Fact Check ZW is an independent Zimbabwean fact checking platform, guided solely by its editorial charter and no external influences. We use standard journalism tools to verify information made available in public.
We are non-partisan and our work is not influenced by any political party; funding partner or personal beliefs. Our staff are contractually bound to not get involved in advocacy issues or party politics that may jeopardise the objectivity of our work.
We endeavour to transparently show the steps we take to verify information.
How we select information for verification
The editorial team selects information to be fact-checked, based on their significance and public interest. In our selection we look at: who made the claim, what is the claim’s potential reach and what is the claim’s potential to cause harm. Our readers are free to send claims they may want us to fact check and these will be fact checked if they meet the criteria. The reader will get a response from the team on whether the claim is verifiable or not. When we have selected a claim, where possible we get in touch with the person who made the claim, noting that not getting a response will not stop the process of our fact checking.
Gathering evidence
We identify the source of a claim and establish if the claim was indeed made.
We check the claims against publicly available information and other sources. We use publicly available information in our verification and provide references in our work.
We consult experts in the field in question for additional information, where necessary. We use multiple sources to fact-check claims, with a minimum of two sources.
When checking pictures and videos, we use tools such as reverse image search, video verification applications, maps, and other visual clues to verify images.
Sources
To verify information, we endeavor to use primary sources, wherever possible. However, Zimbabwe does not have a national open data policy which makes accessing data, especially primary sources, a challenge.
The country has technological and political factors that affect the proper dissemination of information and data which allow some centres to hide government data. This has led to lack of accountability in data sharing leading to some institutions not releasing nor accounting for their data. Most of the data that is there is only available as summaries.
As a result, FactCheckZW often has to rely on secondary sources – data from government agency summaries, ZimStat, international agencies, journals and research studies.
We trace the claim to its original source or at least, as close as possible. We only use publicly available data and provide the sources so that anyone can also follow the evidence.
Where there is need and it’s possible, we also speak to experts and include their area of expertise and any affiliations they have that may impact on their comments. We will identify the relevant interests of the sources where the reader might reasonably conclude these interests could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided.
Rating claims
Once all information is gathered, the editorial team assesses it and gives it a rating.
These ratings apply:
• TRUE/ACCURATE: Based on the information available at the time of research, the claim is factual
• MISLEADING: The information has some accurate elements, but they are presented in a way that is misleading
• EXAGGERATED: The claim is exaggerated
•INCONCLUSIVE: Available evidence can neither prove nor disprove the claim, and more data is needed
• FALSE/INACCURATE: Based on information available, the claim is incorrect
Publishing fact-checks
Fact checks are subjected to further scrutiny and checks by members of the editorial team. In publishing our fact checks, we set out the original claim, detailing the source of the claim and the context, provide the evidence and how we sourced it, and conclude with our assessment and rating.
Our reports are made available on our website and through our social media channels.