“Myth Detector” has been a verified member of the “European Fact-Checking Standards Network” (EFCSN) since June 2023 and is guided in its activities by the EFCSN Code of Standards.
INTRODUCTION
The European Code of Standards for Independent Fact-Checking Organisations is a set of criteria designed to ensure that organisations fact-checking mis and disinformation adhere to the highest standards of methodology, ethics and transparency in order to best serve the public interest. Once verified as compliant with the professional standards set out in this Code, organisations become members of the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN).
The European Code of Standards and the EFCSN are open to organisations dedicated to fact-checking, defined as the use of an evidence-based method to verify the accuracy of claims made in the public sphere. Organisations must have a substantial and demonstrable focus on a country that is a member of the Council of Europe, Kosovo, Belarus or Russia, to apply.
Membership in the EFCSN signifies an organisation’s rigorous commitment to provide accurate information ethically and transparently, without bias or prejudice. Members focus on matters in the public interest and have a proven track record of excellence, integrity and accountability.
LEGITIMACY OF THE CODE
The European Code of Standards is the result of a dialogue about essential standards and best practices among the region’s fact-checking community. A Wide Group of more than 40 fact-checking organisations (see Annex 1) was at the heart of the process; their opinions and ideas about what the Code should contain were gathered in an open consultation and then translated into early drafts of the Code by a Working Committee (see Annex 2) elected by the Wide Group to direct the process. The Wide Group offered amendments on the resulting draft and ultimately approved the European Code of Standards by a qualified majority of ¾ in the summer of 2022.
The drafting of the Code also benefited from the insights of researchers and academics, media associations, civil society groups, social media platforms and other stakeholders that were invited to participate in the Open Consultation.
