The former leader of the Liberal Party of Norway, Trine Skei Grande considers that fact checking has become so important that it deserves to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the portal for critical thinking and media literacy CriThink informs
In times when false news are spreading more rapidly than ever and when we are strongly demonizing other people’s opinions, I think that the fact that someone is fighting for the truth, for the facts and is fighting to tear down the false news, is an act of peace, said Grande for NRK.
This is the reason why Grande decided to nominate the International network for fact- checking for the Nobel Peace Prize. The network’s headquarters is located in the USA and it was founded in 2015.
“It is an organization of fact-checkers that is guaranteeing that the fact-checkers have good methods and are certified for the work they are doing,” said Grande
Grande, who is also a former Minister of Culture and Education, believes that the lies and the fast spread of false news through social media networks are making fact-checking more important than ever:
“Social media have such an enormous influence on spreading of lies that former dictators can only dream of,” said Grande.
Stressing the importance of fact-checking and the revealing of false news, she indicated the following:
“We are seeing that someone is undermining the democracies and the dialogues between countries, someone is demonizing the images of nations, religions, and ethnic groups. The fact that someone is fighting for the facts is maybe more important than ever, when we realize that false news has breeding ground at social networks unlike anything we have seen before,” said Grande.
Even the Norwegian organization “Norske Faktisk” is part of the international network of fact-checkers. Editor Kristoffer Egeberg agrees with the problems stressed by Grande regarding the consequences of false news. He stresses the pandemic and the conspiracies around it as something that is used by the forces that want to undermine democracy in certain countries.
“Regarding this, the fact checkers in many countries have really undertaken a fantastic effort. This IFCN network is also incredibly important, said Egbert.
He also stressed that IFCN’s efforts for setting standards for fact-checking have led to the fact the organization to become more significant and its opinion to be heard. It has become a player, that the biggest platforms such as Facebook, Google, Twitter and others are respecting and regard it when it comes to marking false news, informs NRK.
The Director of the International Fact-Checking Network Baybars Örsek said that the nomination represents a great honor that should be accepted with great humility. He also stressed that fighting lies and manipulations is extremely important during the global pandemic.
“While we recognize that this nomination is a long way from being shortlisted for this unparalleled award, we see it as an important validation of the work of fact-checkers worldwide. Simply put: facts matter and fact-checking can save lives,” said Örsek
The Network’s priority is a cooperation between fact checkers from different countries, languages, and cultures. The initiative ” Alliance for Coronavirus Fact Checking” (#CoronavirusFactsAlliance), that was awarded recently by Paris Peace Forum, that consists of 99 fact-checking organizations from over 70 countries and has produced a database of more than 10.000 fact checks. This unique database is providing the general public with correct information regarding issues connected with COVID-19 pandemic.
The Network has created a Code of Principles for checking facts on basis of which the annual public checks of the members’ operations. At the moment, the Code has 79 certified users from 51 states.
The fact checking service “Truthmeter” was founded by Metamorphosis Foundation“ and is a part of the International Fact-Checking Network since its foundation. It is also the only organization in North Macedonia that is certified by the IFCN.
