Organization: T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
Applicant: Ronny Rojas
Assessor: Dagmar Thiel
Background
T Verifica is the fact-checking platform of Noticias Telemundo Digital, launched in August 2020. It is part of the news division of Telemundo, the NBCUniversal Enterprises' Spanish-language television. Comcast owns it.
T Verifica publishes fact-checks in Spanish. About 50% of the verifications are original content produced by the two-member team of T Verifica. The other verifications are part of a collaborative effort republishing content produced by partners.
According to their website, their mission is to "verify the accuracy and veracity of claims made by politicians, officials, and other relevant figures in the public sphere." They document and debunk false news and rumors that affect the Latino community in the United States. They want to be allies of their audience so they can make informed decisions.
The fact-checks are published on the web and disseminated through a WhatsApp channel specific to T Verifica, through which the user can access information, review the organization's policies, or request verification of facts.
Telemundo occasionally uses T Verifica's fact-checks in its newscasts and invites viewers to report information. This practice is more frequent during election time.
Assessment Conclusion
The assessment determined that T Verifica is non-compliant regarding the periodicity of its publications. The review of the links sent by the applicant and the organization's website shows that T Verifica complies with all the parameters of the Code, except for the periodicity of publication. Although in the last two months before the application and during the election period of 2022, T Verifica was very intensive in fact-checks, there was a different regularity between February 2023 and July of this year.
In addition, the organization refers to its YouTube channel, where it was impossible to identify T Verifica's pieces. There are videos in which T Verifica is mentioned, but they are from six or twelve months old. Therefore, the assessor concluded that the organization does not meet the conditions established by the ICFN.
Upon receiving these results, T Verifica sent a waiver letter to the Board, explaining that the organization has gone through "job cuts, budget constraints, and a reorganization of Telemundo's News Digital team has impacted the budget and workflow".
Moreover, in this same waiver letter, T Verifica announces that they are preparing to step up their fact-checking efforts around the upcoming 2024 presidential election with a weekly fact checking segment on our TV newscast to reach millions of Latinos.
As the assessor, I suggest allowing T Verifica to be a signatory, considering the importance of fact-checking for the Latino Community. However, T Verifica needs to make essential changes and improvements to comply and provide the verification service they have committed to.
In this regard, as part of a large media corporation and sharing the same web space, there is no clear division between T Verifica and Telemundo's everyday news. Hence, an opportunity for improvement for T Verifica is to mark with clearly identifiable signs contents that are false, misleading, or true. So that the audience could easily distinguish them without the need to read the text in depth, this type of differentiation was excellently used when taking T Verifica verifications to the news screen during election time. It should use the same approach on its website and for all the content produced.
T Verificas work is vital to provide answers for a community that is under permanent disinformation attacks. Given the captive audience that Telemundo has as one of the main channels in the Latino community, the role of T Verifica is fundamental. Therefore, it should strengthen its task of demystifying lies and supporting citizens in making informed decisions.
Having a WhatsApp channel dedicated to verification is a good practice, as it allows users to request checks and feeds directly from the targeted community. This channel should also be updated with current and relevant fac checks. As written by Ronny Rojas on his waiver letter, being a signatory will allow T Verifica to maintain the partnership with Meta and keep this channel alive.
Due to the importance of Telemundo for the Latino community, I suggest keeping the organization as a signatory and reviewing compliance in 12 months.
Dagmar Thiel assesses application as Non-compliant
A short summary in native publishing language
La evaluación determinó que T Verifica incumple en cuanto a la periodicidad de sus publicaciones. La revisión de los enlaces enviados por el solicitante y del sitio web de la organización muestra que T Verifica cumple todos los parámetros del Código, excepto la periodicidad de publicación. Aunque en los dos últimos meses antes de la solicitud y durante el periodo electoral de 2022, T Verifica fue muy intensiva en comprobaciones de hechos, hubo una regularidad diferente entre febrero de 2023 y julio de este año.
Además, la organización se refiere a su canal de YouTube, donde fue imposible identificar las piezas de T Verifica. Existen vídeos en los que se menciona a T Verifica, pero son de hace seis o doce meses. Por lo tanto, el evaluador concluyó que la organización no cumple las condiciones establecidas por el IFCN.
Tras recibir estos resultados, T Verifica envió una carta de renuncia a la Junta, explicando que la organización ha pasado por "recortes de plantilla, limitaciones presupuestarias y una reorganización del equipo de Noticias Digitales de Telemundo que ha afectado al presupuesto y al flujo de trabajo".
Por otra parte, en esta misma carta de renuncia, T Verifica anuncia que se están preparando para intensificar sus esfuerzos de verificación de hechos en torno a las próximas elecciones presidenciales de 2024 con un segmento semanal de verificación de hechos en nuestro noticiero de televisión para llegar a millones de latinos.
Como asesor, sugiero que se permita a T Verifica ser signatario, teniendo en cuenta la importancia de la verificación de hechos para la comunidad latina. Sin embargo, T Verifica necesita realizar cambios y mejoras esenciales para cumplir y proporcionar el servicio de verificación al que se han comprometido.
En este sentido, como parte de una gran corporación mediática y compartiendo el mismo espacio web, no existe una división clara entre T Verifica y las noticias diarias de Telemundo. De ahí que una oportunidad de mejora para T Verifica sea marcar con signos claramente identificables los contenidos que son falsos, engañosos o verdaderos. Para que la audiencia pudiera distinguirlos fácilmente sin necesidad de leer el texto en profundidad, este tipo de diferenciación se utilizó de forma excelente a la hora de llevar las verificaciones de T Verifica a la pantalla de noticias en época electoral. Debería utilizar el mismo enfoque en su sitio web y para todo el contenido producido.
El trabajo de T Verifica es vital para dar respuestas a una comunidad sometida a permanentes ataques de desinformación. Dada la audiencia cautiva que tiene Telemundo como uno de los principales canales de la comunidad latina, el papel de T Verifica es fundamental. Por ello, debe reforzar su tarea de desmitificar mentiras y apoyar a los ciudadanos en la toma de decisiones informadas.
Como asesor, sugiero que se permita a T Verifica ser signatario, teniendo en cuenta la importancia de la verificación de hechos para la comunidad latina. Sin embargo, T Verifica necesita realizar cambios y mejoras esenciales para cumplir y proporcionar el servicio de verificación al que se han comprometido.
En este sentido, al formar parte de una gran corporación mediática y compartir el mismo espacio web, no existe una división clara entre T Verifica y las noticias diarias de Telemundo. De ahí que una oportunidad de mejora para T Verifica sea marcar con signos claramente identificables los contenidos que son falsos, engañosos o verdaderos. Para que la audiencia pudiera distinguirlos fácilmente sin necesidad de leer el texto en profundidad, este tipo de diferenciación se utilizó de forma excelente a la hora de llevar las verificaciones de T Verifica a la pantalla de noticias en época electoral. Debería utilizar el mismo enfoque en su sitio web y para todos los contenidos producidos.
El trabajo de T Verifica es vital para dar respuestas a una comunidad sometida a permanentes ataques de desinformación. Dada la audiencia cautiva que tiene Telemundo como uno de los principales canales de la comunidad latina, el papel de T Verifica es fundamental. Por ello, debe reforzar su tarea de desmitificar mentiras y apoyar a los ciudadanos en la toma de decisiones informadas.
Disponer de un canal de WhatsApp dedicado a la verificación es una buena práctica, ya que permite a los usuarios solicitar comprobaciones y fuentes directamente a la comunidad a la que se dirige. Este canal también debería actualizarse con comprobaciones de hechos actuales y relevantes. Como escribió Ronny Rojas en su carta de renuncia, ser firmante permitirá a T Verifica mantener la alianza con Meta y mantener este canal vivo.
Debido a la importancia de Telemundo para la comunidad latina, sugiero mantener a la organización como signataria y revisar el cumplimiento en 12 meses.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago)
We've placed three tabs at the top of our landing webpage (https://www.telemundo.com/noticias/t-verifica) to explain our readers who we are, our work methodology and our corrections and updates policy. In the section Quienes somos (who we are) we provide information about our team and the legal status of the company to which T Verifica belongs.
https://www.telemundo.com/noticias/noticias-telemundo/politica/quienes-somos-tmna3861768
T Verifica is the fact checking platform of Noticias Telemundo Digital, which is part of the news division of Telemundo, a Spanish-language television network part of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is owned by the American American telecommunications conglomerate Comcast.
https://www.telemundo.com/noticias
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Yes , T Verifica is the fact-checking platform of Noticias Telemundo Digital, which is part of the news division of Telemundo, a Spanish-language television network part of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is owned by the American American telecommunications conglomerate Comcast.
done_all 1.1 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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?
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
T Verifica is our fact-checking platform launched in August, 2020 to publish original fact-checks in Spanish. Our team is composed of two people:
Ronny Rojas: (editor and fact-checker) An investigative journalist. He is adjunct professor at CUNY´s Graduate School of Journalism. He was a fellow in the 2019 class of the John S. Knight fellowship at Stanford University. Previously, he worked as Data editor for Univision Noticias, where he founded the first Spanish-language fact-checking platform in the U.S.
Anagilmara Vílchez: (fact-checker) A bilingual journalist more than 10 years in the field. Twice she has been awarded the Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal Award for Journalistic Excellence. Before Telemundo, she worked for the Nicaraguan independent news outlet El Confidencial, as well as Esta Semana and La Prensa newspaper.
T Verifica was created with the sole objective of debunking disinformation circulating online and fact-checking the public discourse of politicians, public officials, organizations or people that are relevant to our audience.
Noticias Telemundo is a leading provider of national news for U.S. Hispanics across all broadcast and digital platforms. We produce award-winning news specials, documentaries and news events such as political debates, town halls and forums.
Over the coming year we plan to step up our fact checking efforts around the upcoming 2024 presidential election with a special focus on disinformation and misinformation circulating among Latino communities in the US. We also plan to create a weekly fact-checking segment on our TV newscast, to reach millions of people that we already have as a recurrent audience.
We have partnered with Meta Journalism project to launch a fact-checking service on WhatsApp to help connect users with trustworthy information. The partnership is an extension of WhatsApp’s previous collaboration with Telemundo and the IFCN on FactChat, a dual-language chatbot that connected WhatsApp users with credible information about the U.S. election.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
TVerifica started in 2020. Telemundo has a staff of two journalists working for T Verifica, whose roles are explained on the organization's website. T Verifica has a verification plan for the 2024 election year.
done_all 1.2 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Since our launch in September 2020, we’ve published close to 300 articles, fact checking hundreds of statements by politicians and other relevant public officials during the presidential campaign, as well as debunking disinformation circulating online around COVID-19 and other pressing issues for our audience. During this period we published original pieces as well as translated content from several US fact checking organizations as part of FactChat, a collaborative project led by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the Poynter Institute. In March 2019, before launching our own fact-checking project, we partnered with Politifact to translate their fact-checks into Spanish for use both online and on TV, a partnership that lasted well over two years and that we are seeking to renew for the coming 2024 presidential elections.
We also frequently publish fact-checks from other organizations such as the Associated Press and Noticias Telemundo's English language sister network NBC News, as well as explainers, news articles tacking disinformation and analysis from the non profit news site The Conversation.
In 2022, Noticias Telemundo and The Poynter Institute’s MediaWise teamed up to develop educational resources to provide tools to Spanish-speaking people in the United States over the age of 50 to be more critical consumers of online content.
The MediaWise en Español program offered media literacy tips and training to empower older Spanish-speaking adults to spot misinformation online, including on the most popular social media platforms. The program featured a microlearning course on WhatsApp and an informational video series on YouTube with internationally-recognized journalists from Noticias Telemundo and MediaWise’s newest ambassadors, José Díaz-Balart and Julio Vaqueiro.
Below find a link to our list of published fact-checks and explainers in the past 3 years:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15Vz8L-58NyOOCBz5V1o8IzZSdgBebJJpxxDukuZ_jf4/edit?usp=sharing
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
1.3. During the evaluation and review of the information provided by the applicant, the evaluator found it challenging to distinguish what was news and what was verification on Telemundo's website.
According to the list of evidence provided with the application, T Verifica published one verification per week in the month prior to the evaluation. However, between February and July, only one verification was registered per month.
The applicant's statement refers to their YouTube channel, where it was impossible to identify T Verifica pieces produced recently. Some videos mention T Verifica. However, they are six or twelve months old.
After informing T Verifica of its non-compliance, the organization sent a waiver explaining the reasons. It also asked to remain a Code of Principles signatory. The organization committed to comply with all the principles, as it had done the month before the application, and to significantly increase its activity in the following election process.
Therefore, and in consultation with the IFCN Team, the assessor changed the status from non-compliant to compliant.
done_all 1.3 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Yes, the pieces of evidence published in the last three years are related to issues that impact the welfare of the Latino community. Telemundo talks about politics, health, immigration, and other aspects that are of public interest.
done_all 1.4 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises has NO commercial, financial and/or institutional relationships to the state, politicians or political parties, nor have they received funding from foreign or local state or political actors.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprise is an independent organization.
done_all 1.5 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Our organization does not receive funding from any political source.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The presented work shows political independence.
done_all 1.6 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
These fact checks show that we keep an eye on both sides of the political spectrum. We pay equal attention to the statements from the Democratic and Republican sides. For both political parties we used the same rating system and work criteria to determine whether a statement is true, false, misleading or lacks context. For fact checks on both political parties we included links to our sources of information. In many cases, we published fact checks for both candidates in one single article, to ensure that they both had the same reach among our audience and that they received the same attention from our social media team.
In this selection of links we've also included articles fact-checking statements and information on different topics relevant for the speanish speaking community in the US and Latin America.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
There are no evident political biases in T Verifica fact checks.
done_all 2.1 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
T Verifica clearly explains how they select the claims, considering the public interest of the Latino community.
They consider also:
1. Their audience and how the claims could affect them.
2. On what platform has the dis or misinformation spread?
3. If fact-checking in the specific case does not contribute to reaching a higher number of people with the misinformation
4. Is it feasible to make a solid verification?
done_all 2.2 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The assessor found commercial interest disclosures from sources, but not from Telemundo or NBC. There is an opportunity for improvement in the disclosure of the networks' commercial interests, for example, with the pharmaceutical industry in stories about it.
done_all 2.3 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
T Verifica has non-political affiliation.
done_all 2.4 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The non-partisanship policy is clearly visible on T Verifica's site.
done_all 2.5 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
T Verifica provides links and quotes relevant sources of their fact checks.
done_all 3.1 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
T Verifica uses mostly primary sources or refers to other pieces previously published by Telemundo that sustain their verification.
done_all 3.2 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
T Verifica uses several sources in the verification process.
done_all 3.3 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
In most cases, T Verifica discloses the sources' interest.
done_all 3.4 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
T Verifica is the fact checking unit of Noticias Telemundo, a leading provider of national news for U.S. Hispanics across all broadcast and digital platforms.
https://www.telemundo.com/noticias/noticias-telemundo/politica/quienes-somos-tmna3861768
See the content sections on Noticias Telemundo homepage.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The links sent by T Verifica refer to the launch of T Verifica and Telemundo's webpage.
T Verifica is part of NBC Telemundo Enterprise.
done_all 4.1 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The statement reflects that T Verifica is part of Telemundo.
done_all 4.2 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
T Verifica's organizational structure is published on the website.
done_all 4.3 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
T Verifica has a team of two journalists, whose bios and roles are published.
done_all 4.4 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
T Verifica invites its audience to communicate using a WhatsApp channel, one of the most popular platforms among Latinos.
done_all 4.5 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The methodology is clear and visible.
done_all 5.1 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
T Verifica follows the methodology and fact-checks the claims, but there is an essential opportunity for a more visible way of marking the fact checks. In most of the verifications published on the web, the reader must go through the whole text to determine if the claim is false, misleading, or accurate. T Verifica does not systematically mark all its fact-checks on its website. In comparison, the pieces shared when Telemundo broadcasts the verifications are marked and could be emulated by T Verifica on its webpage when processing the claims.
done_all 5.2 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The organization follows the criteria exposed in its methodology to verify the claims.
done_all 5.3 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
T Verifica explains in depth its verifications assessing with similar standards to all its pieces.
done_all 5.4 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The assessor could not see an evident effort to contact the information spreaders. However the sources of the claims are always presented as evidence, and opposed to credible sources that sustain the facts of the verification, following the methodology
done_all 5.5 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
While we encourage our readers to reach out to us via email or WhatsApp to suggest statements to check, we also explain that not all the information we receive can be fact-checked. We don't check personal opinions or ambiguous statements that are not rooted in a fact that is verifiable. We explain to our readers that the information they submit will be evaluated to determine their public interest and whether a verification is feasible.
https://www.telemundo.com/noticias/noticias-telemundo/politica/el-metodo-de-t-verifica-tmna3861323
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The invitation to the audience to send claims to be checked is on T Verifica's webpage, as well as a call on its WhatsApp channel. Also when verifications are presented during Telemundo´s newscast. Among the pieces of evidence presented, there were examples of claims sent by the public, using the videos shared on WhatsApp as a primary source.
done_all 5.6 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The policy is published and accessible to the public.
done_all 6.1 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
Criteria 6.2
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the corrections policy to verify it meets critera. No additional information needed.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The policy meets the IFCN Code of Principles.
done_all 6.2 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Since we launched our fact checking project in September, 2020, no correction request has been received from our readers, our sources or the people subject of our fact-checks.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
T Verifica states that it has not received correction requests since 2020.
done_all 6.3 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
The link to complain before IFCN is provided on the webpage to report violations of the Code.
done_all 6.4 marked as Compliant by Dagmar Thiel.
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.
T Verifica — Noticias Telemundo
03-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
Although our parent company NBCUniversal has a correction policy, it is not public. T Verifica's public correction policy can be found on our landing page.
Dagmar Thiel Assessor
27-Aug-2023 (1 year ago) Updated: 1 year ago
T Verifica has a published correction policy, contrary to NBCUniversal, the media owner, as stated by T Verifica. NBCUniversal and Telemundo, as said by the applicant, have correction policies that are only in-house accessible.