What you should know before applying
The International Fact-Checking Network has tried to make the application process as transparent as possible. Therefore, the criteria on which external assessors base their recommendations to accept or reject an organization are public.
We strongly recommend reading these guidelines carefully, however, this is a summary of what you should take into account before start filling your application out:
Application process
Have you answered yes to all those questions? You are ready to apply. This infographic explains the process each application follows.
What if my newsroom has a fact-checking department that reviews our reporting before publication?
In early 2018, an applicant without a distinct fact-checking operation applied to the code of principles. Instead, the submitted information related to the organization’s ex-ante editorial fact-checking policy. As such, the applicant was rejected because it was ineligible. The IFCN will not process similar applications and refund the fee. The IFCN will not reimburse applications of other organizations that do consider themselves as having a distinct fact-checking operation but do not meet the other criteria and therefore get rejected at the end of the process.