Teen fact-checking network to address digital misinformation

Independent fact-checking organisation Boom Live has launched a “first of its kind” fact-checking and media literacy program targeting teenagers in India.

Working with MediaWise, the digital media literacy initiative of the Poynter Institute, Boom Live has selected 13 teenagers from over 100 applications to participate in the programme.

The final 13 teen fact-checkers will pitch, write and record ten fact-checks covering technology, health and nutrition, education, and finance in English and other Indian languages, which will then be published on Boom’s YouTube, Instagram and Linkedin handles.

H R Venkatesh, director, training and research, Boom Live said that the network will “address the misinformation challenges that Indian teens face”.

“One, it involves young people who will no doubt influence their peers to pause, think and do some digging before believing whatever they see and hear. Two, they’re learning and teaching not just fact-checking but also media literacy, which means they’re learning to find answers but also ask the right questions. And three, they’re doing it in the best way to scale educational messages, which is through journalistic content and video,” Venkatesh said in a statement.