Ukrinform steps up fact-checking production, participates in AFP training for second time as part of EMIF-supported effort

A team of AFP journalists specialised in fact-checking will be offering tailored training in digital investigation to Ukrainian journalists from Ukrinform, Ukraine’s largest news agency, as well as their colleagues from Kyiv Post, Ukraine’s primary English-language newspaper. 

The programme will take place over several months as part of a project supported by the European Media and Information Fund (EMIF) and managed by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. 

“Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the explosion of disinformation on social networks has complicated the task of journalists seeking to report the conflict in a reliable and impartial manner,” said Estelle Péard, AFP Training Coordinator for Digital Investigation in Europe.

“The training we offer will enable Kyiv Post and Ukrinform journalists to be better equipped to spot and verify false information circulating online,” she added.  

Ukrinform will participate in the project for the second time, following initial training led by AFP in partnership with the Austrian agency APA between September 2022 and February 2023.

"We see that only a few leading European news agencies focus on debunking fakes and misinformation spread by Russian propaganda, so we will step up the relevant work. We are grateful to the leadership and fact-checking team of the AFP news agency for their leadership and powerful work in this area," said Ukrinform Director General Oleksandr Kharchenko.

About AFP’s fact-checking network

As the world’s leading fact-checking network with 140 journalists working across five continents, AFP is a member of the 8 hubs of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO). AFP is also a member of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and has been involved in the development of the code of standards and best practices for the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN). Additionally, AFP is part of Meta’s project to identify and report false and misleading information circulating on its platforms.

About Ukrinform

Ukrinform is the only national information agency of Ukraine and serves as a source of information on political, economic, social, scientific, cultural, and public life in Ukraine and abroad. The agency has been operating since 1918.

Today, Ukrinform boasts the largest network of regional and foreign correspondents. Our reporters work in every region of Ukraine and in 11 countries around the world, including the USA, Canada, Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Latvia, Turkey, and China.

Every day, Ukrinform provides readers with a complete and objective picture of events, publishing more than 300 news items per day, along with exclusive comments and interviews, photo reports, and infographics.

News is available in Ukrainian, English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, and Polish languages.

The agency produces dozens of professional information products, including news feeds, information packages, and bulletins. Among the subscribers and partners of Ukrinform are digital and print media, TV and radio companies in Ukraine and abroad, private and public institutions, embassies and consulates, enterprises, and banks.

About EMIF

The European Media and Information Fund (EMIF) supports collaborative efforts aimed at debunking disinformation, enhancing independent fact-checking, and enabling targeted research and innovation tools designed to strengthen resilience among media outlets, and their response to disinformation. The EMIF was established by the European University Institute and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.