5/27/22, 7:10 PM Faster facts: The rapid expansion of fact-checking – News in Asia In the survey, five editors from newly formed fact-checking projects candidly said they plan to apply to join 3PFC because they see Facebook’s program as a way to bring in sustainable funding. Some even said becoming a 3PFC partner was built into their business strategy from the outset. Besides Facebook, the video-sharing app TikTok announced it had launched its own 3PFC program in the Asia Pacific in October 2020, initially partnering with AFP in Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Pakistan and the Philippines, and with US-based Lead Stories in South Korea and Thailand. 23 Despite requests for information, no party has clarified whether they are financially compensated by TikTok’s 3PFC program. Google is another large-scale funder in the region. However, its involvement appears to have a less direct financial impact on daily factchecking operations in the newsroom. Funding from the Google News Initiative supports training, conferences and other journalismrelated projects that can relate to fact-checking. While many fact-checking organisations in Asia have received grants from Google to date, the funding tends to be tied to specific events and projects, rather than paying for fact-checking services. Some outlets also work as ‘trusted flaggers’ for YouTube, reviewing and flagging questionable video clips on the platform. However, this arrangement does not involve financial compensation. PHOTO mrhayata In a growing trend, organisations are increasingly directing education initiatives at their audiences and the general public, rather than at media professionals. Emerging opportunities for fact-checking https://newsinasia.jninstitute.org/chapter/faster-facts-the-rapid-expansion-of-fact-checking/ 7/13