Unlocking the Potential of NSO Data:
Strengthening Data Use by Fact-Checkers
by
Deirdre Appel
28 April 2022
Strengthening the relationship between fact-checkers and national statistical offices can enhance the impact of each community’s work. But how can these two stakeholder groups strengthen their connections?
Pursuing this challenge, Open Data Watch, Open Data Institute, and PARIS21 teamed up with three global fact-checking organizations — Full Fact, Chequeado, and Africa Check — for a webinar on 22 April that reveals a path to curb the spread of misinformation around the world.
The first panel of the event tackled the limitations of official statistics for fact-checking purposes and how to overcome a number of challenges that reduce the potential impact of NSO data. The second dove into real stories and examples of fact-checkers and journalists putting data to use to curb the spread of misinformation and to put the power of data into the hands of the people. Together the two discussions identified the obstacles and opportunities of using official statistics data for fact-checking and outlined the emerging roles for stakeholders to make it actually work.
Watch the event: