Details about the \"Union of Informed Citizens\" (UIC) NGO can be found in the “about us” section of the www.uic.am website, as well as you can see the details about the \"Fact Investigation Platform\" (FIP) in the “about us” section of the www.fip.am website:
The \"Fact Investigation Platform\" (FIP) is an independent fact-checking media founded in 2016 by the \"Union of Informed Citizens\" NGO. The FIP acts as an independent media outlet specialized in fact-checking journalism and has full structural, financial and editorial independence, as well as a Code of Conduct for journalists.
The main goal of the FIP is to disclose false or manipulative information published by officials, official bodies and the media.
Please see a link to the Union of Informed Citizens page on the e-register state database: https://www.e-register.am/am/companies/1149216.
Please find attached the registration certificate of the Union of Informed Citizens.
The \"Fact Investigation Platform\" (FIP) was established in November 2016 by the \"Union of Informed Citizens\" NGO that has been operating since 2014. The UIC frequently encountered various forms of mis/disinformation, propaganda, and fake news in its daily media research that no other organization in Armenia had addressed at the time. To fill this gap, the UIC established the \"Fact Investigation Platform\" (FIP), becoming the first fact-checking media outlet in the country. The FIP’s goal is not only to combat mis/disinformation and fake news but also contribute to increasing media literacy and critical thinking in society by providing readers with timely checked information, and basic tools they can use to fact-check news themselves.
The \"Fact Investigation Platform\" team currently includes an editor-in-chief, a publishing editor, two journalists, as well as translators and a cameraman/video editor.
The Editor-in-Chief, Hasmik Hambardzumyan, coordinates the FIP work and is responsible for establishing the editorial policy, approving topics and articles, reviewing materials, and verifying the facts contained therein and reporting to no one. She ensures that the team stays on track by choosing the article topics according to their relevance, importance and public resonance. In addition, the team, together with her, closely monitors government programs and policymakers' activities and reports any deviations or problems.
The editor-in-chief has complete editorial independence. The FIP program policy is developed by the Editor-In-Chief, and its content is not agreed upon or accountable to the Program Coordinator and Executive Director of the Union of Informed Citizens NGO.
The publishing editor, Vahe Ghukasyan reports to the Editor-in-Chief and is responsible for proofreading the articles and, if necessary, replacing her.
The fact-checker journalists, Nane Manasyan and Suzanna Hambardzumyan report to the Editor-in-Chief and are responsible for monitoring newsfeeds, social networks, interviews and speeches of political, public and other figures; identifying topics; studying them; checking suspicious statements and facts; starting work on new topics in cooperation with the Editor-in-Chief; and submitting articles.
The cameraman/video editor, Khoren Grigoryan, reports to the Editor-in-Chief and is responsible for preparing the multimedia files for publications, as well as for “Factometer” program production.
All materials are actively disseminated on social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram etc. The organization has outsourced its digital marketing to the “Incub Marketing Agency LLC, however, the social media marketing specialist closely collaborates with the Fact Investigation Platform and is responsible for sharing articles on social media platforms, tracking feedback and reactions, as well as making the FIP content accessible to a wider target audience and effectively raising awareness of circulating disinformation.
Most of the materials are translated into Russian and English. The translation team includes 2 translators who report to an editor, who in turn reports to the editor-in-chief.
It should be noted, that FIP can cooperate with the UIC team when it is necessary. Currently, the UIC is engaged in democratic reforms in Armenia (constitutional, law enforcement, anti-corruption, electoral, public procurement) and the UIC experts regularly share their experience with FIP journalists. Researcher and expert Sevada Ghazaryan sometimes writes articles on public procurement for FIP.
The FIP journalists also actively cooperate with the UIC lawyer since often the only way to obtain the necessary information from state bodies is through lawsuits.
You can find more information about the fact-checking team at the link: https://fip.am/en/about-us
T
he Fact Investigation Platform creates the following types of products:
● fact-checking articles and investigations aim to disclose mis/disinformation, fake news, propaganda thesis, manipulations etc.;
● data journalism – these are analytical materials in data journalism format, presenting statistics on topic;
● infographics, that include statistical data and comparisons, making the information more visual and accessible;
● explainer videos based on fact-checking articles or investigations – these are short videos, lasting 1-2 mins., without host, and aim to help prevent mis/disinformation from reaching wider circles of society;
● podcasts where journalists discuss their investigations and share insights into the investigative process and outcomes.
● vox-pop videos are short, informal interviews when people are asked about their opinions on a particular topic or issue.
● \"Factometer\" program presents the manipulations and mis/disinformation of the week and is broadcast on BOON TV channel (by air).
* It should also be noted that the drone is used to capture aerial footage of rallies and other large-scale protests ensuring documentation of events in case of possible clashes and providing more objective data on the number of protesters.
Since August 2024 the FIP, with the support of the French Embassy in Armenia, has been implementing a 14-month program aimed at combating Russian mis/disinformation and media manipulation, as well as anti-democratic and (pro-)Russian propaganda. Therefore, in the upcoming year, FIP will be specifically focused on combating Russian disinformation and malign narratives.
In 2022 FIP collaborated with Facebook on issues of spreading mis/disinformation on the Armenian domain of Facebook.
There are plans to add a donation button to the www.fip.am website soon and run a small crowdfunding campaign. We believe this will contribute to the further development of FIP and its stability.
The Fact Investigation Platform is the first fact-checking outlet in Armenia. Mis/disinformation is a challenge to freedom of speech and democracy that is widespread in Armenia from both the government and the opposition. The FIP faces this challenge and the main goal is to provide the public with highly accurate, verified and fact-based information. Our mission is to protect the public from false, misleading, manipulative statements and propaganda and we believe that public awareness and media literacy is an integral component of any democratic society. Thus, the overall goal of FIP remains to combat mis/disinformation and fake news, to increase the level of public awareness and media literacy and to develop critical thinking, which will make the public more demanding, protected, and legally conscious.
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.385Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T11:56:22.833Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81ca"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":3,"type":"Applicant","value":"
Since November 2016, FIP has published about 2,700 materials, which include fact-checking articles, investigations, data-driven pieces/visualizations, explainers, podcasts and other video products. Over the last six months, 144 articles have been published, including 51 fact-checking articles and 93 investigations. That is about 2 articles per week. All articles can be found at the link: https://fip.am/all. The articles are being translated into English and/or Russian in cases when the target audience of the particular publication is accordingly English and/ or Russian speaking.
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.391Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T11:57:11.668Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81cc"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":4,"type":"Applicant","value":"","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.396Z","updated_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.396Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81ce"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":5,"type":"Applicant","value":"Neither the UIC nor the FIP have commercial, financial and/or institutional relationships with state, political parties or other political actors. Neither the UIC nor the FIP places any commercial advertisements on their websites. Information on funding is available on the www.uic.am website in the section \"our partners\": https://uic.am/en/our-partners and at the bottom of the www.fip.am website.
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.400Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:00:48.873Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81d0"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":6,"type":"Applicant","value":"Donors, partner organizations and individuals can't have any influence or interference in editorial decisions and content of the articles.
The \"Fact Investigation Platform\" operates with full structural and editorial independence as detailed in the methodology: https://fip.am/en/methodology
Public communication, as well as processing and dissemination of information by the employees, including journalists, is conducted in accordance with the Internal Disciplinary Regulations that can be found attached.
Neither the UIC nor the FIP supports or represents the interests of any political party or other group. The FIP team is required to put aside their political preferences and maintain absolute nonpartisanship during fact-checking. They must neither work for nor receive funding from any political party or a representative of a political party. The UIC ensures this criterion by signing a non-partnership agreement with all team members (the copy signed by the FIP journalist Nane Manasyan can be found attached).
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.405Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:11:25.171Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[{"key":"storage/criteria/files/66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81d2/063bed86-407f-51a1-a62c-847a39ab719b.pdf","name":"Internal Disciplinary Regulations.pdf","type":"application/pdf","size":163721,"answer_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81d2","_id":"67485ba675c27b78b00e9c9b","id":"67485ba675c27b78b00e9c9b"},{"key":"storage/criteria/files/66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81d2/48a47fc6-e926-5324-ae55-6616704aa9e7.jpg","name":"Statement.jpg","type":"image/jpeg","size":147223,"answer_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81d2","_id":"67485dab75c27b78b00f702e","id":"67485dab75c27b78b00f702e"}],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81d2"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":7,"type":"Applicant","value":"The presented examples, as well as other articles on www.fip.am website, come to show that the \"Fact Investigation Platform\" (FIP) addresses the statements of all political camps, including the government and the opposition, all kinds of media and various public figures. They are checked by the same methodology, and a verdict is made based on the statements being true or false.
Although the FIP is not a member of the IFCN, we have adopted the Code of Principals of the International Fact-Checking Network: https://fip.am/en/methodology. The entire editorial staff of the FIP is committed to the principles of impartiality, non-partisanship, transparency of sources, and justice.
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.410Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:13:01.439Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81d4"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":8,"type":"Applicant","value":"There is a thorough methodology explaining the Fact Investigation Plaform's fact-checking processes, which are in line with the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) fact-checking principles and are published on the www.fip.am website: https://fip.am/en/methodology .
The methodology elaborates in particular on the following four processes:
1) Selection of claims;
2) Verification and confirmation of facts;
3) Evaluation and publication;
4) Follow up and search for information about a source.
As a part of their working routine, the fact-checker journalists regularly monitor Armenian broadcasters, online, print and social media as well as media outlets created by the political parties and/or the Russian government or having ties with Russia (e.g. Sputnik-Armenia, Kommersant, Regnum, Ria Novosti etc.). They identify virally disseminated content using Facebook’s advanced search tools.
They also have access to lists of content that has been flagged as potentially false by Facebook's systems or its users and make their own decisions about whether the content is fact-checkable. The FIP team regularly monitors the Armenian media and selects materials from the monitoring database too.
Moreover, the audience of FIP is very active and can send allegedly fake material through a special section of the website or Facebook page. The FIP team fact-checks and rates only verifiable claims as outlined in the methodology and focuses on virally disseminated and harmful content.
The FIP team pays special attention to publications, speeches and organized propaganda campaigns that may harm civil society, democratic values or reforms, as well as limit the freedom of speech and other freedoms or misinformation and propaganda that legitimizes the war. Mis/disinformation related to human rights violations is checked as a priority. The rest of the materials are fact-checked based on the resonance they have in the media.
You can find more details at the link:https://fip.am/en/methodology
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.415Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:14:16.770Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81d6"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":9,"type":"Applicant","value":"","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.420Z","updated_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.420Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81d8"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":10,"type":"Applicant","value":"","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.429Z","updated_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.429Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81da"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":11,"type":"Applicant","value":"","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.436Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:15:39.465Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81dc"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":12,"type":"Applicant","value":"","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.442Z","updated_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.442Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81de"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":13,"type":"Applicant","value":"","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.482Z","updated_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.482Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81e0"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":14,"type":"Applicant","value":"","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.488Z","updated_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.488Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81e2"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":15,"type":"Applicant","value":"","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.492Z","updated_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.492Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81e4"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":16,"type":"Applicant","value":"
The \"Fact Investigation Platform\" (FIP) is founded by the Union of Informed Citizens (UIC) in 2016. The FIP is legally part of the Union of Informed Citizens, but it is a separate unit with complete structural, financial and editorial independence.
More detailed information is openly available in the “About us” section on www.uic.am and www.fip.am websites. Additional information about donors can be found in the \"Partners\" section and at the bottom of the www.fip.am website.
You can also see the UIC page on the e-register state database at the link: https://www.e-register.am/am/companies/1149216 and find attached the registration certificate of the organization.
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.497Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:20:14.619Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[{"key":"storage/criteria/files/66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81e6/ae7dad20-79c0-568a-8942-f756bad1ed8a.pdf","name":"Registration certificate 2023.pdf","type":"application/pdf","size":694545,"answer_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81e6","_id":"67485ee975c27b78b00f74f3","id":"67485ee975c27b78b00f74f3"}],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81e6"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":17,"type":"Applicant","value":"We indicate our ownership in the \"about us\" section of the www.fip.am website: https://fip.am/en/about-us and www.uic.am website: https://uic.am/en/our-organisation.
The badges of our donors are published at the bottom of the www.fip.am website and in the \"partners\" section of the www.uic.am website: https://uic.am/en/our-partners
In addition, the organization regularly publishes annual reports, which transparently include revenues and expenditures by donors and projects. Reports can be found at the link: https://uic.am/our-reports
The organization had an external audit of the entire organization only for 2016 at the request of UNDEF, and later the 2018-2020 UNDEF-supported program was audited separately. In both cases, the organization's financial reports were audited.
Below you can see the auditor's opinion:
“In our opinion, the financial statements give a true and fair view of the Consulting Non-Governmental Organization “Union of Informed Citizens” financial situation as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2016, its operations results and cash flows for the year, in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards.”
*The Audited financial statements and report can be found in the attachment.
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.502Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:20:06.190Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[{"key":"storage/criteria/files/66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81e8/474b8abe-9906-5a12-be7a-64f66bb12410.pdf","name":"Audited_financial_statement_UIC.pdf","type":"application/pdf","size":679039,"answer_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81e8","_id":"67485fe075c27b78b00f7e58","id":"67485fe075c27b78b00f7e58"},{"key":"storage/criteria/files/66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81e8/dd1c2dc0-5cdb-53e8-9235-00cd85e3b9a9.pdf","name":"Audited_financial_report_UIC.pdf","type":"application/pdf","size":3205137,"answer_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81e8","_id":"67485fe075c27b78b00f7e60","id":"67485fe075c27b78b00f7e60"}],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81e8"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":18,"type":"Applicant","value":"You can see the FIP structure in the methodology at the link: https://fip.am/en/methodology
You can also see the Union of Informed Organization team members in the \"Our team\" section at the link: https://uic.am/our-team
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.506Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:20:34.485Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81ea"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":19,"type":"Applicant","value":"Biographies of all team members, including editors can be found at the links: https://uic.am/en/our-team and the FIP team here: https://fip.am/en/about-us
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.511Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:21:18.602Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81ec"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":20,"type":"Applicant","value":"The \"Report disinformation\" button can be found in the upper right corner of the www.fip.am website. Also, periodically Q&A and other engagement-triggering posts are made on the Facebook page. Readers also contact the FIP team by phone or email which are also listed on the website: https://fip.am/en/contact
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.515Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:21:30.646Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81ee"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":21,"type":"Applicant","value":"You can find the detailed methodology at the link: https://fip.am/en/methodology
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.520Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:21:52.179Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81f0"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":22,"type":"Applicant","value":"","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.525Z","updated_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.525Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81f2"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":23,"type":"Applicant","value":"","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.530Z","updated_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.530Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81f4"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":24,"type":"Applicant","value":"","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.534Z","updated_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.534Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81f6"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":25,"type":"Applicant","value":"","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.539Z","updated_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.539Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81f8"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":26,"type":"Applicant","value":"There are several ways the organization encourages users to send claims to check.
Firstly, there is a “Report Disinformation” button and a “Q&A” section on the website, which includes an \"Ask a question\" button: https://fip.am/ask-us-a-question, secondly, on social media platforms (Facebook) Q&A posts are made periodically, e.g. :
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15JwjVtbDa/
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/147fRrDRYY/
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/12Cu1huKTnh/
In addition, our followers send the claims and statements that they want to be checked by email or social media pages, or contact by phone.
For instance, we were recently contacted by one of our readers by Facebook, and an investigation was carried out as a result of cooperation.
The methodology includes detailed information on the selection of claims policy: https://fip.am/en/methodology ,
as well as the \"Ask a Question\" section, which includes what is checkable or uncheckable: https://fip.am/en/ask-us-a-question
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.544Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:22:22.354Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81fa"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":27,"type":"Applicant","value":"The FIP has a Corrections and Complaints policy which you can see on the website: https://fip.am/en/corrections-and-complaints-policy[VA1]
Everyone is free to apply to the FIP if information checked by the team is, in an applicant’s view, inaccurate and to offer corresponding counterarguments. To this end, an applicant can write by email, Facebook or contact by phone.
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.548Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:22:47.678Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81fc"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":28,"type":"Applicant","value":"","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.552Z","updated_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.552Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81fe"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":29,"type":"Applicant","value":"The \"Fact Investigation Platform\" (FIP) takes great care to ensure the accuracy of the articles, reducing possible mistakes to a minimum. However, if errors occur the team corrects them quickly and provides an explanation to readers.
In the same article, a headline in the visible part of the text with the words “Correction”, \"Explanation\", “Updated”, and “Addition” is added, thereby informing the reader about the inaccurate information. The headline of the article is also updated with a mention of a change in the article. If the article was shared on the FIP social media platforms (Facebook, Telegram, Instagram etc.), it is shared once again, mentioning in the caption about the correction of the existing error. Often a notice in the text alone is not enough, and if the correction of the error leads to a new verdict, we keep the wrong article with a relevant commentary and write a separate article introducing the facts on the topic. It is crucial for the Fact Investigation Platform that its reader receives only verified information, which is free from manipulation.
For instance, the FIP misunderstood the statement of the former president of RA, Serzh Sargsyan, regarding one of the provisions of the Constitution. Then, the FIP team researched more deeply, accepted the mistake, and wrote about it. You can find the article at the link: https://fip.am/25145 .
Another example can be found at the link: https://fip.am/39442 , and the explanation: https://fip.am/39488 .
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.556Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:25:47.472Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f8200"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":30,"type":"Applicant","value":"N/A
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.561Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:25:54.475Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f8202"},{"user_id":"66b360a15fb0f42a9ed564cd","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":31,"type":"Applicant","value":"The \"Fact Investigation Platform\" (FIP) is the fact-checking platform of the \"Union of Informed Citizens\" (UIC) NGO, which is not a media company. You can see the Corrections and Complaints policy on the www.fip.am website: https://fip.am/en/corrections-and-complaints-policy .
","created_at":"2024-10-02T09:58:13.565Z","updated_at":"2024-11-28T12:26:39.687Z","compliance":"","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f8204"}],"reviewerAnswers":[{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":1,"type":"Assessor","value":"Information about FIP.am and its parent organization -- UIC, are easily available on their website. The data about the organizations registration and status can be readily found on Armenia's electronic register.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T15:42:48.459Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48ae"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":2,"type":"Assessor","value":"All questions were answered in detail and satisfy the compliance requirements. However, the fip.am team should make sure to synchronize the About us section of fip.am's English and Armenian versions, as the English version only has 3 staff listed, while the Armenian version lists 6. I consider this a minor technical issue, which doesn't affect the assessment.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T15:53:52.746Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48af"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":3,"type":"Assessor","value":"The fact-checking activity of Fip.am far exceeds the required minimum (6*4=24) needed to be compliant. I have manually checked the archive and the numbers claimed by the organization are correct (I've controlled for the time-lapse between their reporting and my double-checking, there are only slight discrepancies and the numbers I've calculated are actually higher).
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T16:07:38.442Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48b0"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":4,"type":"Assessor","value":"90% of the Fip.am coverage focuses on topics which are highly relevant and impact democratic society: false statements and corruption of the Armenian government, politicians, law-enforcment, military; claims about management and mismanagement of public resources; false narratives and propaganda by Russia and Azerbaijan. Occasionally they will focus on click-bait titles, which are also of high public interest.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T16:15:14.339Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48b1"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":5,"type":"Assessor","value":"Fip.am and its parent organization – UIC, are non-commercial, grant-funded and highly transparent about their donors. Apart from the fundign information featured on Fip.am's footer and UIC's “Our partners” section, the organization also publishes detailed narrative and financial reports (https://uic.am/our-reports) as required by the Armenian legislation about non-profits. From here we can see that the organization is largely funded by international donors as well as Western governments – USA, UK, France. The organization has diverse sources of funding, which speaks to lack of its dependence on only one donor and speaks to its independence.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T16:33:34.026Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48b2"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":6,"type":"Assessor","value":"Fip.am has a detailed methodology published on its website, which provides ample guarantees of its structural and editorial independence.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T16:38:15.889Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48b3"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":7,"type":"Assessor","value":"The presented articles are fact-checking examples covering various sides of the Armenian political spectrum. The presented examples also illustrate that the editorial team of Fip.am is not afraid of controversial topics and covers both government and opposition actors in Armenia with similar levels of impartiality.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T16:43:49.878Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48b4"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":8,"type":"Assessor","value":"The organization has provided clear and concise explanation on how it ensures integrity, it also features a “Policy for acceptance of fact-checking requests,” which clearly outlines how they select articles for fact-checking. It is a part of its Methodology section and is transparent and open to public scrutiny.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T16:51:31.141Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48b5"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":9,"type":"Assessor","value":"I have reviewed 20 fact-checks from the past 6 months in details and found that the organization is fully compliant in the reviewed samples, it always indicates the sources, as well as attributes all the quotes.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T16:57:12.599Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48b6"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":10,"type":"Assessor","value":"The organization is not affiliated nor it declares support for any political party or politician. The choice and content of its fact-checks is also an attestation to that as it fact-checks politicians from all sides of the political spectrum.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T16:59:25.965Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48b7"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":11,"type":"Assessor","value":"Per its methodology, FIP.am team members are obliged to put aside their political preferences and maintain absolute non-partisanship and impartiality during fact-checking.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:01:17.514Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48b8"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":12,"type":"Assessor","value":"Fip.am transparently identifies all significant evidence used in their fact checks, offering relevant links to online sources so users can replicate their work if desired.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:09:12.855Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48b9"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":13,"type":"Assessor","value":"In the reviewed cases, Fip.am uses primary sources and embeds YouTube, X, and other social media posts, allowing for easy double-checking. When linking to secondary sources, Fip.am ensures they only reference credible sources.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:13:33.005Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48ba"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":14,"type":"Assessor","value":"Per its methodology as well as practice, as seen in dozens of examples I've reviewed, Fip.am checks all key elements of claims and approaches it from various angles and using diverse sources if such are available, as well as clearly indicates that there is only one source in a specific case.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:15:51.622Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48bb"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":15,"type":"Assessor","value":"Fip.am clearly identifies affiliations and business interests of its sources in all reviewed cases.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:39:41.696Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48bc"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":16,"type":"Assessor","value":"Fip.am clearly identifies its donors on the footer section. Its parent organization UIC also clearly identifies all the partners, as well as lists the amounts of grants received in the Annual reports section: https://uic.am/our-reports
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T18:00:15.402Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48bd"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":17,"type":"Assessor","value":"Fip.am clearly indicates on its website its affiliation with UIC.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T18:01:04.427Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48be"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":18,"type":"Assessor","value":"The applicant provides clear information about its structure, which can be seen in the Methodology and UIC's “Our team” sections.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T18:04:26.609Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48bf"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":19,"type":"Assessor","value":"The “About us” section in Armenian provides all the relevant information. The English version lists only 3 members of staff instead of 6 on the Armenian section. I attribute this to a technical issue that should and can be corrected with ease.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T18:06:25.737Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48c0"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":20,"type":"Assessor","value":"The organization provides a contact us form, a phone number as well as links to social media, which can all serve as easy means to contact it.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T18:08:08.195Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48c1"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":21,"type":"Assessor","value":"The organization has a section in its methodology, clearly explaining the methodology it uses to select, research, write and publish its fact checks.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T18:13:07.225Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48c2"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":22,"type":"Assessor","value":"Most of the fact-checks published in the past 6 months cover topics of great public importance, which have reached wide audiences.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T18:14:22.562Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48c3"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":23,"type":"Assessor","value":"Fip.am features the Factometer, which evaluates claims and categorizes them as true, mostly true, or neutral. There are a number of cases, where the team examines a statement of public interest and instead of refuting it, finds additional supporting evidence.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T18:16:45.218Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48c4"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":24,"type":"Assessor","value":"Fip.am is a signatory of the Armenian media self-regulation initiative and adheres to high journalistic standards laid out by its Ethics code.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T18:20:42.969Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48c5"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":25,"type":"Assessor","value":"A quick read of fact-checks from various periods of Fip.am's existence proves that they often contact those, who made the claim to seek supporting evidence and in most cases, will publish the additional evidence as can be seen in the examples below:
https://fip.am/39488
https://fip.am/21919
Fip.am provides multiple, easily accessible ways for users to send in claims to check, as well as clearly explains in its methodology section what will be fact-checked and what isn’t fact-checkable.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T18:40:15.680Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48c7"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":27,"type":"Assessor","value":"The applicant has a clear and concise Corrections and Complaints policy.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T18:41:18.518Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48c8"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":28,"type":"Assessor","value":"The policy has the following provision: “After finding out that there was indeed a wrong statement or data in the article, our team reacts as soon as possible, preventing the spread of the inaccurate article. In the same article, we add a headline in the visible part of the text with the words “Correction”, “Updated”, “Addition”, thereby informing the reader about the inaccurate information. The headline of the article is also updated with a mention of a change in the article. If the article was shared on FIP social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, Instagram), it is shared once again, mentioning in the caption about the correction of the existing error. Often a notice in the text alone is not enough, and if the correction of the error leads to a new verdict, we keep the wrong article with a relevant commentary, and write a separate article introducing the facts on the topic.”
Examples on Fip.am's website demonstrate that the editorial team adheres to this correction policy.
In the provided examples the applicant has provided enough evidence that it corrects its mistakes and clearly communicates about corrections to its audience.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T18:26:55.438Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48ca"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":30,"type":"Assessor","value":"Fip.am is not yet an IFCN signatory.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T18:23:52.590Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48cb"},{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","criteria_id":31,"type":"Assessor","value":"The \"Union of Informed Citizens\" (UIC) NGO, which is not a media company.
","created_at":"2024-11-29T18:26:48.520Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T18:21:44.356Z","compliance":"compliant","uploaded_files":[],"_id":"674a076875c27b78b0af48cc"}],"applicantLanguage":[9],"applicantCountry":[51],"matchedAssessors":[["661a8afbba7689d4814143e8","661a8afbba7689d4814143f1","661a8afbba7689d481414593","661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","661a8afbba7689d481414d21","661a8afbba7689d481414fa3","66df3b272f8c2efeca371cd9"]],"assignedAssessor":{"_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","name":"Artur Papyan","city":"Yerevan, Armenia","email":"artur@mdi.am","languages":[9,40,132],"countries":[51]},"assessorReview":{"user_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414cb6","application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","created_at":"2024-12-08T18:50:43.445Z","updated_at":"2024-12-08T18:50:43.445Z","compliance":"compliant","assessor_conclusion":"Fip.am fully complies with the IFCN Code of Principles. Over the past six months, it has published numerous high-quality fact-checking articles. These fact checks are detailed and adhere to journalistic ethics and fact-checking standards. The fact-checking team is composed of professional and experienced fact-checkers. Fip.am follows a detailed methodology and corrections policy, adhering to high-quality journalism standards and Armenian media legislation. The selection of claims to fact-check aligns with IFCN criteria, and the team is courageous, often tackling controversial topics that could challenge the interests of the government, authorities, and powerful politicians across the political spectrum. Its parent organization, UIC, is a non-profit that operates with high transparency and a pro-democracy agenda.","application_background":"Fact Investigation Platform (FIP.am), founded by the Union of Informed Citizens in 2016, is Armenia's leading fact-checking media outlet. Dedicated to exposing disinformation and manipulations by officials and media, FIP.am adheres to journalistic ethics and Armenian law, maintaining political neutrality. The platform prioritizes preventing the spread of disinformation and upholds human rights and dignity. In 2023, FIP.am joined the Fact-Checking Network, enhancing its collaborative efforts in fact-checking.","native_language_summary":"Փաստերի ստուգման հարթակը (FIP.am), որը հիմնադրվել է 2016 թվականին «Իրազեկ Քաղաքացիների Միության» կողմից, հայաստանյան փաստերի ստուգման առաջատար հարթակներից մեկն է։ FIP.am-ը հավատարիմ է լրագրողական էթիկային և հայաստանյան օրենսդրությանը և քաղաքական չեզոքություն է պահպանում։ Պլատֆորմը առաջնահերթություն է տալիս ապատեղեկատվության տարածման կանխարգելմանը և պաշտպանում է մարդու իրավունքները և արժանապատվությունը: 2023 թվականին FIP.am-ը միացել է Փաստերի ստուգման ցանցին՝ ուժեղացնելով փաստերի ստուգման իր համատեղ ջանքերը:","recommendation":"","_id":"6755ea83e9796a569c9fc617"},"voteOutcome":"Not Enough Votes","boardVotes":[{"user_id":{"_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414fcb","name":"Thanos Sitistas","id":"661a8afbba7689d481414fcb"},"application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","created_at":"2025-02-23T09:29:13.137Z","updated_at":"2025-02-23T09:29:13.137Z","vote":"Accept","board_conclusion":"Compliant.","_id":"67baea69b188ba820155f79b"},{"user_id":{"_id":"661a8afbba7689d4814143f8","name":"Glenn Kessler","id":"661a8afbba7689d4814143f8"},"application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","created_at":"2025-02-24T01:07:40.147Z","updated_at":"2025-02-24T01:07:40.147Z","vote":"Accept","board_conclusion":"Compliant","_id":"67bbc65cb188ba8201a7512b"},{"user_id":{"_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414fce","name":"Masato Kajimoto","id":"661a8afbba7689d481414fce"},"application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","created_at":"2025-02-24T06:50:24.343Z","updated_at":"2025-02-24T06:50:24.343Z","vote":"Accept","board_conclusion":"Compliant","_id":"67bc16b0b188ba8201c56b6e"},{"user_id":{"_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414887","name":"Ellen Tordesillas","id":"661a8afbba7689d481414887"},"application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","created_at":"2025-03-03T09:20:37.485Z","updated_at":"2025-03-03T09:20:37.485Z","vote":"Accept","board_conclusion":"Compliant","_id":"67c57465b188ba82013e353f"},{"user_id":{"_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414fcd","name":"Aws Al-Saadi","id":"661a8afbba7689d481414fcd"},"application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","created_at":"2025-03-03T15:36:33.867Z","updated_at":"2025-03-03T15:36:33.867Z","vote":"Accept","board_conclusion":"Compliant.","_id":"67c5cc81b188ba82015e82ed"},{"user_id":{"_id":"661a8afbba7689d481414fcf","name":"Dina Ibrahim","id":"661a8afbba7689d481414fcf"},"application_id":"66fd1935ef6eef79b31f81c6","created_at":"2025-03-06T02:40:33.776Z","updated_at":"2025-03-06T02:40:33.776Z","vote":"Accept","board_conclusion":"Compliant. 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