5/27/22, 7:10 PM Faster facts: The rapid expansion of fact-checking – News in Asia New regional initiatives New initiatives in fact-checking have proliferated across the region in recent years. Before months of civil unrest began in June 2019 in Hong Kong, there was only one local effort checking social media content in Chinese, Kauyim Media. By the end of 2019, there were four other initiatives in Hong Kong: Chinese-language FactWire, Factcheck Lab and the two university projects with Hong Kong Baptist University and Hong Kong University. In Japan, the national daily Mainichi has created a 25-person fact-checking team, and certain national issues have seen all major dailies publish fact-checking stories, including the nation’s largest newspaper, Yomiuri, for the first time. 32 In addition to the March 2020 launch of MyCheck in Malaysia, a new independent fact-checking website called Faqcheck Lab began posting stories in January 2021 in English and Malay. The popular news portal Free Malaysia Today also has a dedicated page called ‘Fake or Not’ that aggregates and checks various claims circulating among the public. Other new initiatives in the region include Blackdot Research in Singapore, Fact Check Mongolia and Thailand’s Cofact. While new initiatives are flourishing in many countries, prominent fact-checking organisations are also expanding. AFP, for example, has been steadily growing its capacity in Asia by opening new offices in different countries and in more languages, hiring new staff along the way. India’s Boom and Fact Crescendo also operate in multiple countries and languages. In South Korea, almost all major newspapers and broadcasters have fact-checking projects. 33 Seoul National University’s SNU FactCheck Center offers a platform through which 30 media outlets can cross-check disputed claims and the audience can compare factchecking stories. Ongoing challenges forregional fact-checking efforts Even in authoritarian countries with limited press freedom such as China and Vietnam, fact-checking is recognised as a helpful tool in countering false claims, especially in relation to public health. Despite this, rising government involvement in fact-checking needs to be carefully monitored. The Duterte administration in the Philippines, for example, has repeatedly demonstrated its opposition to organisations like Rappler and VERA Files (both Facebook 3PFC partners). In September 2020 the government indicated it was considering establishing its own fact-checking team after Facebook took down several accounts supporting the government. 34 Such developments are alarming. The term ‘fake news’ is being misappropriated by governments and politicians in Asia to attack the news media they do not like. As ‘fact-checking’ enters into the everyday lexicon, it could also be weaponised by resourceful state actors and other politically motivated groups. Financial deals between fact-checking outlets and tech companies also require close examination. With their reliance on donations, grants and syndication, many not-for-profits and small initiatives find it difficult to diversify their funding. Commercially minded media outlets have more funding options, such as advertising or support from other business units. But overall, fact-checkers in Asia are not as resourceful as their counterparts in Europe or North America. Under these circumstances, Facebook’s 3PFC program in particular is seen as an integral part of creating sustainable newsroom operations for smaller organisations. https://newsinasia.jninstitute.org/chapter/faster-facts-the-rapid-expansion-of-fact-checking/ 12/13