Belgian broadcasters embark on fact-checking mission ahead of elections

Belgium’s Dutch-language broadcaster VRT and French-language broadcaster RTBF are joining forces for a face-checking mission ahead of the upcoming elections.

VRT and RTBF, along with six other partners, will examine political statements on a daily basis in a major fact-checking marathon from 27 May until election day on 9 June.

Nearly nine out of 10 Belgians think that "the spread of false information is a problem for our society", according to survey findings, and roughly the same proportion say they believe "it is the job of journalists to find out what is true and what is not".

Journalists will work from a joint newsroom at VRT with the aim of providing at least two fact-checking reports a day in the form of articles, videos or audio clips.

They will scrutinise politicians’ proposals, figures used by candidates and the images disseminated by the various parties on social networks.

The articles will be published on the various news platforms of the participating media, covering topics from purchasing power and security to migration and climate change.

The fact-checking partners include Knack, Factcheck.Vlaanderen, deCheckers.be, Algemeen Dagblad, the Pointer research programme of Dutch television (KRO/NCRV) and Nieuwscheckers.