The importance of fact-checking for activists and human rights defenders

In a world saturated with conflicting claims, rapid news cycles, and AI-generated media, the truth doesn’t just need defenders — it needs a method. That’s precisely what the Intelligence Spotlight Series tackled in its latest panel featuring Nick Vant of Reuters Fact Check and journalist-activist Leila Belhadj Mohamed. From dissecting viral misinformation to the ethics of surveillance, the conversation was both a sobering reality check and a hopeful call for digital responsibility.

Misinformation is not just falsehood — it's erosion

Leila Belhadj Mohamed, with her signature sharp analysis, opened the discussion by drawing a line between misinformation and moral neglect. “A journalist is a watchdog of power,” she said, “and spreading unchecked claims — even with noble intentions — only reinforces those already in power.” She recalled how an image of a woman in a niqab on a beach was falsely attributed to Afghanistan, despite the country being landlocked. “It might seem minor,” she added, “but it feeds a narrative, and once it starts, it's nearly impossible to stop.”

Nick Vant followed with clarity: not all misinformation is created equal. There’s verifiable truth, false information, and — often more dangerously — misleading content stripped of its context. “People don’t just post lies,” he said. “They post things that trigger emotion. And emotion clouds judgment.” He gave an example: a video edited to make an activist appear to say something they didn’t. Four seconds of distortion — enough to shift public opinion.

Crisis breeds distortion

When events erupt — wars, pandemics, migration surges — the hunger for information grows insatiable. But so does the vulnerability to deception. “During the Gaza conflict,” Leila recalled, “claims of beheaded children were shared widely. Debunked within hours, but still used months later by public figures.” This wasn’t just an error — it was a tactic.

And it’s not only about lies, but suppression. “Misinformation also buries real stories,” said the moderator, citing a false claim of a massacre at the Afghanistan-Iran border. The truth — minor injuries from landmines — was drowned in the noise.

How do you fact-check a tidal wave?

Nick outlined the Reuters approach: identify the claim, locate the source, gather evidence, consult experts, and assign a verdict — false, misleading, missing context, or synthetic. Reverse image search remains a favourite tool. “It’s simple but powerful,” he said. “If a photo’s been online for five years, it can’t be from yesterday’s bombing.”

The work is rigorous, but even fact-checkers are swimming upstream. As Leila noted, fact-checking often becomes a distraction — an intentional ploy by regimes or actors to exhaust journalists while they execute more sinister agendas under the radar.

Privacy and resistance in a digital age

Surveillance is no longer speculative fiction. It’s a daily hazard. “After recent spyware revelations in Italy,” said Leila, “we need a cultural shift toward digital literacy — VPNs, encrypted tools, privacy by design.” She called out older journalists especially: “You are putting your sources at risk by being unaware.”

The message was clear: knowing how to verify facts and protect oneself digitally are no longer separate skills — they are survival tools.

Echo chambers, totologi, and the erosion of expertise

Leila also touched on a uniquely Italian problem: the totologi — pundits who speak on everything, but understand little. “When someone who spoke on Ukraine yesterday talks about Gaza today and Congo tomorrow, we lose trust. It’s why people are tuning out.”

And in authoritarian contexts, as Leila reminded, where journalism is often criminalised, people remain the most valuable source. “Institutional statements are often part of the propaganda machine. The real truth comes from those living it.”

Final thoughts

The session closed with a question on words that define their work. Nick chose “verify”. Leila offered “surveillance” for work — and “resistance” for life. Her tone captured the spirit of the panel: this is no longer just about reporting or checking facts. It's about fighting back — against manipulation, suppression, and digital silence.

And in that fight, journalism, fact-checking, and activism are no longer parallel lanes. They are a united front.