1. Selection of a claim to Fact check:

We monitor different social media platforms and verify the authenticity of the viral news. The tweets, statements and posts of politicians and influencers from various walks of life are monitored. Several users message us directly or tag us on tweets with some claims which need verification. We ensure that there is no political bias in selecting the claims to be fact-checked.

We maintain clear standards across our fact checks by selecting trending topics that are aimed at misleading the public in favor of a political party or an individual or those aimed at creating unnecessary panic among all.

NewsMeter keeps an eye on regular editorial news and messages in the mainstream media and also social media platforms. We do not make any judgment of our own, whether they merit coverage based on their perceived importance, degree of controversy or superficiality.

We take up a claim for fact-checking without any bias or political affinity. Process is strictly followed for every fact check and all the claims, whether offensive or elusive, are taken up for study. We thoroughly examine a claim and try to explain it with layman words so that a reader can understand the fact without much difficulty.

2. Verification of the claim:

Thorough analysis of the origin and context of the claim are done. Date of origin of the claim is crucial, the source of the claim needs to be a reliable one. Images are searched using Google reverse image search to backtrack the earliest date they were posted. In case of videos, we use online tools like Invid, to extract the keyframes from the video and then those pictures are used for reverse image search. Any kind of manipulation, such as photoshop, can be found out using this technique. Official press releases, posts or tweets of official and verified social media handles are also used.

Claims from various languages can also be checked by translating the content to any desirable language by using translating tools like Google translate etc. Features like Geolocation, Maps, Street view etc are used to identify the location of the image or video.

Various search engines like Yandex, Bing, Baidu, Tineye along with Google are used to find and analyze the origin of the claims shared.

3. Research:

Publicly available resources such as News releases from authentic news agencies, reputed media websites are used in the verification process. Evidence in the form of pictures, videos are sorted and presented to either support or refute the claim made.

For the understanding of the user, the techniques used for fact-checking are listed and presented well, links of the resources used are hyperlinked in the story to make it authentic.

4. Fact Check:

Based on the research done, the claim is concluded as

• True
• Partly True
• False
• Misleading

Some claims which cannot be fact checked, due to lack of enough evidence, will be pronounced as Unverified.

We at NewsMeter, make sure to provide you with accurate and reliable information each time we post our stories. However if you find any discrepancy in our stories or would like to correct certain information, please do write to us at newsmeter.info@gmail.com with the related article and subject line. We assure you that we will update the changes wherever necessary within 48 hours. NewsMeter also welcomes feedbacks from its users be it on social media platforms or on its website.

Funding:

Newsmeter is mostly self-funded through the Investments from promoters. Around 35 per cent of operational costs are borne through the investments from promoters. Both fact check unit and editorial team operates independently.

Newsmeter also receives funding(revenue) through advertisements from Google Adsense, Taboola, Columbia and other advertisers. More than 50 per cent of our operational costs are borne through the advertisement revenue. None of the advertisers has any role in deciding the selection of claims for a fact check or findings to be published or in editorial policy. We are a free and separate fact-checking unit that acts independently.