MediaSmarts Open Call for Teen Fact-Checkers Winter-Spring 2025

Teen-Fact-Checking Network

 Applications are now closed

MediaSmarts, Canada’s centre for digital media literacy and a registered charity, is excited to announce that the bilingual Teen Fact-Checking Network (TFCN) program - Réseau vérif ado in Canada will be continuing into 2025! This international program was started in 2018 by MediaWise, a nonpartisan, nonprofit initiative of the Poynter Institute in the U.S., and has since expanded to Brazil, Germany, India, Spain, and Bulgaria.

We are looking for students ages 13 to 18 who are interested in learning how to fact-check popular posts appearing in their social media feeds with the aim of creating explanatory videos debunking or confirming the content they saw online. Accepted applicants would have to create a minimum of two fact-checking videos before the end of June 2025. The videos will be published by MediaSmarts on its YouTube, Instagram and TikTok channels. 

For their time and efforts, participants will receive an honorarium per video and a certificate of completion at the end of the program. To understand what the program is about, we recommend that student applicants watch a couple of the fact-checking videos produced by the first cohort of teen fact-checkers here!

The TFCN program was featured on CBC News and CTV Montreal, among other media!

HOW IT WORKS?

The Canada Teen Fact-Checking Network program is entirely online and assignments can be completed after school, in the evenings or weekends. Teen fact-checkers receive free digital media literacy training over two evenings at the start of the program where they learn critical thinking skills including how to fact-check information online. 

After the training, teens will start looking for potentially false or misleading posts they come across on social media, or posts with claims that look “too good to be true” but really are true. 

Once the teens have identified a social media post to fact-check, there are three assignments to complete. Each assignment will take approximately 1-2 hours, although this may vary depending on experience and skills. The assignments can be completed after school, on evenings and weekends:

Assignment #1 : Pitch a claim to fact-check. 

Assignment #2 : Write a fact-checking script. 

Assignment #3 : Produce a fact-checking video. 

Throughout this process, teen participants will have the chance to meet with their peers and the TFCN Manager online during the first two training sessions as well as during online office hours weekly. For the most part, the cohort will communicate using a digital messaging app in a collaborative online environment.

Once the assignments are completed, the teens will submit their fact-checking video to MediaSmarts for publishing on its YouTube, Instagram and TikTok channels.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

  • Students who are comfortable speaking on-camera and have a demonstrated knowledge of short-form video platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok as well as strong video editing skills.
  • Teen fact-checkers will be expected to create two videos before the end of June 2025 with the support of the TFCN Manager and MediaSmarts team.  
  • Students must have a phone that can film in 1080HD or a digital camera of their own. NOTE: For this application, you will be required to submit a video of yourself. We provide teens with a sample fact-checking script below.   

COMMITMENT:

This second round of the program will begin in January 2025 and last through to the end of June. Teen fact-checkers will be expected to produce a minimum of two fact-check videos, with the possibility to create additional videos.

Participants must attend an onboarding session that will include a digital media literacy workshop where they will learn critical thinking skills and easy fact-checking steps to verify what is true online. Participants will work in a virtual environment with other teen participants where they will be expected to check-in weekly and provide regular progress updates to the TFCN Manager.

Selected participants will also have the opportunity to meet with the TFCN Manager to discuss ideas and ask questions during weekly online office hours. There may be additional opportunities for workshops and training. 

COMPENSATION: 

Participants will receive an honorarium of $150 for their attendance during two evening sessions of onboarding and for their work at the completion of the first video.

For subsequent videos, participants will receive a $100 honorarium per video. (Volunteer hours may be considered instead of the honorarium.) As well, all participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the program.

 

 

APPLICATION:

Applications are now closed.

We thank all applicants for their interest. However, only those under consideration will be contacted.

 

 

ABOUT:

Learn more about MediaSmarts here: www.mediasmarts.ca 

Follow MediaSmarts on social media here:

We strive to be an equitable and inclusive organization so that our team represents the diversity of backgrounds and identities across Canada. We welcome applications from candidates who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and those with varied areas of expertise and lived experience. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process - please let us know how we can support your application.

Please contact info@mediasmarts.ca if you have any questions about this program.