About Facenta
A newsroom built to earn your trust.
Facenta is an independent fact-checking newsroom. We investigate viral claims, publish rigorous verdicts with full source lists, and explain how misinformation spreads — so readers can decide for themselves what to believe.
Our principles
Four commitments that govern every story we publish.
Independence
We accept no funding from political parties, candidates, or advocacy groups. Every donor over $1,000 is published in our annual transparency report.
Transparency
Every fact-check ships with its full source list. Our methodology is public, versioned, and open to outside critique.
Corrections
When we get something wrong, we say so prominently at the top of the affected article and explain exactly what changed and why.
Diversity of evidence
We seek primary sources, name our experts, and reach the parties involved for comment before publication whenever possible.
Verification methodology
How a claim becomes a published fact-check.
Every Facenta investigation passes through five stages. The same process applies whether the claim comes from a head of state or a viral WhatsApp forward.
- 01
Claim selection
Editors triage incoming tips, monitor social platforms, and track public statements from officials. We prioritise claims that are verifiable, consequential, and circulating widely — not opinions, satire, or predictions.
- 02
Evidence gathering
Reporters identify the original source of the claim and trace it to primary documents: official records, court filings, peer-reviewed studies, datasets, and on-the-record interviews. Secondary reporting is used only to corroborate, never as a sole source.
- 03
Right of reply
Before publishing, we contact the person or institution behind the claim with our findings and a deadline for response. Their reply is reflected in the article, even when it does not change the verdict.
- 04
Verdict & editorial review
A second editor independently reviews the evidence and proposed verdict (TRUE, MISLEADING, MIXED, FALSE). Disagreements escalate to the managing editor. No fact-check is published on a single reporter's judgment.
- 05
Publication & monitoring
We publish the full source list alongside the verdict. After publication, we monitor for new evidence and update the article with a dated correction or addendum if the picture changes.
Rating scale
What our verdicts mean.
We use a four-tier scale. Each rating is defined publicly so readers and the people we cover know exactly what we are claiming — and what we are not.
- TRUE
The claim is accurate and supported by clear evidence from primary sources.
- MIXED
The claim contains both accurate and inaccurate elements, or important missing context.
- MISLEADING
The claim is technically defensible but creates a false impression through framing or omission.
- FALSE
The claim is contradicted by primary evidence or fabricated entirely.
Editorial policy
The rules we report by.
Sourcing
Every assertion of fact links to a primary source where one exists. Anonymous sources are used only when the information is in the public interest, cannot be obtained otherwise, and is corroborated by at least one additional source.
Corrections
Substantive errors trigger a labelled correction at the top of the article with the date, what was wrong, and what is now accurate. Minor edits (typos, formatting) are made silently. We never delete a published fact-check.
Conflicts of interest
Staff disclose any financial, political, or personal relationship that could reasonably affect their reporting. Reporters recuse themselves from stories involving family, former employers, or organisations they donate to.
Funding
Facenta is funded by reader donations, philanthropic grants, and syndication fees. We accept no money from political parties, candidates, governments, or companies whose products we are likely to fact-check. All grants over $1,000 are listed in our annual report.
The team
Reporters and editors you can name.
Every fact-check carries a byline. Here are the people behind them.
Ama Boateng
Managing Editor
Fifteen years in investigative journalism across West Africa. Former standards editor at a national daily.
Daniel Osei
Head of Verification
Open-source intelligence specialist. Trains newsrooms in geolocation and image forensics.
Linda Mensah
Politics & Governance
Covers parliament, elections, and public finance. Author of two books on electoral integrity.
Kwame Agyeman
Health & Science
Former research scientist. Translates peer-reviewed evidence for general audiences.
Esi Owusu
Economy & Data
Data journalist focused on macroeconomic claims, public budgets, and statistical literacy.
Yaw Frimpong
Community & Tips
Runs the verification desk and triages reader submissions. Former radio producer.
601
Claims investigated to date
38
Countries covered
14
Editors & researchers
Get in touch
Tips, corrections, partnerships
Spot something we should investigate, or notice an error in a published fact-check? Send it to our verification desk and we will respond within two working days.
Submit a claim