What is AkhbarMeter?

AkhbarMeter is a media observatory registered in both Egypt and Germany, dedicated to combating misinformation and disinformation by holding media institutions accountable for unprofessional and unethical practices. Through rigorous fact-checking and performance monitoring, AkhbarMeter counters the spread of fake news across digital platforms, promoting transparency and upholding media integrity in Egypt.

We are committed to maintaining an independent reputation, with no political or ideological affiliations, ensuring that our work remains impartial and centered on accuracy, objectivity, and ethical journalism.

Mission

We strive to counter misinformation and disinformation in Egypt by empowering the public with critical thinking skills that enable them to assess and distinguish fact from fiction. Through fact-checking, media monitoring, and educational campaigns, we aim to foster a transparent and accountable media environment that serves and respects its audiences.

Vision

We envision a society that is well-informed, shielded by accurate information, capable of protecting the truth, embracing critical thinking, and defending human rights at all times.

Core Values

• Integrity: We commit to speaking the truth and acting with honesty in everything we do.

• Independence: We ensure our evaluations remain objective, free from political or ideological influence.

• Accountability: We believe the media should be held accountable, just as it holds others accountable.

• Accuracy: We place factual accuracy at the heart of our work.

• Ethical Journalism: We advocate for journalism that respects its audience and adheres to the highest professional standards.

Main Programs

• Media Monitoring: We apply a robust methodology to evaluate Arabic media content based on professional and ethical standards, promoting transparency and accountability.

• Fact-Checking: We conduct in-depth verification of circulating claims and rumors, adhering to the highest standards of factual accuracy.

• AkhbarMeter Academy: We provide educational resources and workshops for journalists on ethics, fact-checking tools, and journalistic standards.

• Media Literacy Campaigns: We empower the public with critical thinking tools to analyze media content and engage with it responsibly.

Key Achievements

• Published over 28,000 media monitoring evaluations.

• Produced more than 850 fact-checking articles and posts.

• Trained 550 participants across the region in media literacy, fact-checking, and critical thinking.

• Trained 230 media students in Egyptian universities on fact-checking fundamentals and tools.

• Developed the first Arabic quantitative methodology for evaluating written content (2020).

• Created a custom monitoring methodology tailored to the Iraqi media landscape.

• Mapped the digital media ecosystem in the MENA region (2022).

In October 2023, AkhbarMeter became the first and only organization in Egypt and North Africa to join the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). It is also an active member of both the Arab Fact-Checkers Network (AFCN) and the Africa Facts Network.

Awards and Recognition

• Winner of the 2020 MENA Region Media Innovation Challenge in the category of digital journalism organized by Digital Arabia Network (DAN).

• Awarded 2nd place in the African Union’s 2020 Youth Innovation Challenge for Democracy and Good Governance, organized by the African Governance Architecture (AGA).

Ownership and Funding

AkhbarMeter is owned by E.Citizen Digital Services, a registered company under the Egyptian Investment Authority (Commercial Registration No. 123546), which also develops the AkhbarMeter website. E.Citizen is affiliated with E.Square, a nonprofit organization registered in Germany that implements various development projects with support from the European Union.

The observatory is run by a team of independent journalists and media professionals who are committed to exposing unethical and unprofessional media practices and verifying public claims and rumors.

All evaluations and investigations are based on scientific methodologies developed with media experts and rooted in national, regional, and international media codes of ethics.

AkhbarMeter was founded and has been solely funded by Dr. Haitham Atef since 2014.

We do not accept donations from anonymous sources or any entities that could present a conflict of interest with our professional and impartial mission.

To maintain our independence and integrity, we do not and will not accept conditional funding from any donor.

Any external funding must ensure that our work and conclusions remain free from external influence.

In June 2022, AkhbarMeter received an $8,000 grant from the African Governance Architecture (AGA) of the African Union, which supported the visual rebranding and website development.

In June 2024, AkhbarMeter received a $25,000 “Benaa” grant from Google, YouTube, and the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) to enhance team capacity and improve the quality and richness of our fact-checking content.