Google Announces $13.2Mln Grant To Fact-Checking Network To Support Work Worldwide

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th November, 2022) Google and subsidiary YouTube are putting $13.2 million towards a grant to a fact-checking network to support their work addressing misinformation worldwide, the companies said in an official blog post.

"Today, Google and YouTube are announcing a $13.2 million grant to the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the nonprofit Poynter Institute to launch a new Global Fact Check Fund to support their network of 135 fact-checking organizations from 65 countries covering over 80 languages," the post said on Tuesday.

The $13.2 million endeavor is the companies' single largest grant in fact-checking, the post said.

The Global Fact Check Fund will help fact-checkers to scale existing operations or launch new ones that elevate information, uplift credible sources and reduce the harm of mis- and disinformation around the world, the post said.

The fund will open in early 2023, according to the post.

Moreover, YouTube will host a training series starting next year for fact-checking organizations interested in learning more about the platform and best practices for engagement, the post said.

Since 2018, the Google news Initiative has invested nearly $75 million in projects and partnerships working to strengthen media literacy and combat misinformation worldwide, the post said. The new grant to IFCN builds on that commitment, the post added.

Google and YouTube remain committed to continuing to support journalists and fact-checking organizations on the frontlines of the fight against misinformation, the post also said.