THE JOURNAL FACTCHECK is delighted to launch a new website to help people in Ireland navigate complex news topics that are conversation and debate starters across the country.
Knowledge Bank is full of great explainers and essential reads to give readers vital context for understanding big news stories – but also for recognising narratives, conspiracies and coded language which are used in the spreading of mis- and disinformation.
The website aims to be a resource where the FactCheck team can share the insights and skills it has built up over our almost nine years of fact-checking and debunking – so that the public can do it for themselves too.
The site – which can be found at factchecking.ie – also hosts a toolkit with videos, tips and guides on how to source reliable information, spot dodgy images and more.
Six broad topics – climate crisis, society, migration, public health, conflict and elections – offer readers deep dives and quick explainers in areas which have attracted bad information.
Under the climate crisis heading, find information about the national herd, carbon taxes and the European Union’s Nature Restoration Law, as well as the major myths that are still shared about climate change.
As two major conflicts – Ukraine/Russia and Israel/Gaza – are currently dominating the news agenda, Knowledge Bank features histories about the regions, plus a detailed guide on how to spot typical war-time propaganda and fake social media posts.
With elections happening in Ireland and around the world in 2024 and 2025 - at least 50 countries and over 4 billion people go to the polls this year alone – there are real concerns about the scale of this misinformation and what impact it could have not just on the results but also for democracy. The elections section examines how some people are looking to undermine the voting processes in many countries, and also looks at the rules of the Irish electoral system and exactly how the EU works.
Most polls taken in Ireland this year show that migration is a policy issue top of people’s minds. The website offers a breakdown of some of the areas of concern, including housing and the European Union’s role.
Four years on from the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, one of top 10 threats to public health is vaccine hesitancy which has been worsened by disinformation. Knowledge Bank examines the historic nature of the phenomenon, while its explainers look at other public health stories including the increase in the incidence of measles, the current state of play for Sláintecare and what exactly happened in the Cervical Check scandal.
Under the society headline, diverse topics including the gender pay gap, the NGO sector, anti-LGBT protests, the Cass Review and the Hate Crime Bill are delved into by The Journal‘s team of writers and a host of outside experts.
Dr Eileen Culloty, co-chair of Media Literacy Ireland said about Knowledge Bank: “This is a good example of a project that takes an empowering rather than solely protectionist approach as it encourages people to learn how to ‘read around’ complex topics such as climate change and conflict reporting by highlighting key issues and biases, and encourages people to develop the skills to investigate content for themselves.”
Readers can find Knowledge Bank at factchecking.ie and at various access points on articles within The Journal.
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