Judith Neilson Institute supports RMIT ABC Fact Check in fighting fake news

The Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas (JNI) has provided support to RMIT ABC Fact Check's fight against misinformation on the COVID-19 pandemic.

A grant from JNI will support the production of ‘CoronaCheck’, an email newsletter bringing the latest in fact checking from around the world in relation to the coronavirus.

They have already investigated claims such as the idea that the roll out of 5G is contributing to the spread of the pandemic, and whether boiled oranges with cayenne pepper prevent getting the coronavirus.

JNI executive director Mark Ryan said the funding would help news consumers make sense of the overwhelming amount of COVID-19 news.

"This will enable RMIT ABC Fact Check to commit additional resources to its efforts to tackle misinformation on the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

The Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas

Director of RMIT ABC Fact Check Russell Skelton said that JNI’s generous contribution will significantly assist Fact Check in researching content for the CoronaCheck newsletter.

“Trusted information is an essential ingredient in developing a coherent public policy response to COVID-19,” Skelton said.

“JNI's funding will allow Fact Check to do what it does best in the public interest: identifying false claims parading as facts.“

"The funding will ensure CoronaCheck can continue to provide accurate information to subscribers."

It also supports the deployment of new international fact check resource tools from Full Fact in the UK, enabling quicker fact-checking and assessment.

Dean of RMIT's School of Media and Communication, Professor Lisa French said the need for reliable and authoritative news has become acute as we navigate through misinformation and malicious content.

Dean of the School of Media and Communication, Professor Lisa French

“RMIT ABC Fact Check has earned a reputation for trustworthy and dependable information and we are thrilled that the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas has enabled Fact Check to expand its remit and produce the CoronaCheck newsletter,” French said.

“The uptake has been immediate and there is now an accumulated audience of over 1 million across all ABC and social media platforms.

“This is a testament to the great success of our industry partnership with the ABC and RMIT is delighted that Judith Neilson Institute, with whom we share a passion for championing quality journalism, sees the value of RMIT ABC Fact Check and are supporting the work we are doing during the pandemic ”.

CoronaCheck is supported by funding from the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas. RMIT ABC Fact Check is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network. We thank other signatories for allowing us to share their work.

Story: Caleb Scanlon

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20 April 2020

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20 April 2020

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Judith Neilson Institute supports RMIT ABC Fact Check in fighting fake news