Application Deadline: December 3rd 2021
The International Fact-Checking Network at the Poynter Institute in partnership with Meta is pleased to announce the launch of a global mentorship program that will leverage the expertise of member organizations in the peer-to-peer exchange of information. These programs will later be scaled to be offered to the wider IFCN community; deliverables for scaled training can include webinars, online courses, case studies, etc. Up to $450,000 will be awarded, with both mentors and mentees receiving compensation.
The IFCN Mentorship Program will match signatories to the IFCN with demonstrated expertise in specific topics with other IFCN signatory organizations with an interest in enhancing skill sets in those areas. Applicants must define their area of expertise and intended audience for impact. Mentorship topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Detecting misinformation on social media. How to use monitoring tools and sourcing tips to identify potential misinformation.
- Communicating fact checks with innovative formats. How to use videos, podcasts, memes and other unique formats to communicate fact-checks to a wider audience.
- Industry collaboration. How to effectively partner with other fact-checking organizations and publishers, particularly during breaking news events, to better address misinformation.
- Media literacy. How to start media literacy campaigns and other initiatives to help local communities spot misinformation.
- Training and operations. How to build effective training programs and operational tactics to help fact-checking organizations better address misinformation.
- Health and science misinformation. How to approach scientific claims and create a system to increase an organization’s capacity to debunk health misinformation.
Eligibility Criteria
Mentors:
- The program is open to IFCN signatories, fact-checking organizations as well as ecosystem partners that have demonstrated success or expertise in a given area.
- Mentors will be required to provide educational materials to support other fact-checkers & journalists
- Applications that include a partnership between an IFCN signatory and another organization will also be considered but would require an additional MOU which will be provided in the application
Demonstrated expertise is defined as documented success in developing or implementing training and development on a core topic area. Examples might include:
- Previous completed project in the subject area with success metrics
- Previously conducted training/teaching
- Existing training materials or curricula on the subject matter
- Public recognition or awards around the organizations establish success in a given area
Mentees:
- All mentees must be signatories to the IFCN Code of Principles in good standings.
- They must also commit to completing all required training and assignments.
- More details on requirements for mentees will be provided when that application process kicks off in early 2022.
Benefits
- Selected mentors will receive $50,000, distributed in payments of:
- $20,000 delivered upon initial acceptance into the program
- $20,000 delivered upon completion of the mentoring
- $10,000 upon completion of the scaled training program
Selection Criteria
The selection committee will review projects against the following criteria, which will be weighted equally:
- The training is relevant to a global and/or regional audience, even if initial programs or trainings were initially conducted in narrower settings.
- The proposed topic area can be scaled into a training deliverable for the greater fact-checking community, across geographic borders, languages, etc.
- Does the application reflect a strong actionable plan to achieve the intended goals of the project?
- Does the proposal meet a high priority and timely topic for the fact-checking community? See example topic areas in the previous sections.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the IFCN Global Fact-Checking Mentorship Program 2022