Production Data
Shot in Kiev, October, 23, 2015
Script, Production, Camera: Artem Babak
Edited with: Premiere Elements 13
Summary
The fact-checking online project StopFake verifies news and debunks untrue information that the media published about events in Ukraine.
Besides general information about the idea of the project, this video also introduces a member of the StopFake team – Maria Kovalchuk. She is responsible for media monitoring and representing the project on social media.
About StopFake
The website www.stopfake.org was launched in March 2014, after Russia began the military operation to annex the Crimea peninsula and launched large-scale propaganda against Ukraine.
At that time, about 20 people worked for the project. Since 2015, StopFake has received financial support from several international foundations.
StopFake fact-checkers mostly verify and check Ukrainian and Russian websites. The website is available in five languages: Russian, English, Romanian, Spanish and Bulgarian.
Weekly newscasts in English:
Maria Kovalchuk
Kiev-born Ukrainian journalist Maria Kovalchuk works in daily media monitoring, mostly of Russian websites. Currently she is studying for an M.A. in philology at the National University of Kiev-Mohyla Academy. Maria Kovalchuk has been working for StopFake since spring 2014.
Background Information
Fact-checking became a very important topic for Ukraine in 2014, when the media (mainly Russian media controlled by the authorities) started spreading untrue news about the events in Ukraine. Such news often become viral and are widely spread on social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte and Odnoklassniki. A majority of internet users do not verify this information.
Interesting Links
Website of The Africa Check (in English)