minskih-soglashenij-i-gotovit-okkupatsiyu-donbassa/

6. https://www.stopfake.org/ru/fejk-v-ukrainu-vozvrashhaetsya-fashizm/

7. https://www.stopfake.org/ru/fejk-naftogaz-sryvaet-peregovory-s-gazpromom-i-shantazhiruet-rossiyu/

8. https://www.stopfake.org/ru/fejk-parlament-niderlandov-trebuet-priznat-vinu-ukrainy-v-krushenii-mh17/

9. https://www.stopfake.org/ru/fejk-ukraina-prevratit-zemlyu-v-tovar-i-prodast-ee-v-obmen-na-ocherednoj-milliard-ot-mvf/

10. https://www.stopfake.org/ru/manipulyatsiya-v-ukraine-vooruzhayut-babushek-pulemetami-chtoby-zashhititsya-ot-rossii/

The StopFake team was among the first to adapt the already existing fact-checking principles to tackle disinformation and build resilience against disinformation through what we call MAD (monitoring, archiving and debunking). In the last 5 years StopFake has accumulated a wealth of experience, collecting examples of Russian disinformation, mapping the distribution ecosystem of disinformation and its impact on Ukrainian audiences.

 We selected 'fake news' coming from Russian mainstream media as a main focus for our fact-checking activity. 

According to the UNESCO definition, 'news' means' verifiable information in the public interest, and information that does not meet these standards does not deserve the label of news. In this sense then, 'fake news' is an oxymoron which lends itself to undermining the credibility of information that does indeed meet the threshold of verifiability and public interest - i.e. real news.

In order to internationalize our efforts 2016 Stopfake.org joined First Draft as a Core Partner. First Draft is a global network of media organizations that are collaborating to improve the quality of online journalism.

Stopfake checks and verifies the publications of the stories published by Russian or pro-Russian media debunking fakes and revealing the truth.

As a project created by the Mohyla School of Journalism at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy - the leading journalism education institution in Ukraine, we operate as an independent non-partisan project that is not currently affiliated with the Ukrainian government or any other government. Our editorial policy is based on international principles of professional ethics in journalism, including the right to true information. Our intentions are to fight Russian disinformation by debunking it and educating people about real news vs fake news and how to build informational resilience. https://www.stopfake.org/ru/o-nas/

Neither StopFake nor MRC never been involved in political campaign or elections.

In order to identify false or questionable information, our team members conduct regular monitoring of messages from mainly traditional and online media but also occasionally from social networks. Signs of false content: emotional coverage; no hard facts or data used; one-sided coverage, lack of balance of opinions; lack of supportive evidence, no references to real witnesses or credible sources, absence of photo- or video evidence; a questionable outlet(s) that disseminates information; the anonymity or questionable authorship of the story published; signs of digital manipulation of visual content (photos, videos).

Information is verified by: searching for confirmation in open sources; looking for possible witnesses; requesting clarification from officials (where suitable); inquiring experts in highly specialized topics that might be manipulated (medicine, finances, technology, science, etc.); analyzing platforms where material in question is published (sites, accounts on social networks – when created, by whom, who finances it); researching information about author(s) of publication; analyzing photo and video if available.

After all related facts have been verified, opinions from mentioned institutions, officials, external experts and testimonies from witness(s) received, an examination of photo and video content performed, StopFake comes up with a verdict. Depending on results received, StopFake gives two types of verdict – “Fake’ or “Manipulation”. Everyone can find Stopfake methodology on our website: https://www.stopfake.org/ru/o-nas/

StopFake provides detailed explanation about the methodology, tools, techniques and sources used for fact-checking so any read can replicate the process.

Our Donors: https://www.stopfake.org/ru/o-nas/

The list of donors with logos is posted at the site. AT the same time there is no information about the amount of money that Stopfake got from donors during a year. Detailed information about speeding also is not presented on the site.

The suggestion is: publish annual revenue breaking by donors and major spending itemisation. 

"The Stopfake team" and bios you can find on the website "About us" menu: https://www.stopfake.org/ru/o-nas/

All key authors and staff members are listed with their bios and photos.

In "About us" menu you can find our e-mail address for conection. Also under the language icons on the site you can find a form - "Report a fake" - https://www.stopfake.org/en/about-us/. 

Report fake button is located on the front page as well as the contact information is at the About us page.

Here is our methodology:https://www.stopfake.org/ru/o-nas/

Here is an example of fact-checking article: https://www.stopfake.org/ru/fejk-na-donbasse-poyavilis-krovavye-kanadskie-naemniki/ 

The methodology is described on the About us section of the site.

Integrity is important for us. So when we publish an error, we acknowledge it and correct it at the moment, both online and on social media. Readers can email us about possible mistakes at stopfake.corrections@gmail.com. Also readers can write us their comments, claims or suggestions through the form on the website "Report a Fake": https://www.stopfake.org/ru/o-nas/. If our readers spot fake information, they can send it to us for a truth autopsy at fakestopteam@gmail.com (This info is on the column "About us")

There is a button calling for action aaa well as e-mail for complaints.

The position of "Corrections Policy" is absolutely public on the site of Stopfake in direction "About us":

https://www.stopfake.org/ru/o-nas/

Correction policy is clearly explained at he web-site and easy to get by the site users.

Stopfake project has no any experience of correction correspondence

Stopfake works professionally so they didn't get any complaints on the content they had published by now.