Methodology: How we do fact-checking
Our fact-checkers look for claims in the public space or the internet to fact-check which may include interviews, speeches, political campaign rally and, radio and TV current affairs shows, news stories, discussions, social media buzz, manifestos by candidates and political parties, statistical data and even press releases public institutions or companies.
In the case of contention between political parties or candidates, our team will do a comparative analysis of the topical issues based on available data and policies to publish fact sheets on such issues for our readers to gain insights and be able to draw conclusions without sacrificing the real truth.
We follow only newsworthy claims which we usually fact-check using the following criteria:
- Is it possible to verify the statement?
- How significant is/are the claims?
- Is/are the claims capable of misleading the public?
- Is the claim likely to be repeated as fact in future public discourse?
Over the years, DailyAgent has prioritised network building with professionals and experts that can be leveraged as sources for verifications and fact-checking in various fields and sectors of the economy. Our team of fact-checkers leverages these sources to complement our work for routine fact-checking processes. These involve: contacting the persons or institutions that make the claims and those about whom the claims are made; consulting public policy documents and research reports; doing thorough keyword Google searches for credible online sources and comparing with the outcomes of previous fact-checking findings (if any) on the same claims.
All our fact-check reports and verdicts are transparent and accountable as we always leave traces of sources and links available which make it possible for any reader or group to verify our reports and conclusions.
What is our verdict?
We’ve established different categories for our verdicts which are included in our reports depending on what our conclusion is.
- Entirely true —This is when the statement is accurate and proven to be true.
- Mostly true—This is when the statement is accurate but needs additional clarification or information is required to make it true.
- Half true—This verdict is put forward when the statement is found to be partially inaccurate but contains some element of truth.
- Mostly False—This is when the statement contains some elements that contribute to truth but ignores critical facts that could give a different impression.
- Completely False—The statement is entirely inaccurate
- True but misleading—This happens when the statement is wholly or mostly true but contains some elements that are deceptive.
- Not verifiable—The statement or data is difficult to verify because there exists no current and aggregated data to assist in verifying the statement.
You can submit a claim for verification at factcheck@dailyagentcheck.ng. Our team will verify your claim and send the report.