EUfactcheck 2.0

In May 2024 the EUfactcheck programme successfully factchecked the EU elections for the second time. From academic year 2024-205 onwards the EUfactcheck programme will offer two different ‘tracks’ for EJTA member schools to participate.
* Individual schools can still use the EUfactcheck website as a platform to publish their students’ factchecks. This can be done at any convenient moment throughout the year, that fits the curriculum of the study programme. Please contact the EUfactcheck editorial team.
* Each year another EJTA member school will organise an intensive factchecking week, the EUfactcheck Lab, funded by Erasmus short mobility. Other EJTA member schools are welcome to join with up to 6 students and one teacher (Erasmus Blended Intensive Programme). Please contact the EUfactcheck programme manager for more details. In 2024 the EUfactcheck Lab covered the EU elections, hosted by EJTA member Hogeschool Utrecht, the Netherlands. The next year EJTA member Universitat Autonoma Barcelona in Spain offered the EUfactcheck Lab on ‘Climate Change’. In 2026 the topic is Press Freedom. In the first week of May students from 7 EJTA schools meet at Jade University in Wilhelmshaven.

EUfactcheck, an initiative of the European Journalism Training Association (EJTA) fights mis- and disinformation about policies and topics in Europe. Journalism students from all over Europe factcheck claims and statements made by politicians and others public figures, and rate them as true or false. Our focus is to give correct information and context to the reader.

Latest fact-checks

Feb242025

False: “Ms. Weidel does not represent far-right positions but rather conservative and economically liberal ones”

Fact-check, False

On 24 February 2024, an interview with Sahra Wagenknecht, chairwoman of the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht party, appeared in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). FAZ is a German newspaper. In this interview, Wagenknecht stated: “Ms. Weidel does not represent far-right positions but rather conservative and economically liberal ones.” This statement turned out to be false. This fact-check focuses on the first part…

Read more
Feb122025

Mostly True: “Germany distributes money all over the world, but has none left for hardworking farmers”

Fact-check, Mostly true

Martin Huber, Secretary General of the Christian Social Union (CSU), criticized the priorities of the German government coalition (“Ampel-Koalition”) in a post on X, claiming that the government invests substantial funds in global development projects while failing to support German farmers. While his statement is mostly accurate, some contextual clarifications are necessary. On January 19,…

Read more
Feb112025

Mostly true: “We are now attracting more investments in clean hydrogen than the US and China combined”

Fact-check, Mostly true

On September 13, 2023, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stated during her State of the Union address that the European Union (EU) is attracting more investments in clean hydrogen than the US and China combined. This statement aligns with the context of the European Green Deal and the ambitious goal of establishing the…

Read more
Feb42025
mostly false

Mostly false: “Most of the recipients of citizen’s benefit are able to work”

Fact-check, Mostly false

Friedrich Merz, federal chairman and chancellor candidate of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) said in an ARD television interview that most of the recipients of citizen’s benefit are able to work. This statement is mostly false. “We have got 5.5 – 5.6 million citizen’s benefit recipients in Germany, around 4 millions of whom are able…

Read more
Feb32025
mostly false

Mostly False: “It’s still possible to reduce emissions so that we can meet the 1.5 degree target”

Fact-check, Mostly false

“It is still possible for us to reduce emissions in this decade to such an extent that we can meet the 1.5 degree target.” That is how Olaf Scholz began his speech at the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference. He also mentioned the technologies that are available to help us achieve it. A look at the facts…

Read more
Jan312025

Mostly true: “By 2035, there will be no job that is unrelated to AI”

Fact-check, Mostly true

In April 2023, Hubertus Heil, Germany’s Federal Minister for Labor and Social Affairs, stated: “By 2035, there will be no job that is unrelated to AI.” According to him, AI will influence all fields of work in the future — whether by automating routine tasks or assisting with complex processes. Upon review, it becomes evident…

Read more
Jan292025
mostly false

Mostly False: “The FIFA World Cup was definitely a catalyst for positive change in the country“

Fact-check, Mostly false

It has now been two years since the World Cup in Qatar. Gianni Infantino, FIFA President, claimed that the 2022 World Cup had changed positively for the workers. He says that the workers have much better conditions after the World Cup and that the World itself was the catalyst. This claim was checked, and it…

Read more
Jan282025

True: “Europe faces security challenges and potential defense spending gaps in the coming years”

Fact-check, True

Europe is facing various challenges: Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the re-election of Donald Trump are causing uncertainty. Wolfgang Ischinger, former German ambassador to the United States, warns in an interview with Sandra Maischberger: “We have a security problem in Europe. We have a noticeable, significant gap in defense spending over the next few years.”…

Read more
Jan252025
mostly false

Mostly false: “When it comes to alcohol, most people manage to stay within a harmless dose”

Fact-check, Mostly false

The former “Ambassador of Beer” Johannes Vogel (Free Democratic Party) was interviewed in the Tagesspiegel newspaper. He spoke about his role as “Ambassador of Beer” and the topic of alcohol. He said that the amount of alcohol is crucial and that people manage to consume a safe dose. This turns out to be largely false. Johannes…

Read more

Latest blog posts

Media analysis: Finnish media stays united behind universal military service

Media analysis

Finland’s defence capability became the focus of international media attention after Russia invaded Ukraine. Finland holds a very special geopolitical position in Europe because it has 1300 kilometres border with Russia. In particular, Finland’s position regarding the defense union NATO has become a question of interest. Finland’s military service system is universal, which means that…

Read more

Pastoral workers help young people with suicidal thoughts

Blogpost

As several studies show, corona-lockdowns have led to increased psychological distress to all ages. International suicide hotlines, where pastoral workers take the time to listen, might help. This video is linked to the fact-check article Drastic increase in suicide attempts by children. Leave your comments, thoughts and suggestions in the box below. Take note: your…

Read more
Feb142022

Media Analysis: Croatia – a guardian of EU borders or a ruthless violator of human rights?

Media analysis

Introduction and context In a recent factcheck article, our colleagues from the Media University Stuttgart checked the claim of Mr. Nikola Milina, the head of Croatian police, who said that the violent pushbacks at the Croatian-Bosnian border published in October 2021 were an “individual event” and that he didn’t want such incident to “affect the…

Read more
European Journalism Training Association EJTA
Council of Europe
evens foundation
Group photo EUFACTCHECK 240119

The EUFACTCHECK project

EUFACTCHECK is the fact-checking project of the European Journalism Training Association (EJTA) that intends to build a sustainable curriculum unit on fact-checking within a European network of Journalism schools.

Through fact-checking European political claims and trying to tackle misinformation, we want our students and our public to grow a deeper insight and interest in democratic processes, both on national and European level.

EUFACTCHECK wishes to motivate fact-based debate in the EU and to stimulate media and information literacy.

Our history

After the success of the students’ publications, the participants of EJTA’s fact-checking project EUFACTCHECK decided at the EJTA AGM in Paris (July 2019) to move on with the project and to take new steps in the academic year 2019-2020.

By January-February 2019 a manual with guidelines and tips & tricks was published. In February 2020 a second Bootcamp will be organised in Ljubljana, with financial help from the Evens Foundation. This Train the Trainer focused on Central Eastern European countries, some new schools joined this project.
During corona the EJTA-schools continued to verify claims and publish fact checks. Now we are looking ahead to the 2024 EU elections.

For information about the EUfactcheck project please contact the programme manager: carien.touwen@hu.nl 

Read more