Public Tech Media Lab partners with Factchequeado to help Latino newsrooms

The Public Tech Media Lab (PTML) has partnered with nonprofit fact-checking organization, Factchequeado, in the hopes of equipping newsrooms of all sizes with the tools they need. As the largest collaborative effort against disinformation in Spanish, Factchequeado bridges the information gap for over 68 million Latinos nationwide and serves to bring reliable Spanish-language media to these communities. Combining Factchequeado’s network of partners with PTML’s open-source intelligence training allows Latino newsrooms and publications to reach new heights.

By providing smaller newsrooms with connections and tools to provide fact-based information, users are no longer left guessing if something is true or not. It’s this idea that brought together Factchequeado and PTML.

The PTML offers trainings in fact-checking techniques, AI literacy and open-source intelligence (OSINT), which is the collection, analysis and verification of publicly available data to identify misinformation and strengthen reporting.

“Open-source intelligence is one of the fastest growing areas inside newsrooms,” said Tomás Dodds, Director of PTML, “And the point is that all of this data is already out there, you just need to know how to look for it to create your stories.”

OSINT tools can include reverse image searches to verify viral photos, geolocation techniques to confirm where a video was recorded and database analysis to trace the origins of misleading claims. For smaller or under-resourced Spanish-language outlets, access to this type of training can significantly expand investigative capacity.

In return, PTML gains access to Factchequeado’s national network of over 140 outlets and organizations, creating opportunities for journalistic collaboration and a broader reach of data-driven reporting.

“Every time we teach something, we can tap into that network and collaborate with them to have a massive reach,” Dodds said.

Today’s social and political environment in the United States has led many Spanish-speaking communities to distrust official, legal sources, and instead find their information on social media. Ana María Carrano, editor in chief of Factchequeado, said Spanish-speaking audiences are often left navigating complex political and legal systems without accessible, evidence-based information.

“We already know that social media and influencers are not evidence-based information. And because there is a huge immigrant community, there is also a lack of information on how to find the right information for them,” said Carrano. “So, in those gaps, Latinos are more vulnerable to manipulation, scams and frauds.”

This is the drive behind Factchequeado’s mission. One of its most innovative tools is an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot through WhatsApp that answers fact-checking questions from users. The user can ask the chatbot if a picture is real, what the most recent headlines are, or even participate in a scam-identification challenge.

This partnership reflects a growing recognition that misinformation does not spread evenly across communities. As digital platforms continue to shape political discourse, strengthening the tools used by journalists to provide reliable information for all audiences is crucial to our information ecosystem.

Check out PTML’s upcoming Digital Investigations Bootcamp!