Meet DW's Fact Checking team (Part 2)

The DW Fact Checking team works tirelessly to uncover misinformation online. Which tools do they use to navigate the vastness of fakes? We discussed this question and more with Tetyana Klug and Joscha Weber.

Figures Joscha Weber und Tetyana Klug
Image: DW

In the previous installment, Rachel Baigexplained how the team finds topics for a fact check. Now, the focus of the series is shifting to the tools the team works with as well as the process they typically go through when checking facts. Is there a certain protocol that is followed every time? How important are photo verification toolswhen researching a topic? In short: What does it take to ensure a good fact check?

Tetyana Klug and Joscha Webertalk about their work in the Fact Checking team and how they do it.

DW: Which tools do you use to find out whether a photo is fake?

Tetyana Klug tells us here:

DW fact checker: What are the limitations of fact checking?

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DW fact checker: What are the limitations of fact checking?

Is there a specific fact checking protocol you always follow?  

Joscha Weber: We have a checklist we use for fact checks, but we noticed that in reality, fact checks can sometimes be very different. Some require more verification, whereas others need more explanation. Some require a lot of expert interviews, others more data research or the use of tools for digital research. But some things are always the same: We check different, reliable sources, we track the information to its origin and we are very transparent when presenting the sources to our audience. 

What are the limitations of fact checking?

Joscha Weber tells us here:

DW fact checker: What are the limitations of fact checking?

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DW fact checker: What are the limitations of fact checking?

This interview is the second in a series of three articles about DW's fact checking team for the DW Figures page. Interested in learning more about fact checking? You can read part 1 of the series here, part 3 can be found here.

Edited by David Keuck.