The Stage Media (TSM) is Liberia's first fact-checking media institution with the overarching vision of mitigating misinformation and disinformation.

Since its establishment in 2020, the Stage Media – Liberia has collaborated and nurtured partnerships that espoused the values of tackling misinformation and disinformation while bringing to light untold stories of survivors of (abuse or civil war) and ensuring that the powerful and elites are held accountable.

(Having its head office in Monrovia, 9th Street Sinkor- Coleman Avenue) Registered with the Business Registration number 05626242 and tax Identification number 501215810

TSM is also involved in investigative and human-interest stories with a specific focus on anti-corruption in the security and justice sector and documenting existing practices and norms that seek to obscure accountability for the powerful.

TSM is mainly made up of young, mostly independent journalists scattered across several cities in Monrovia. Here is the link

As obtained on its website, The Stage Media (TSM) is a media institution in Liberia set up solely for the purposes of fact-checking. Established in 2020 with registration number - 05626242, the institution verifies political statements, economic and business news as well as viral social media posts in order to hold the powerful (and the public) accountable.

In 2020, during the height of Covid-19, after pieces of training with  Africa Check and Global Investigative Journalism Network, we decided to start fact-checking in Liberia as the country's first fact-checking outlet to help tackle misinformation and disinformation in Liberia. We check the statements of politicians, economists, businessmen, public figures, the media, and viral content on social networks and classify them from “true” to “false” according to their consistency with the facts and data to which they refer.

We also produce explanations to put in context and provide data on various issues on the public agenda and we carry out journalistic investigations on key and little-discussed issues.

TSM is also involved in investigative and human-interest stories with a specific focus on anti-corruption in the security and justice sector and documenting existing practices and norms that seek to obscure accountability for the powerful.  There are 10 people, four are volunteers. 

Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo-Co-founder

Hannah Geterminah- Co-Founder

Mark N. Mengonfia - Desk Editor

R. Joyclyn Wea- Copy Editor

Anthony Phillips- Fact-Checker

Maima M. Wright- Fact-Checker

Melvin Jackson- Reporter

Richard G. Nyonplue Jr.-Graphic Designer

Varney S. Perry- Video Editor

Sayor Wahtorson- Translator, Pidgin Editor

Excluding Standard English fact-checks, The Stage Media pidgin is provided in two forms: spoken and written in Koloqua. Bringing fact-checking stories to everyone. It seeks to add a flavor to Fact-checking in Liberia, It is entitled – You gay a teh-eye—(You give it third Eye) the pidgin form of Fact-Checking information before sharing. Koloqua is widely spoken and understood by Liberians across 15 counties. Additionally, the pidgin program focus on Entertainment, health, politics, entrepreneurship, etc. We also investigate and produce documentaries in the public interest.

The Stage Media is the first institution in Liberia devoted solely to fact-checking. The institution was borne out of a need to tackle pandemic-induced mis- and disinformation at the height of the 2020 Covid-19 crisis. 

Its team consists of fact-checkers, editors, a reporter and a designer; some of whom are volunteers.

The scope of its work includes:

1) Verification of political, economic, business and viral statements through factchecks

2) Publication of explanations to provide data and context to key societal issues

3) Journalistic investigations on underreported issues

4) Publication of human-interest stories with a specific focus on anti-corruption in the security and justice sector

Publications are written in Standard English and Koloqua.

Yes we have, please read here 

Between May and June 2022, The Stage Liberia published a total of 21 fact-checks. In some weeks, more than 1 fact-check was published and in other weeks, no fact-check was published. Nevertheless, an acceptable balance was obtained. Also, even though the total fact-checks published during this period is a little below the average, it is my understanding that the nature of the political and economic landscape in certain countries does not allow for overly frequent fact-checking.

Within two years of operations, TSM-Liberia's novel approaches to fact-checking have earned us partnerships with reputable international media institutions such as Dataphyte, and the Centre for Journalism Innovation & Development [CJID] Premium Times Center f for investigative Journalism (PCTIJ), which supported us with US$10.000. As a result of this partnership, TSM – Liberia has successfully improved its Fact-checking skills, Investigative, human interest, and data stories since our inception in 2020.

The Stage Media-Liberia received non-financial support from JamLab Africa to participate in a six-month hothouse accelerator initiative for journalism and media innovators to provide teams with the necessary tools, contacts, and support to help us realize our ideas and ambitions.

Though we are open about our funding support, it is fair to say that none of our funders have a decisive influence on our judgments and editorial decisions.

To ensure our content's independence, TSM provides that no member of the team, including the members of our advisory board, is not involved in political activities or that none of us has any ties with a political group or any civic movement.

These include a commitment to nonpartisanship and fairness, transparency of sources, transparency of funding and organization, transparency of methodology, and an open and honest corrections policy.

TSM also follow the publications of each of our employees online to ensure that they have not taken a position or engaged in a political struggle. This is to provide the independence of our project vis-à-vis political organizations. We are an independent team, and TSM has no political link.

There does not seem to be any political funding support from local state or political actors since inception.

Funding

While this is not applicable, The Stage Media does state that its funders do not exercise editorial control over its publications.

"Though we are open about our funding support, it is fair to say that none of our funders have an absolute influence on our judgments and editorial decisions."

We pick these links to show that we have followed the steps in verifying information. some ways we used xre:

– We list the potential reliable sources to confront with the data of the information that we verify

– We contact sources deemed reliable according to the field in which we locate the information.

– We publish the findings in the fact-check. In it,  we publish the rating.

https://tsmliberia.com/3248-2/

https://tsmliberia.com/fact-check-nathaniel-mcgill-does-not-have-account-with-uba-ghana/

https://tsmliberia.com/no-evidence-that-foreign-ministers-wife-is-declared-persona-non-grata/

https://tsmliberia.com/false-this-acrobat-is-not-liberian/

https://tsmliberia.com/the-picture-of-rihanna-holding-a-baby-is-old-and-not-her-baby/

https://tsmliberia.com/fact-check-does-president-weah-have-a-farm-in-sinoe-and-nimba/

https://tsmliberia.com/explainer-how-bishop-johnson-kneeled/

https://tsmliberia.com/explainer-the-university-of-liberia-policy-that-grants-koijee-honor/

https://tsmliberia.com/fact-check-did-the-liberian-govt-urge-its-students-in-ukraine-to-hide-in-the-bush/

https://tsmliberia.com/fact-check-yes-2022-is-liberias-largest-budget/

The Stage Media does not seem partisan. The same process of fact-checking seems to be followed and the conclusion is based on provided evidence.

In its methodology page, The Stage Media states that "expressions of opinion in our fact-checks is not accepted, we entirely limit ourselves to the facts for transparency, we explain in our texts to show how the verification was done." It is also stated that claims are obtained "from journalists and public figures, the media, politicians, economists, businessmen, trade unionists, or other opinion-forming institutions, among others, without discriminating against partisan or ideological orientation."

The Stage Media does not seem to be affiliated with any party, politician or political candidate. Because its fact-checks are devoid of opinion, there is also no declaration of support for any policy position. The following statements on its website show its commitment to non-partisanship and fairness.

"We select selects statements from journalists and public figures, the media, politicians, economists, businessmen, trade unionists, or other opinion-forming institutions, among others, without discriminating against partisan or ideological orientation."

"TSM does not check private nature, content that harms the physical integrity of people, espionage, and sabotage."

"In our ground rules, expression of opinions in our fact-check is not accepted, we entirely limit ourselves to the facts for transparency, we explain in our texts to show how the verification was done."

"To ensure the independence of our content, TSM makes sure that no member of the team including the members of our advisory board is not involved in political activities or that none of us has any ties with a political group or any civic movement."

"TSM also follow the publications of each of our employees online to ensure that they have not taken a position or engaged in a political struggle. This is in order to ensure the independence of our project vis-à-vis political organizations. We are an independent team and TSM has no political link."

https://tsmliberia.com/about-us/

"To ensure the independence of our content, TSM makes sure that no member of the team including the members of our advisory board is not involved in political activities or that none of us has any ties with a political group or any civic movement.

"TSM also follow the publications of each of our employees online to ensure that they have not taken a position or engaged in a political struggle. This is in order to ensure the independence of our project vis-à-vis political organizations. We are an independent team and TSM has no political link."

The Stage Media 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. There does not seem to be any fact-check with an undisclosed source.

The Stage Media uses primary sources of evidence wherever suitable primary sources are available. In some cases, secondary sources of information are used to supplement the information but not in most cases. 

The Stage Media 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.

The Stage Media 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.

We are an independent organization with a fact-checking unit of the media house. https://tsmliberia.com/about-us/ 

On its website, The Stage Media states that it is an independent institution set up for the purpose of holding the powerful accountable. In this application, the organization provides evidence of its legal status which can be verified in public records. 

https://tsmliberia.com/about-us/

https://tsmliberia.com/about-us/funding/

On its About Us page, The Stage Media states - "...(TSM) is Liberia’s first fact-checking media institution with the overarching vision of mitigating misinformation and disinformation...Our office is in Monrovia, 9th Street Sinkor- Coleman Avenue) Registered with the Business Registration number 05626242 and tax Identification number 501215810."

On its Funding page,  details of the total funding support received till date can be easily found.

https://tsmliberia.com/meet-our-team/

It is clear from its website that "The Stage Media team is mainly made up of young, mostly independent journalists from across cities in Liberia."

The team is made up of 10 people, four of which are volunteers. The roles are listed below-

1) Co-Founders

2) Desk Editor

3) Video Editor

4) Graphic Designer

5) Factcheckers/Reporters

The stage Media also constituted a governance board with by-laws to govern decision-making. The Board provides leadership to the institution in delivering its mandate by communicating the vision and mission, ensuring that programs are aligned and consistent with its strategic direction, and assisting the management in fundraising. The Board is supported by the editorial team.

https://tsmliberia.com/about-us/governance/

On its governance and team pages, The Stage Media sets out the professional biographies of those who play a significant part in your organization’s editorial output.

https://tsmliberia.com/get-involved/submit-a-claim-to-verify/

The Stage Media provides a submission form on its website for users to "get involved", that is, submit claims to be verified. 

https://tsmliberia.com/fact-checking-method/

The second step details the research of fact-checks - contacting the author of the claim, and contacting "reliable" sources.

The last step combines the writing and publishing of fact-checks - "We publish the findings in the fact check. In it, we affirm whether the information is true or false" using a prescribed rating scale.

Based on an assessment of fact-checks on The Stage Media's website, it is evident that most claims are selected for their reach and importance, e.g. this claim that centers on a notable political event. For viral posts on social media, the number of likes and shares are written in the fact-check in order to convince readers as to why the claims were selected. Nevertheless, it seems that not all fact-checks can be considered high importance.

Upon a review of select fact-checks on the website of The Stage media, there seems to be no bias in the selection, research, and writing of fact-checks. The same standards are applied to individual and collective claims regardless of the author of the claim. While there are varying degrees of detail in each factcheck, it seems to be a factor of the nature of the claim and available evidence as opposed to the person who made the claim.

In some fact-checks, the author of the claim is contacted where possible such as in this case. Where impractical, the fact-check is still published with enough evidence to (dis)prove claims.

On our website, we have a table that encourages readers to send claims also, on our social media pages we have a website that also tells people to send claims and after verification we can communicate with them, if the claim is fact-checkable, if not, we also communicate with them, informing that the claim is not fact-checkable.

We can not listen to all media stations or read newspapers so it is our hope that we begin listening clubs that will help us track misleading content for verification.

On our website, we have a table that encourages readers to send claims also, on our social media pages we have a website that also tells people to send claims and after verification we can communicate with them, if the claim is fact-checkable, if not, we also communicate with them, informing that the claim is not fact-checkable.

We can not listen to all media stations or read newspapers so it is our hope that we begin listening clubs that will help us track misleading content for verification.

We have updated the site (https://tsmliberia.com/get-involved/submit-a-claim-to-verify/) by including a statement to enable users to know what is fact-checkable and what isn't.

On this page, The Stage Media provides an intake form for users to submit claims to be fact-checked. While this page exists, best practice would be to include a statement(s) on the page to tell readers what they can legitimately expect to be fact-checked and what isn’t fact-checkable. This helps to set expectations.

On this page, The Stage Media provides an intake form for users to submit claims to be fact-checked. The page highlights the questions users should ask themselves before submitting claims to be fact-checked, thereby setting expectations on what can reasonably be fact-checked or not.

https://tsmliberia.com/fact-check/correction-protocol/

On The Stage Media's website, there is a corrections policy that is visible and accessible to readers

We have made the changes to the website as requested.

The Stage Media provides a corrections policy for its reader on its website. Termed "Corrections Protocol", the policy begins by reiterating its commitment to quality checks before the publication of fact-checks as well as the willingness to make corrections where necessary. The policy also provides clear steps that would be taken in the event of a submission of error by readers or a member of the team. 

Further, the policy states that if "the editorial team realizes that an error has indeed been made in the article", then certain editorial decisions will be made to correct that mistake. By implication, this means that corrections will only be made if a submission of error meets defined criteria which may or may not be subjective. In other words, there is no clear definition of what errors will be handled neither is there a statement to set expectations that some complaints will not justify a response.

The Stage Media provides a corrections policy for its reader on its website. Termed "Corrections Protocol", the policy begins by reiterating its commitment to quality checks before the publication of fact-checks as well as the willingness to make corrections where necessary. The policy also provides clear steps that would be taken in the event of a submission of error by readers or a member of the team. 

Further, the policy states that if "the editorial team realizes that an error has indeed been made in the article", then certain editorial decisions will be made to correct that mistake such as updating the corrected content. This policy page also compliments the Stage Media's "Submit a Claim" page which guides users on the claims submission process

There has been no correction made since TSM was established in our reports. The correction of our articles can start from the observation of a member of our team or the reaction of a reader. It is with this in mind that we have provided on our site, a space through which our readers can send us their reactions if necessary. In the event of an error, our readers can notify us through our email address: tsm@thestagemedia.com or use the tab called “ an article to us” on the Stage Media website. In this tab, we ask our readers to put the name, email address, and subject of the message. If it is a correction or precision to an article, we suggest that you specify the title.

According to The Stage Media, there has been no correction made since its establishment. In the future, corrections will be made following the process detailed in its corrections policy made available on the website.

Not applicable as The Stage Media is a new applicant to the IFCN's Code of Principles

https://tsmliberia.com/fact-check/correction-protocol/

The Stage Media is a fact-checking company with a corrections policy and standard process for implementing corrections.

"In the event of an error, our readers can notify us through our email address: tsm@thestagemedia.com or use the tab called “ an article to us” on the Stage Media website. In this tab, we ask our readers to put the name, email address, and subject of the message. If it is a correction or precision to an article, we suggest that you specify the title.

* Once a reader reports an error in one of our articles, the technical team is responsible for acknowledging receipt of their message

* The technical team in turn shares the message with the editorial team

* The editorial team is responsible for re-reading the article concerned by the observation, considering the observations, and re-contact the author of the message if necessary

* If after verifications, the editorial team realizes that an error has indeed been made in the article, it instructs the technical team to pin the article “in progress” with precision on the content concerned by this correction

* Once the correction is applied, the article is pinned “Updated” with precision on the corrected content."