Local Facts-Checking Media Outlet Gains International Verification
Liberia-March 13, 2023: The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has certified The Stage Media-Liberia (TSM), Liberia’s first fact-checking organization, as a signatory to the Code of Principles.
The IFCN at Poynter was launched in September 2015 to bring together the growing community of fact-checkers around the world and advocates of factual information in the global fight against misinformation.
The Stage Media outlet, the only verified signatory in Liberia, was verified after a screening process that included a close examination of its website, published stories and fact-checks, and votes by IFCN’s members to qualify it.
According to the IFCN, TSM-Liberia can use the signature to apply for grants and take part in Global Fact conferences as a verified signatory.
Bettie Johnson-Mbayo and Hannah N. Geterminah, two award-winning female journalists who formed TSM-Liberia, called the verification a significant boost to fact-checking in Liberia.
The two partners praised the dedicated staff of fact-checkers who are always confirming inaccurate material in the public interest.
