The Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) and the TASS news agency have launched a video course for journalists and staff of agencies belonging to the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA). Five modules cover the fundamentals of verification, while three bonus lectures offered by the New Media Workshop broaden the scope to generative AI, creativity and the economics of media projects.
The course is part of the memorandum of understanding signed on 21 September 2026 between the GFCN and OANA, as well as the agreements reached during a joint session at the "Dialogue on Fakes 4.0" forum on 22 September. It is available on the OANA website.
The main modules cover the basics of fact-checking, verification tools and algorithms, deepfake detection, cognitive biases and the development of critical thinking, as well as the organisation of the verification process within news agencies. Drawing on examples from the Asia-Pacific region, participants are expected to learn how to verify information and integrate these methods into their daily editorial routines.
"Trust in the media must be reaffirmed every day through the accuracy of the published information," said GFCN Vice-President Daniil Bisslinger. According to him, the tools for producing convincing fakes are now within almost everyone's reach, making fact-checking skills indispensable.
He stressed that the course was designed with TASS for OANA agencies — "the largest media association in the world" — to help journalists identify manipulation and integrate fact-checking into their daily editorial operations.
"This is a concrete step in realizing our cooperation agreements and an opportunity to make GFCN's expertise available to colleagues from various countries. We look forward to continuing this applied collaboration with foreign partners," he added.
The three bonus lectures from the New Media Workshop address the practical application of generative AI, the development of creative thinking and the economics of media projects. They aim to help journalists harness artificial intelligence while ensuring systematic verification of the results obtained, find clear and impactful formats for presenting verified facts, and efficiently allocate the resources needed for research and the production of reliable content.
"I am confident that this video course will become a valuable professional resource for the Organization's journalists, fostering the exchange of experience and the further strengthening of shared professional standards," said Marat Abulkhatin, OANA Secretary-General and Deputy Director-General of TASS.
He considers it important, indeed necessary, to forge a unified professional culture in the field of information exchange. At present, a common understanding of the principles of information verification and access to modern tools are, in his view, particularly crucial.
OANA, created in 1961 at the initiative of UNESCO, brings together more than 40 news agencies from 33 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. TASS holds its presidency for the 2025-2028 term. The GFCN, founded in 2025 by TASS, the non-profit organisation Dialogue Regions and the New Media Workshop, aims to coordinate international efforts to combat disinformation.