Danbi News, a non-profit independent media outlet run by Semyung University’s Graduate School of Journalism, has been officially approved as a verified fact-checking organisation by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN).

Semyung University’s Graduate School of Journalism said on Sunday that Danbi News obtained IFCN verified status on July 18. The number of South Korean media organisations with IFCN verification has increased to 2, following JTBC.

IFCN is a voluntary coalition joined by fact-checking organisations worldwide. It is headquartered at the Poynter Institute, a U.S. media research and education organisation.

Danbi News’ fact-checking unit, Danbi Fact Check, began activities in March last year. Students at Semyung University’s Graduate School of Journalism produce fact-check articles, and the faculty oversees the verification process and final decisions. Danbi Fact Check established its own guidelines and verification methodology to obtain IFCN verification from the time it launched. After meeting minimum activity requirements for screening, it applied for verification screening in April.

To receive IFCN verification, an organisation must comply with 5 principles: non-partisanship and fairness, transparency of sources, financial and organisational transparency, transparency of verification methods, and open and honest corrections. Before applying, it must also produce fact-check articles for at least 6 months, averaging at least 1 per week. IFCN verified organisations must submit annual activity records and renew their status.

Danbi News also qualifies as a “fact-checking organisation that complies with norms on international fact-checking procedures” as stipulated in the revised Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.

The revised act stipulates that platform operators such as Naver, Kakao and Google should first autonomously determine whether information is false or manipulated. If fact-checking is difficult, they can sign agreements with fact-checking organisations and request verification of information currently in circulation. These fact-checking organisations require IFCN verification.

Eun-ryeong Jung (정은령), weekly editor of Danbi News and a professor at Semyung University’s Graduate School of Journalism, said, “Becoming an IFCN verified organisation means being recognised as an organisation that practises the standards fact-checking organisations must uphold.”