In a world flooded with misinformation, the need for fast, credible, and collaborative fact-checking has never been greater. That’s why we’re launching TruthSprint: The Fact-Checking Hackathon — a two-day, high-intensity challenge that brings together journalists from across the country to verify misleading claims, bust viral falsehoods, and strengthen the collective fight against disinformation.
This isn’t just a training workshop — it’s a competitive fact-checking sprint. Participants will work in teams, receive targeted training in advanced verification techniques, and race to identify, research, and debunk a curated pool of real-world claims drawn from recent media and social discourse.
What to Expect:
Day 1: Learn & Launch
We begin with a crash course in rapid, high-impact fact-checking. You’ll learn how to spot false claims, trace the origins of manipulated content, verify visuals and videos, and structure publishable fact-checks. In the second half of the day, you’ll be grouped into teams, receive your pool of claims, and begin working on your first verifications with support from expert mentors.
Day 2: The Sprint
A full day dedicated to verification. Teams will compete to fact-check the highest number of impactful claims, with live scoring, editorial guidance, and bonus “flash challenges” announced throughout the day. Final submissions will be reviewed by an expert jury, and winning teams will be awarded for quality, depth, and accuracy.
Top fact-checks from the hackathon will be published as part of Facter’s verified content archive, giving your work visibility and impact beyond the event.
Who Should Apply:
We’re inviting mid-career journalists looking to strengthen their verification workflows, early-career digital reporters fluent in social platforms, and fast-paced media, and fact-checkers and beat reporters with an interest in countering mis/disinformation
Whether you’re covering politics, health, environment, or tech, if you’re committed to the truth and want to sharpen your tools, this is for you.
Why Join:
TruthSprint isn’t just about competition, it’s about community, skill-building, and restoring trust in public narratives. This hackathon is your chance to contribute directly to the fight against disinformation, to collaborate with like-minded journalists, and to help build a more informed media ecosystem, one verified claim at a time.
Key Details
Location: Lahore
Dates: 6th and 7th August, 2025
Applications open till 30th July.