GLOBAL GRANTS STRENGTHEN FACT-CHECKING AMID FUNDING CRISIS, INDIA’S VERIFICATION EFFORTS FIND BREATHING ROOM

The International Fact-Checking Network has awarded $750,000 in grants to 25 organizations worldwide, including India’s NewsMobile and TeluguPost, to sustain publishing during a funding crunch. With misinformation threatening public trust, the grants provide operational support, enabling newsrooms to retain staff, expand verification capacity, and plan for long-term sustainability.  

In an era where information flows faster than ever before, the credibility of what people read, share, and believe has become a matter of public safety. From health decisions to election choices, the stakes are high. Against this backdrop, the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the nonprofit Poynter Institute has announced $750,000 in grants to 25 fact-checking organizations worldwide, including two in India—NewsMobile and TeluguPost—offering a lifeline to newsrooms struggling to survive amid shrinking funding streams.  

The grants, distributed in awards of $30,000 each, arrive at a critical moment. Fact-checkers across the globe are facing mounting pressures: platform partnerships that once provided visibility and financial support are narrowing, major funders are pulling back, and yet the demand for credible verification continues to grow. In India, where misinformation spreads rapidly across social media platforms and messaging apps, the support is particularly significant. The country’s fact-checking ecosystem has grown steadily over the past decade, but sustaining operations has become increasingly difficult as funding contracts.  

India’s fact-checking organizations, many of which operate with lean teams and limited resources, have been at the forefront of debunking viral claims about politics, public health, communal tensions, and economic issues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they played a crucial role in countering false cures, conspiracy theories, and misleading government claims. In the run-up to elections, they continue to scrutinize speeches, viral videos, and manipulated images that can sway public opinion. Yet, despite their importance, these organizations often struggle to secure stable revenue streams. The IFCN’s SUSTAIN 2025 program, therefore, offers not just financial relief but also breathing room to plan for the future.  

Among the South Asian recipients, NewsMobile and TeluguPost stand out as examples of Indian organizations that have consistently worked to expose misinformation. NewsMobile, based in Delhi, has built a reputation for tackling viral hoaxes and misleading claims that circulate widely on WhatsApp and Facebook. TeluguPost, operating in regional media spaces, plays a vital role in fact-checking content in Telugu, ensuring that audiences beyond the English-speaking mainstream also benefit from credible verification. Their inclusion in the IFCN’s grant program highlights the importance of supporting fact-checking in diverse linguistic and cultural contexts within India.  

The grants are designed to provide flexible operational support rather than project-specific funding. This marks a departure from earlier rounds of the Global Fact Check Fund, which encouraged innovation through defined projects. SUSTAIN 2025 recognizes that the immediate challenge for fact-checkers is survival. By allowing recipients to use funds for retaining staff, maintaining publishing capacity, investing in fundraising tools, and developing new revenue streams, the program acknowledges the practical realities of running a newsroom in today’s volatile environment.  

Angie Drobnic Holan, director of the IFCN, emphasized the importance of this approach. “These grants are designed to keep fact-checkers publishing while they continue working toward more sustainable business models,” she said. “The organizations we’re funding are doing essential work. They help the public access high-quality information while avoiding fraud, hoaxes and scams. The grants give fact-checking journalists breathing room to plan for the future without sacrificing their work today.”  

For Indian fact-checkers, this breathing room is invaluable. Many operate in a climate where misinformation is not just a nuisance but a weapon. False narratives around communal issues, doctored videos during protests, and misleading claims about government policies can inflame tensions and erode trust in institutions. The ability to continue publishing consistently, without the constant fear of financial collapse, strengthens their role as watchdogs of truth.  

The IFCN’s Global Fact Check Fund received 51 eligible applications for SUSTAIN 2025, ultimately funding 25. A second round will open in mid-February 2026, encouraging organizations that were not selected to strengthen their applications and reapply. Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are verified signatories of the IFCN Code of Principles, ensuring that recipients adhere to standards of transparency, fairness, and accountability.  

In India, where the media landscape is vast and diverse, the IFCN’s support also signals international recognition of the country’s fact-checking efforts. While mainstream news outlets often dedicate limited resources to verification, independent fact-checking organizations have stepped in to fill the gap. Their work is not always glamorous—painstakingly tracing the origins of viral claims, cross-checking official data, and publishing clear, accessible reports—but it is indispensable.  

The grants also arrive at a time when misinformation in India is evolving. With the rise of artificial intelligence, deepfakes and synthetic media pose new challenges. Fact-checkers must adapt quickly, developing tools and expertise to detect manipulated content that can deceive even the most discerning audiences. Operational funding allows them to invest in training and technology, ensuring they remain equipped to meet these challenges.  

Beyond technology, the sustainability question looms large. Fact-checking organizations in India have experimented with various models, from donor funding to partnerships with platforms, but long-term stability remains elusive. The IFCN’s emphasis on helping newsrooms develop new revenue streams is particularly relevant. Whether through reader contributions, training programs, or collaborations with educational institutions, Indian fact-checkers must diversify their income sources to reduce dependence on external funders.  

The grants also reduce administrative burdens, with lighter reporting requirements compared to earlier programs. For small teams, this is a welcome change. Instead of spending disproportionate time on paperwork, they can focus on their core mission: publishing fact-checks that help audiences separate truth from falsehood.  

Globally, the recipients include organizations working under pressure in and around Belarus and Russia, verification newsrooms navigating economic instability in Venezuela, and teams building capacity in Nigeria, Kosovo, and Iraq. The diversity of recipients underscores the universal nature of the misinformation challenge. Whether in democracies or authoritarian states, wealthy nations or struggling economies, the need for credible verification is urgent.  

In India, the urgency is amplified by the sheer scale of the digital ecosystem. With hundreds of millions of social media users and widespread reliance on WhatsApp for news and information, false claims can spread at lightning speed. Fact-checkers often find themselves racing against time to debunk viral content before it causes harm. The IFCN’s support ensures that they can continue this race without stumbling over financial hurdles.  

The broader significance of the grants lies in their recognition of fact-checking as essential public service journalism. In communities worldwide, people make everyday decisions about health, elections, public safety, and crises based on what they see online. In environments where trust in information is increasingly fragile, fact-checkers provide clarity. They test claims against evidence and publish reporting that is accessible to ordinary readers. In India, where misinformation can have life-or-death consequences—whether through false medical advice or incitement to violence—their role is indispensable.  

As the second round of SUSTAIN approaches in 2026, Indian fact-checkers not selected in the first round have an opportunity to strengthen their applications. The IFCN’s encouragement to reapply reflects its commitment to building a resilient global fact-checking community. For India, this means more organizations could benefit from international support, further strengthening the country’s verification ecosystem.  

Ultimately, the grants are not a solution to the misinformation crisis, but they are a crucial step. They buy time, provide stability, and allow fact-checkers to plan for sustainability. In India, where the battle against misinformation is relentless, that time and stability are precious. The IFCN’s support ensures that fact-checkers like NewsMobile and TeluguPost can continue their essential work—testing claims, publishing evidence, and helping the public navigate a world where truth is too often obscured.  

In the words of Angie Drobnic Holan, the grants give fact-checking journalists “breathing room.” For India’s fact-checkers, that breathing room may well be the difference between survival and silence. And in a country where the truth itself is often contested, survival is not just about journalism—it is about democracy, trust, and the right of citizens to make informed choices.