The Arab Fact-Checkers Network (AFCN) is a grassroots network that works towards fostering transparent and impartial fact-checking in the Arab region. This network is a product of the mis/disinformation spikes amid the unprecedented times of COVID-19 worldwide.

The AFCN network, led by the Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), convenes Arab fact-checking units, institutions, and platforms from around the region, in addition to freelance Arab fact-checkers, to collaborate on promoting fact-checking and advancing in its techniques and vision towards more accountability in societies. With the support of Arab fact-checkers, the network will excel at spreading fact-checked journalism, which has come to be a necessity.

The network cares for news and rumors fact-checking, post-publication fact-checking and editorial fact-checking (pre-publication) which is scarce within newsrooms and platforms in the Arab region. It is a laborious process that requires professional, experienced, tech-savvy and nonpartisan personnel as well as the financing to evolve. ARIJ, as one of few Arab networks that carry out solid editorial fact-checking, stands by its firm belief that a deep-rooted fact-checking culture within the Arab media field will influence a sustainable future of accountability and transparency.

The AFCN project kicked off at ARIJ’s 13th Annual and 1st Virtual Forum (Dec 2020).