How claims are assessed

The IFCN Code of Principles explained

Last checked 6 November 2026 · 7 sources

Short answer

The IFCN Code of Principles is a set of five commitments for fact-checking organisations, run by the International Fact-Checking Network at the Poynter Institute ^1,2. It covers non-partisanship and fairness, transparency of sources, transparency of funding and organisation, transparency of methodology, and an open and honest corrections policy ¹. An external assessor reviews each application, and the IFCN Advisory Board decides by quorum vote ³. Signatories must renew every year, moving to every other year after five successful assessments ³.

Run by: International Fact-Checking Network, established in 2015 ²
Code launched: September 2016 ⁴
Number of commitments: Five ¹
Application fee: US$350, non-refundable ³
Processing time: Six to eighteen months, per the IFCN ³
Renewal: Every year, then every other year after five successful assessments ³

Who runs the code and why it exists

The International Fact-Checking Network is part of the Poynter Institute. Poynter says the IFCN was established in 2015 and provides resources to more than 100 operations around the world ². The IFCN says the code is the result of consultations among fact-checkers from around the world ⁵.

The code was launched in September 2016. In April 2020 the IFCN said 82 organisations in 48 countries followed it and that a revised version took effect that month. The number of criteria applicants are judged on almost tripled to 31, and state-controlled media were barred from signing ⁴.

The five commitments

The IFCN publishes five commitments, each with a set of criteria ¹.

Commitment	Main points
Non-partisanship and fairness	Same standard for every fact-check, no focus on one side, a published statement on claim selection, no party or policy advocacy ¹
Standards and transparency of sources	Identify sources of all significant evidence with links where available, prefer primary sources, check key elements against more than one named source where possible ¹
Transparency of funding and organisation	Publish funding sources that make up 5% or more of revenue and the legal form of the organisation, explain editorial control ¹
Standards and transparency of methodology	Publish a methodology statement, choose claims by reach and importance, contact the claimant to seek supporting evidence where possible ¹
Open and honest corrections policy	Publish and follow a corrections policy, correct openly so the original audience can see it ¹

How an organisation becomes a signatory

Fee waivers for hardship are available on written request with documents ³. A rejected applicant may reapply after six months with a new assessor, or appeal to the board if the assessor ignored or misrepresented evidence ³.

Submit an eligibility form. IFCN staff review it and invite the applicant to a webinar ³.
Submit the application and pay a non-refundable fee of US$350 ³.
An external assessor with expertise in journalism and fact-checking in the region reviews it ³. The IFCN says assessors are journalism professors, researchers or media consultants ⁵.
The assessor may ask for changes. If the application fails more than four criteria, a second-phase review costs another US$350 ³.
The IFCN Advisory Board has final authority and decides by quorum vote ³.

How the IFCN code compares with the EFCSN code

The European Fact-Checking Standards Network runs a separate code for organisations with a focus on Council of Europe member countries, Kosovo, Belarus or Russia ⁶. Its rules are more detailed in some areas.

Point	IFCN Code of Principles	EFCSN Code of Standards
Who decides	IFCN Advisory Board by quorum vote ³	Governance Body by a two-thirds majority ⁶
Assessors	One external assessor per application ³	Two external assessors who do not know each other's identity ⁶
Term	Annual renewal, then every other year after five assessments ³	Membership expires 24 months after acceptance ⁶
Funding disclosure	Sources of 5% or more of revenue ¹	Annual declaration of sources over 5%, plus confidential disclosure to assessors ⁶
Sanctions	Signatories must tell users they can report violations to the IFCN ¹	From a private reprimand to withdrawal with a ban of three to five years ⁶

Why the code matters outside fact-checking

The code is a self-regulatory standard. It is not a law and does not rule on claims. It sets how fact-checkers must work ¹. Its rules on corrections overlap with Google's ClaimReview eligibility rules, which require a corrections policy or a way for users to report errors ⁷.

Common questions

How much does it cost to apply to the IFCN code?

The application fee is US$350 and is non-refundable. Hardship waivers can reduce it to zero on written request ³.

How long does IFCN verification take?

The IFCN says processing can take anywhere from six to eighteen months ³.

Do IFCN signatories have to renew?

Yes. Signatories apply for renewal every year. After five successful assessments renewal moves to every other year ³.

Can state media sign the IFCN code?

The IFCN said in April 2020 that its revised code banned state-controlled media from becoming signatories ⁴.

Can I complain about an IFCN signatory?

The code says existing signatories should tell users they can report suspected violations to the IFCN ¹.

Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@theclaimregistry.com.

Sources

How fact-checkers assess a public claim
How professional fact-checkers pick a claim, gather evidence, ask the claimant, review the work and publish a verdict, under the IFCN and EFCSN codes.
Fact-check rating scales compared
What True, Mostly True, Half True, Misleading, Unproven and Pants on Fire mean at PolitiFact, Africa Check and others, and why some checkers use no scale.
ClaimReview markup explained
What the schema.org ClaimReview type is, its required fields, Google's eligibility rules, and Google's phase-out of ClaimReview in Search in 2026.