WELCOME TO FAKTABAARI (FACTBAR)

Faktabaari is a Finnish digital information literacy and fact-checking service. Since 2014, it has regularly contributed to fact-based information circulation with innovative projects and fact-checks, notably to all national and European Parliamentary election debates with academically acclaimed quality and transparency standards. Since 2017, Faktabaari has in parallel developed a digital information literacy project (Faktabaari EDU), building on fact-checking with voter literacy campaigns. Currently the main focus is in preventive digital information literacy development with strong focus on building AI competences to citizens.

Faktabaari adheres also to the Finnish ethical code for journalists, is managed by a registered Finnish non-profit transparency NGO (Avoin Yhteiskunta ry) and works predominantly on a project basis. Faktabaari Editor includes professional journalists, researchers, EU experts, teachers and technical specialists supported by a broader community of topic experts, as well as information and media literacy specialists.

Currently, Faktabaari is engaged within the new EDMO (European Digital Media Observatory) and specifically within NORDIS (Nordic Observatory for digital media and information disorders) regional EDMO hub in developing a digital information literacy approach tackling digital information disorders as well as structural information biases and microtargeting with specific focus on Elections.

AWARDS AND REPRESENTATION

Faktabaari has been awarded Europcom, the Bonnier Grand Journalism Prize and two Chydenius medals (2018 and again 2021 with NORDIS) and Alfred Kordelin Prize (2023). International Fact-checking Network peers have also recognized Faktabaari’s work with the finalist nomination in the Best Correction category (2019). Voter, AI and information literacy work by Faktabaari EDU has attained interest and wide publicity from several major media (e.g. CNN, the Guardian, ARD, Le Monde) and institutional actors (e.g. UNESCO, Council of Europe, European Commission).

Faktabaari representatives have frequently contributed eg. to the EU online disinformation High-level Group, the EU media literacy expert group and the Council of Europe’s literacy work. Past literacy development roles include e.g. Stanford University ”Teaching Critical and Evaluative Thinking in Science”; EU Commission Joint Research Centre DigComp expert groups and EU commission Expert Group on Digital literacy and tackling disinformation. Faktabaari keeps contributing also to many groups for online election integrity and has co-funded Helsinki Democracy Drinks.

FUNDING and NETWORK

Faktabaari’s projects are primarily funded via third sector grants and prizes, while lectures and material production are additional revenue sources. Since 2024 Faktabaari has had an independent support foundation FAKTA foundation to contribute to the independence and sustainability of Faktabaari within its mission to catalyze digital information literacy development and fact-based public debate.

Faktabaari has an extensive national and international network and has catalyzed multiple joint actions to tackle information disorders within many networks such as EDMO, IFCN, EFCN and EUdisinfo Lab. Since 2021 Faktabaari has led within Nordic EDMO consortium NORDIS, the development of Digital Information Literacy and AI competences (especially among teachers) based on latest Academic research and hands-on pilots with predominantly Finnish stakeholders.