Organizational Structure

Ethiopia Check is a legally registered non- profit fact-checking organization. It is registered as a Trust Organization in Kenya with the file number 2252/D7/3174/MMXXII at the Republic of Kenya Registry of Documents, Nairobi.

As an independent and professional fact-checking organization, Ethiopia Check is committed to adhere to high standards of non-partisanship. For this to materialize, team members are properly trained on this policy upon joining the desk. The desk it is committed to execute these:
• Team members cannot support and/or campaign for any political party
• Team members cannot use company equipment/resources to support the causes of any political party or group
• Soliciting funds/money to conduct a fact-check for a certain political entity or individual is strictly forbidden
• Employees are not allowed to participate in political rallies or events in support of a certain political party or group.
• Personal opinions/biases cannot be a part of a fact-checking work
Note: Employees that violate these policies will be subjected to a fair scrutiny and then appropriate measures will be taken if found to be in violation.

Ethiopia Check is a Trust Organization registered in Kenya. It has been part of Internews’ Ethiopia projects from August 2020- November 2022, but is now independent as of December 1, 2022. As of December 2022, the desk has received a sub-award grant from Internews that will continue funding its activities (fact-checking, training, workshops etc) until the end of March 2023. There is no other source of funding for Ethiopia Check until the submission of this application.

Ethiopia Check mostly selects claims based on the viral, sensitiveness and impact that they could have on the society. This way, important claims are taken in while others with less importance are left out. In addition, the desk makes sure that all sides to a story are included by constantly monitoring information and also reaching out to all stakeholders.

Here are the steps the desk follows:

Research:
Identification: Fact-checkers identify a claim made by a public figure or widely circulated on
social media or mainstream media.
Source Collection: Gathering primary sources related to the claim, including official statements,
documents, data from reliable institutions, and expert opinions.
Verification: The collected information is cross-referenced with independent sources or verified
using online tools.

Writing:
Drafting: Write a clear, concise report outlining the claim, the sources checked, and the
findings.
Review: The draft undergoes internal review to ensure impartiality and accuracy, with fact-
checkers and editors providing feedback.

Publishing:
Final Edits: After incorporating feedback, the report is edited for clarity and readability.
Publication: The final fact-check is published on Ethiopia Check’s website, often with
accompanying graphics and links to original sources.

Distribution:

The fact-check is shared through social media, newsletters, and media
partnerships to reach a wide audience and counter misinformation.

This meticulous process ensures that Ethiopia Check provides a reliable and transparent
information to the public.

Please contact us if you think we have made a mistake in our fact-checking work and we will assess it at our earliest convenience. You can send your feedback, complaints or corrections to: [email protected] or send us an SMS using +252974058699. If mistaken were made, Ethiopia Check will issue another separate story with a headline “Correction” and if finds it appropriate to provide further details to clear up issues, it will add an “Update” to the existing story. The desk will make every effort to check correction, complaints and feedbacks on a timely manner.