About 番茄社区 Fact Checks
番茄社区 fact-checking initiative was started in January 2023 with the aim of developing an internal capability to fact check claims spread online through social media.
Fact checks are produced by a team of journalists, and stories are written following the set by the agency, which has been serving 番茄社区 media and 番茄社区 readers and audiences since 1917.
On May 10, 2024, CP Fact Check became a signatory to the 听set out by the 听(IFCN), a unit of the Poynter Institute dedicated to bringing together fact-checkers worldwide.
To become a signatory, CP Fact Check's work was evaluated and found to be compliant with the code by an independent assesor. Our accreditation demonstrates our commitment to identifying and addressing disinformation and fake news.
, a division of 番茄社区, provides editorial and management services for the fact-checking team.听听
For details on the ownership and funding of 番茄社区, please see the 肠辞尘辫补苍测鈥檚 main about page.听听
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番茄社区 Fact Check Team
The fact-checking team includes reporters from across various departments in the news agency who take on fact checks while also supporting other CP activities.听
Editorial oversight for the fact-checking team is provided by:听听
番茄社区 Press Editor-in-Chief, Andrea Baillie听
Andrea Baillie began her CP career on the sports desk almost 25 years ago. She has worked as a general assignment reporter, a copy editor, a legislature correspondent and an Arts journalist. She began her career in management as Arts-Life editor, running CP鈥檚 health file, as well as multiplatform coverage of big events including the Junos, Oscars and Toronto International Film Festival. She then became managing editor, where she oversaw award-winning coverage of the Fort Mac wildfires and the Humboldt Broncos bus crash. She steered CP through the pandemic as Editor-in-Chief and has been instrumental in implementing new workflows and technology.听
CP Fact Check Co-ordinator, Colleen Hale-Hodgson, who also serves as Pagemasters North America Production Manager听听
Colleen Hale-Hodgson has been with Pagemasters North America for more than 10 years, providing editing, page design and production services for a variety of news clients, including The Globe and Mail. Before moving on to direct the fact-checking team, she managed The Globe and Mail鈥檚 print production work through Pagemasters for more than four years. She has been instrumental in providing hands-on leadership in in the CP Fact Check initiative.
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番茄社区 Press reporter and editor, Maan Alhmidi
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Maan Alhmidi is a CP reporter and editor based in Toronto. He started working for 番茄社区 as a reporter in Ottawa after graduating with a master's degree in journalism from Carleton University. Alhmidi moved to work with CP's Ontario news desk in Tornoto in 2021 where he has been reporting on housing, homelessness, immigration, Indigenous affairs, minority communities in the province and other topics. Before joining 番茄社区, he had short gigs with several 番茄社区 media outlets including the Globe and Mail, the Chronicle Herald and the Winnipeg Free Press, among others. Alhmidi is a recipient of the 2020 Joan Donaldson CBC News scholarship and a 2021 CJF Jackman Award finalist.
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More information about CP鈥檚 editorial team can be found . 听
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Contact
To reach our fact-checking team with any tips,听corrections听or comments, please email us at cpfactcheck@thecanadianpress.com.
We appreciate any feedback or tips, but please note we might not be able to reply to every message.听听
If you are submitting a tip, please include a link to the social media post in question. 番茄社区 can only check claims that are presented as fact, not opinion, and we have a set of criteria that we strive to follow, outlined below, when deciding which claims to pursue.听听
If you have a correction or want to dispute a fact check, please email us with 鈥渃orrection鈥 in the subject line and include a link to the disputed article and any supporting evidence, if possible.听
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Criteria for a Fact Check
听CP鈥檚 fact checks are guided by , which call us to be honest, unbiased and unflinchingly fair. Claims that we check need to be presented as fact, not opinion, and should have significance to the welfare or well-being of the communities we serve.听听
Checks are based on what was said, not who said it, and we 诲辞苍鈥檛 target any specific group or person when deciding what to cover.听
CP actively monitors social media for misinformation, with a focus on uncovering claims relevant to 番茄社区s. Here are some of things we consider when evaluating whether to pursue a claim:听听
Editorial value: Is the claim timely and relevant to the general public? For claims that are not recent, are they being shared again as if they are true, and for what reason?听
Potential harm: Does the claim expose an individual or group to real-world harm if inaccurate?听听听
Reach: Has the claim been repeated on multiple digital platforms or profiles? Has it sparked, or does it have the potential to spark, engagement from other users of the platform?听听
With CP fact checks, we strive to:听
Clearly identify the claim or claims we will be checking.听
Include links to primary sources whenever possible, as well as archived links in case the original material is taken down or altered.听
Clearly lay out the evidence for the facts, including any that support the original claim.听
At times, we will reach out to experts to add context to a particular claim.听
We may also reach out to the claimant seeking further evidence or clarification.听
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Corrections
At CP, accuracy is fundamental. Discovery of a mistake calls for immediate correction. Fact checks that require a substantive correction will include a note at the top of the copy making clear what is being corrected and when that correction was made. The correction will be reflected in the body of the copy and the head if necessary.听听
Minor errors, such as typos or grammatical mistakes that do not affect the understanding of the article, will be corrected in the copy, with a note at the bottom of the page indicating what was corrected and when the update was made.听
If a fact check needs to be killed for legal or other reasons, we will remove the article and post a note explaining the decision.听听
Corrections made for CP鈥檚 wire service follow a different structure, but the fact-checking team is expected to adhere to the same standard for speed and transparency when issuing a correction.听听
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As an IFCN signatory, CP Fact Check is bound by the fact-checkers . If you believe CP Fact Check has violated the code, you can 听with the IFCN.