FCN Signatories

Website

https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof

Date

29/04/2025

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APPLICANT

Date: 06/03/2025

WebQoof is The Quint's fact-checking vertical. The Quint is a legally registered organisation, owned by Quint Digital Media Limited (earlier known as Gaurav Mercantiles Limited), a company listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Limited. Mr. Raghav Bahl and Ms. Ritu Kapur are the Promoters of Quint Digital Media Limited. Please refer to the corporate website of the Company at www.quintdigitalmedia.com

Details of its legal registration are presented under the header ‘How Are We Funded?’ in the 'About Us' section here: https://www.thequint.com/about-us

Assessor´s verdict:

COMPLIANT

Conversation:

Assessor

NEEDS MORE INFO

Date: 17/04/2025

Corporate website www.quintdigitalmedia.com is not responding.

Applicant

NEEDS MORE INFO

Date: 17/04/2025

The website migrated to https://quintdigital.in/ in the past few days.

Assessor

COMPLIANT

Date: 18/04/2025

The new url gives the required information.

APPLICANT

Date: 06/03/2025

The Quint has no commercial, financial and/or institutional relationship to the state, politicians or political parties in the country or countries it covers. No funding or support was received from foreign or local state or political actors over the previous financial year.

Assessor´s verdict:

COMPLIANT

Conversation:

Assessor

NEEDS MORE INFO

Date: 17/04/2025

The section on How Are We Funded? in https://www.thequint.com/about-us says:

The Quint is owned by Quint Digital Limited, a company listed on the BSE Limited. Raghav Bahl and Ritu Kapur are the Promoters of Quint Digital Limited (formerly known as Quint Digital Media Limited). Please refer to the corporate website of the company at www.quintdigitalmedia.com.

It is noticed that the corporate website (www.quintdigitalmedia.com) is not responding, because of which information on source of funding (local, foreign, political etc.) is not available.

Applicant

NEEDS MORE INFO

Date: 17/04/2025

This information is available on the updated URL: https://quintdigital.in/

Assessor

COMPLIANT

Date: 18/04/2025

The new url gives the required information.

APPLICANT

Date: 06/03/2025

The process of fact-checking ranges from ground reporting to assessing government and publicly available data and contacting stakeholders and authorities to verify facts. We also rely on online tools like InVID, X(formerly

Twitter) Advanced Search, Google Advanced Search, Google Maps, etc., while analysing various parts of a message for a detailed response.

We also, when possible, send out reporters on the ground to verify news stories and prevent misinformation from spreading.
Our methodology can be found here: https://www.thequint.com/about-us/webqoof

Assessor´s verdict:

COMPLIANT

Conversation:

Assessor

NEEDS MORE INFO

Date: 17/04/2025

The three queries about:

* How you select claims to check,

* How you establish the importance and reach of a claim, and,

* How you ensure that your fact-checking is not concentrated on any one side"

are not answered clearly. Instead, the methodology of fact checking is repeated.

Applicant

NEEDS MORE INFO

Date: 18/04/2025

We have sent our reporters on the ground many times to verify news stories, thus preventing misinformation from spreading. One of the examples is the time of the Kathua rape case. Our reporter travelled to Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir to verify and bring out the facts. We also rely on personal interaction with concerned parties to verify messages pertaining to them. For instance: For various messages about government schemes — when the details are not available on government websites — we write/call the concerned ministry/department for clarification.

By following these steps for as many claims as required, we take steps to make sure that we collect information from diverse sources. This ensures that the facts we gather can be corroborated by all parties concerned with respect to the claims in question, and our work is not concentrated on any side.

Selection of Claims:

1 We assess the impact that fake post can have — is it likely to instigate violence? Can it harm anyone? What will be the implications if it goes viral?

2 We assess the kind of damage it can do. In certain cases, posts can incite violence or can make an already sensitive situation worse, we prioritise based on the repercussions it can have.

3 We check the virality. In some cases, the most innocuous posts, which are viral, can mislead/misinform people.

4 Misinformation is parallel to the news cycle, we also focus on breaking news events and news cycles to ensure that we fact-check and debunk narratives and falsehoods around that.

5 We thoroughly assess the importance of the claim before publishing a fact-check and consider the number of people a claim may have reached. In cases where a claim is not shared by more than a couple of users, we refrain from publishing a report in order to prevent platforming misinformation.

6 On the other hand, if a claim makes seriously misleading, false, and/or potentially harmful statements, we choose to publish a fact-check report debunking it regardless of how many people may have shared it due to the impact it may have.

This can be found under 'Methodology' here:
https://www.thequint.com/about-us/webqoof

Assessor

COMPLIANT

Date: 18/04/2025

The additional information serves the purpose of compliance.

APPLICANT

Date: 06/03/2025

The policy can be found under our Editorial Code of Conduct:
https://www.thequint.com/quintlab/editorial-code-of-conduct.pdf

Assessor´s verdict:

COMPLIANT

Conversation:

Assessor

NEEDS MORE INFO

Date: 17/04/2025

There is no categorical mention of stakeholders and their political affiliations.

The corporate website of the company at www.quintdigitalmedia.com is not responding.

Applicant

NEEDS MORE INFO

Date: 17/04/2025

As part of company policy, employees are required to sign an undertaking that clearly states that they are not directly or indirectly involved with any political party or candidate. Team members must not be involved directly or indirectly in any political activity, such as advocating or campaigning for any political party or candidate or public expressions of their personal political preference (like sticking banners in their houses, displaying political stickers or slogans on their vehicles, etc.).

Team members are prohibited from contesting or accepting any appointment or association of whatsoever nature with any public office.

This policy is applicable to stakeholders as well.
Details about investors can be found here:
https://quintdigital.in/investors/

Assessor

COMPLIANT

Date: 18/04/2025

The new url gives the relevant information.

APPLICANT

Date: 06/03/2025

Text

Team WebQoof did not receive any correction request in the previous calender year.
Our last error was made in a fact-check published on 9 January 2024 in a fact-check about images being incorrectly shared as ones from Lakshadweep.
We corrected the error and in the report and stated the same at the bottom of the article.

Report:https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/images-andaman-and-nicobar-islands-india-maldives-thailand-viral-claim-fact-check#read-more

File

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Assessor´s verdict:

COMPLIANT

Conversation:

Assessor

NEEDS MORE INFO

Date: 17/04/2025

The attached example of a correction of an error made by the applicant (although dating prior to the previous calendar year) only mentions "regret" over the error; it does not make it possible for readers to of the original know what was the error and the correction thereof.

Applicant

NEEDS MORE INFO

Date: 18/04/2025

Going forward, we will update the correction message to inform about the change made in the copy.

Assessor

COMPLIANT

Date: 18/04/2025

The assurance about updating correction messages in future can be accepted as compliance.

APPLICANT

Date: 06/03/2025

In some instances, Team WebQoof is unable to get to the original author/source/person associated with a certain claim when another news or fact-checking organisation has been able to. Whenever this happens, The Quint either uses the relevant information by crediting it to the organisation by incorporating their names and hyperlinks to their pages, or by expressly contacting the author/creator of the content and taking permission prior to publication.

This can be read under the 'Intellectual Property and Republished Content in Fact-Checks' header here:
https://www.thequint.com/terms-and-conditions

Assessor´s verdict:

COMPLIANT

Conversation:

Assessor

NEEDS MORE INFO

Date: 17/04/2025

The required clause is given in the relevant section of the website, but no example of such collaboration is given.

Applicant

NEEDS MORE INFO

Date: 17/04/2025

One example of using apart of another fact-checking organisation is in this fact-check, where we reused Boom's findings in part, with credit.
https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/videos-of-two-awami-league-leader-being-lynched-in-bangladesh-shared-with-false-communal-claim-fact-check#read-more

Assessor

COMPLIANT

Date: 18/04/2025

The given example is relevant and shows compliance.

Section 1: Eligibility to be a verified signatory This section aims to assess if an Applicant meets the eligibility criteria for becoming a verified signatory to the MCA Code of Principles.

1.1 The Applicant is legally registered in India

1.2 The Applicant's fact-checking activities have a substantial and demonstrable focus on India

1.3 The Applicant’s fact-checking has been published either in English/Hindi and/or in one of the 22 languages listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India, in the course of the twelve months prior to the date of application

1.4 At least 75% of the Applicant’s fact checks must relate to issues that could have an impact on the welfare or well-being of individuals, the general public, or society, or have a public interest element

1.5 The Applicant’s editorial output must not be under the control of the state, any political party, or a politician

1.6 The Applicant must, fully and fairly, disclose if it receives funds from local or foreign state or political sources

Section 2: Non-partisanship and fairness This section aims to understand how an Applicant ensures impartiality in their fact-checking operation.

2.1 The Applicant fact-checks use the same high standards of evidence and judgement for equivalent claims, regardless of who made the claim

2.2 The Applicant does not unduly concentrate its fact-checking on any one side

2.3 The Applicant discloses on its website and/or in the fact check any reasonable conflict of interest, other relevant interests, or bias, including that of the experts or organisations cited in the fact check

2.4 The Applicant is not affiliated with nor declares or shows support for any political party, any politician or political candidate, nor does it advocate for or against any policy positions on any issues save for transparency and accuracy in public debate

2.6 The Applicant discloses any ownership or stake in its organization held by sitting members of parliament, assembly, local governments; office bearers or spokespersons of political parties; or those directly or indirectly associated with political parties

2.7 The Applicant does not employ anyone who holds a salaried and/or prominent position in a political party, government, state, or public company under the direct or indirect control of a political party, government, or the state

2.8 The Applicant only advocates for issues that are relevant to the mission of fact-checking, strengthening democracy, and improving general transparency and accountability of various organs of the state, and are compatible with the reputation for independence and impartiality

Section 3: Transparency of sources This section aims to understand how the Applicant ensures that their readers can independently verify the findings mentioned in a fact check themselves.

3.1 The Applicant identifies the source of all significant evidence used in its fact checks and provides relevant links where the source is available online

3.2 The Applicant uses the best available primary, not secondary, source of evidence

3.3 The Applicant checks all key elements of claims against more than one named source of evidence, except where the one source is the only source relevant and available on the topic

3.4 The Applicant always identifies and discloses its relevant interests, including any commercial relations, and that of its sources, in the fact checks, where the reader might reasonably conclude those interests could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided

Section 4: Transparency of funding and organisation This section aims to understand the funding sources of the Applicant and their funders' influence on editorial decisions.

4.1 The Applicant is an independent organization

4.2 The Applicant is a dedicated fact-checking section or unit in an organization

4.3 The Applicant discloses the names of persons or entities holding over 10% of the shares/stakes in it

4.4 The Applicant provides information about who runs its editorial operations and how

4.5 The Applicant provides an easy means on its website and/or via social media for users to communicate with its editorial and fact-checking team

Section 5: Transparency of methodology This section aims to understand an Applicant's methodology for selecting, researching, writing, editing, publishing and correcting their fact checks and how they encourage readers to send claims to fact-check.

5.1 The Applicant’s fact-checking methodology is available on its website

5.2 The Applicant selects claims to fact-check based on their reach and importance

5.3 The Applicant provides evidence that supports and undermines a claim, irrespective of who made the claim

5.4 The Applicant makes a demonstrable effort to contact the person/organization making the claim to seek supporting evidence

5.5 The Applicant encourages readers to send in claims to fact check

5.6 The Applicant quotes experts after establishing their credibility

5.7 The Applicant ensures each investigation undergoes at least one round of editing before publication, by someone other than the author

5.8 The Applicant presents findings in precise, factual, and non-emotive language while taking care not to overstate conclusions

Section 6: Open and honest corrections policyy This section aims to understand an Applicant's corrections policy, how it is followed, how transparent it is, and how the Applicant ensures that readers see the corrected version.

6.1 The Applicant has a corrections or complaints policy that is easily and prominently visible and accessible on its website

6.2 Where credible evidence is provided demonstrating that the Applicant has made a mistake worthy of correction, it makes the correction openly and transparently, seeking to ensure as far as possible that readers of the original see the correction and the corrected version

6.4 If the Applicant is the fact-checking unit of a media company, its parent company adopts and adheres to the same corrections policy as is being followed by the Applicant

Section 7: Intellectual property rights This section aims to understand how Applicant observes and demonstrates respect for intellectual property rights in all forms including text, image, audio or video.

7.1 The Applicant publishes all fact checks on its website, and does not keep the fact checks behind a paywall. The fact checks should be easily accessible in the public domain and without coste

7.2 The Applicant observes & respects intellectual property laws, creative commons licences, copyrights when using, modifying, and/or merging any contente

7.3 The Applicant allows, where possible & applicable, the organization’s content to be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons license with source attribution

7.5 The Applicant discloses all references and sources that have been used in the fact-check

Section 8: Commitment to privacy and safety This section aims to understand how Applicant identifies and demonstrates commitment to privacy and safety.

8.2 The Applicant is restrictive, respectful, and considerate when mentioning or identifying minors (as permitted under existing law) and makes all possible efforts to protect their privacy

8.4 The Applicant has put in place measures that aim to address the risk of trauma or harassment experienced by staff as a result of its activities, including but not limited to, providing training to prevent and identify symptoms