CHECKDESKSORTING, DEVELOPING & DISSEMINTAING CITIZEN REPORTING IN THE MENA REGION

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is citizen media. Within a period of an hour you see

multiple YouTube videos purporting to show demon-

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also see Facebook and Twitter updates announcing

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Checkdesk allows a journalist to bring a “Report”

from a diverse range of sources, and quickly add it to

WKH�GHVN��LW�JHQHUDWHV�DQ�HPEHGGHG�YLHZ�RI �WKH�85/��rendering YouTube videos, Bambuser feeds or any

user generated content playable from within the plat-

form. From here a journalist can turn on the “Fact-

FKHFNLQJ�:RUNÁRZµ��7KLV�FUHDWHV�DQ�DGGHG�OD\HU�RI �interaction at the report level, and highlights the report

DV�XQGHUJRLQJ�UHYLHZ��-RXUQDOLVWV�DQG�FLWL]HQ�MRXUQDOLVWV�can then collaborate around a report-bound, free-form

fact-checking process, designed to encourage ques-

tions and to replicate the common ad hoc fact-check-

ing activities taking place on Twitter and Facebook.

At any stage of the fact-checking process, a journalist

FDQ�DVVLJQ�D�VWDWXV�WR�DQ\�UHSRUW��´9HULÀHGµ��´&DQQRW�EH�YHULÀHGµ��´,Q�SURJUHVVµ���´)DOVHµ��7KHVH�VWDWXVHV�display wherever the report appears within Checkdesk,

and journalists and community managers can link to

individual reports, where all statuses and fact-checking

GLVFXVVLRQ�LV�UHWDLQHG�DQG�YLVLEOH��,Q�WKLV�ZD\��&KHFN-desk brings transparency to the fact-checking process:

even if users choose not to participate in fact-check-

ing, they are able to see the “working out”.

Building on the success of this two year project,

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VFKRROV�LQ�/HEDQRQ��-RUGDQ�DQG�(J\SW�DQG�HPSRZHU�activists and journalism students to fact-check news

reports and political statements in countries undergo-

ing turbulent constitutional evolution.

The aim is to model a culture of critical inquiry that

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WKH�SURMHFW�VKRXOG�DOORZ�DOO�EHQHÀFLDULHV�WR�HPEHG�these new media practices into their everyday life

through training, curriculum design and collaboration.

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are now working on integrating Checkdesk into curric-

ulum design, and training activists and students on us-

ing the platform as a learning tool that can inspire new

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DQHVH�$PHULFDQ�8QLYHUVLW\�RI �%HLUXW��SURYLGLQJ�IDFXOW\�VXSSRUW�WR�'U�<DVPLQH�'DEERXV�DQG�KHU�,QYHVWLJD-WLYH�-RXUQDOLVP�FODVV��7KURXJKRXW�WKH�)DOO����������

0HHGDQ�DQG�%&8�WHDPV�ZLOO�EH�WUDLQLQJ�'U��'DEERXV�and her journalism students on the basics of syllabus

GHVLJQ�DQG�2SHQ�(GXFDWLRQDO�5HVRXUFHV��2(5���RQ�media literacy skills and interactive ways to integrate

technology into their teaching/learning process. An

/$8�LWHUDWLRQ�RI �WKH�&KHFNGHVN�OLYHEORJ�LV�VFKHGXOHG�to be launched in December 2013, allowing the stu-

dents to use the platform as a learning tool inside their

classroom, and to fact-check all content published on

their student online newspaper The Tribune.

THE CHECKDESK SOLUTION// CONCLUSIONS//

THE CHECKDESK FACT-CHECKING PROCESS

CITIZEN JOURNALISTS

CHECKDESK FACT-CHECKING WORKFLOW DISSEMINATION

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