Poynter and BOOM Live have partnered to launch MediaWise’s Teen Fact-Checking Network in India, marking the program’s first expansion into Asia. The initiative, supported by Google, aims to promote media literacy among Indian teenagers and combat misinformation. A select group of teen fact-checkers will be responsible for pitching, writing, and recording at least 10 fact checks on topics such as technology, health, education, and finance. The fact checks will be available in both English and Hindi on BOOM’s YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn platforms.
H R Venkatesh, Director of Training and Research at BOOM Live, expressed his excitement about running the Teen Fact-Checking Network in India. He emphasized the importance of involving young people who can influence their peers to think critically and question the information they encounter. The program aims to equip teenagers with media literacy skills, enabling them to discern the credibility of claims they come across on social media.
Indian teens participating in the Teen Fact-Checking Network will prioritize transparency by presenting the evidence that informed their fact-checking decisions. This open approach aims to build trust in journalism and fact-checking, while empowering teenagers to debunk misinformation they encounter on their own social media feeds.
The Teen Fact-Checking Network was initially launched in 2019 with the goal of reaching one million teenagers across the United States. Since then, MediaWise has surpassed 12 million views for fact-checking videos produced by the network on various social media platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
Alex Mahadevan, director of MediaWise, highlighted the importance of addressing misinformation in India, which has led to real-world consequences, division, and threats to public health. Mahadevan expressed excitement about partnering with BOOM, an organization committed to both fact-checking and media literacy. The program aims to combat misinformation effectively by combining fact-checking with media literacy education.
Having successfully reached teenagers in the United States, the Teen Fact-Checking Network expanded to Latin America and Europe in April 2023 through partnerships with Lupa in Brazil and Deutsche Presse Agentur (dpa) in Germany.
Poynter Institute, the nonprofit organization leading MediaWise, is a global leader in journalism education and supports uncompromising excellence in media, journalism, and public discourse. MediaWise, a social-first digital media literacy initiative, offers tools and resources to help individuals engage responsibly with online content amidst the age of information overload.
BOOM Live is an independent digital journalism initiative in India dedicated to fighting misinformation, explaining issues, and promoting internet safety. As a leading fact-checking organization in India, BOOM Live is committed to providing verifiable facts to its readers.
The partnership between Poynter and BOOM Live signifies a resilient response to misinformation and the promotion of media literacy in India. By involving young fact-checkers, the Teen Fact-Checking Network aims to empower Indian teenagers with the necessary skills to navigate the digital landscape responsibly and critically assess the information they encounter.
