Peter Cunliffe-Jones joins panel on fact-checking and freedom of speech at International Journalism Festival

“Can fact-checkers accurately forecast false claims that may cause harm, and defend wider freedom of speech?”

This was the central question and title of the event, moderated by Lucas Graves, at the International Journalism Festival, featuring CAMRI visiting researcher Peter Cunliffe-Jones’ latest research output.

The EU requires online platforms to counter “harmful misinformation,” and yet, no system is agreed to decide what constitutes  “harmful.” In 2024, three fact-checking organisations ran a trial of a new model, proposed by Africa Check founder Peter Cunliffe-Jones, to identify claims which do and do not have a substantive potential for “substantive consequences”.

The panel, which included Angie Drobnic Holan and Karl Malakunas alongside Cunliffe-Jones, discussed the implications for fact-checking and defence of wider freedom of speech.

Watch the recorded event here.

And learn more about Cunliffe-Jones’ model here.