Armenia joins global fight against disinformation at GlobalFact 12

For the first time, an Armenian media outlet participated in the largest gathering of fact checkers worldwide – the International Fact-Checking Network GlobalFact 12 Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro last month. CivilNet’s presence marked a historic step for Armenia’s fact‑checking community and a milestone in the country’s fight against misinformation.

Hosted by the International Fact‑Checking Network (IFCN), GlobalFact 12 brought together over 300 investigators from around the globe, featured more than 80 speakers and 40 sessions on strengthening global fact‑checking through collaboration, training, and innovation.

CivilNet was represented by Ani Grigoryan, head of the outlet’s fact‑checking unit, who returned with valuable insights, tools, and international connections to bolster Armenia’s fact‑checking capacity. Since joining IFCN in 2023, CivilNet has committed to upholding international standards in transparency, accuracy, and collaboration.

Conference topics ranged from legal strategies to combat disinformation to ethical journalism and the increasing role of AI in verification. A key highlight was how democracies around the world, especially Brazil, are addressing platform accountability and regulating social media misinformation.

As IFCN director Angie Drobnic Holan said during the summit: “What fact‑checking does do, and what it does well, is resist false narratives and prevent them from becoming entrenched. It holds the line on reality for history’s sake.”