FactCheck.org, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, was recently awarded funding by the Google News Initiative to help combat COVID-19 immunization misinformation.
Credit: Madison ValerioThe Google News Initiative awarded funding to FactCheck.org and Univision Noticias to combat COVID-19 immunization misinformation in United States Hispanic households.
FactCheck.org is a nonpartisan project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center aimed at monitoring the accuracy of statements in U.S. politics. The organization works with Univision, the primary news source for Hispanics in the United States, to reach a larger audience, the Annenberg Public Policy Center reported. The joint project aims to provide accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines to Hispanic households via brief explanatory articles and videos in both Spanish and English.
The Google News Initiative launched its $3 million Open Fund in January to combat COVID-19 vaccine misinformation targeting underprivileged communities. The fund received approximately 310 applications from 74 countries, and announced the recipients on March 16.
Of the 11 projects chosen for Google News Initiative funding, only FactCheck.org and Univision Noticias are based in the United States.
Recognizing the historical association between health inequities and language barriers, FactCheck.org provides fact checks in both English and Spanish, offering articles, videos, and guides to the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. FactCheck.org and Univision previously worked together during the last two months of the 2020 election.
Jose Zamora, senior vice president of communications at Univision, told the Annenberg Public Policy Center that he believes their collaboration represents an opportunity to reach a larger audience for both English and Spanish speaking communities in the United States.
“The pandemic and misinformation have disproportionately affected the Hispanic community,” Zamora said. “This partnership between Univision Noticias and FactCheck.org, with the support of the Google News Initiative, allows us to work with one of the most respected fact-checking platforms in the U.S. to continue and amplify our fight against misinformation and ensure that Latinos have access to accurate information.”
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