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Statement on The Guardian’s story on Facebook’s fact-checking project

VERA Files Fact Check takes exception to a claim in an article by The Guardian that Facebook was “pushing reporters to prioritize debunking misinformation that affected Facebook advertisers.”

Like Politifact and four other Facebook third-party fact-checking organizations that have issued a joint statement on the issue, VERA Files Fact Check has never had this experience. We zealously guard and maintain our editorial independence.

We share the sentiments of fellow third-party fact checkers that responded to a Poynter survey that the Facebook project has been a “net positive,” but there is room for improvement. Like the rest, we seek greater transparency over the impact of our work. (Disclosure: VERA Files Fact Check is among the 19 organizations that answered the survey.)

As we continue to work as a third-party fact checker in 2019, we renew our commitment to adhere to the highest standards of journalism and fact checking.

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