The first official observation of
International Fact-Checking Day was on April 2, 2017. However, the concept of having such a day was first conceived in 2014 at a conference for journalists and professional fact-checkers at the
London School of Economics. The discussion was born out of a recognition of the danger that political misformation posed, particularly on social media sites; which are consumed by the masses daily.
In 2016, during the U.S. elections, fake news damaged public opinion and brought this issue into the spotlight again.
It is officially promoted by the
International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), which partners with various media organizations worldwide. The significance of the date, April 2, is also noteworthy because it falls on the day after
April Foolsâ Day â cleverly pointing to the binary of âfool versus factâ.
On this day many different kinds of media organizations rally around and add to the growing pool of resources that can equip people to check facts, and provide tips and lessons to students and the public on ways to identify and stop the spread of misinformation or fake news.