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| Firstdraft | |
|---|---|
| Name | Firstdraft |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founder | Emily Baker |
| Headquarters | Sydney |
| Type | Nonprofit |
Firstdraft
Firstdraft is an Australian nonprofit media organisation founded in 2015 that focuses on verification, digital literacy, and combating misinformation. It operates at the intersection of journalism, technology, and civil society, engaging with newsrooms, universities, and technology firms to develop verification tools, training, and best practices. Firstdraft's work overlaps with international efforts on media integrity and public information resilience.
Firstdraft was founded in Sydney in 2015 amid global debates sparked by the 2016 United States presidential election, the Brexit referendum, and the spread of misleading content during the Syrian civil war. Early collaborators included journalists from The Guardian, researchers from Harvard University, and technologists associated with Twitter and Facebook. The organisation’s formative projects paralleled initiatives at BBC News Lab, the New York Times R&D team, and the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Firstdraft expanded through partnerships with universities such as University of Sydney, University of Oxford, and Stanford University and NGOs including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Major milestones involved convenings with stakeholders from European Commission digital policy teams, presentations at South by Southwest, and contributions to discussions at United Nations forums on information integrity.
Firstdraft's mission emphasizes media verification, digital literacy, and protecting civic discourse against manipulative narratives propagated during events like the 2016 United States presidential election, the 2020 United States presidential election, and conflicts such as the Russia–Ukraine war (2022–present). It develops training used by newsroom teams at outlets including The Washington Post, Reuters, Al Jazeera, and The New York Times and by fact-checking networks such as the International Fact-Checking Network and Poynter Institute. Firstdraft produces reports cited by institutions like European Commission, Parliament of the United Kingdom, and agencies such as Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Ofcom. Activities have intersected with platforms and projects at Google, YouTube, Meta Platforms, Inc., and Mozilla Foundation.
Firstdraft runs verification labs, workshops, and resource hubs that support journalists from outlets such as The Guardian, BuzzFeed News, ABC News (Australia), and Channel 4. Its toolkits and curricula are used in classrooms at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, London School of Economics, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Programs have included collaborations with civic-tech groups like Code for America, data partners such as DataKind, and open-source projects supported by GitHub and Mozilla. Firstdraft has provided rapid response verification during crises alongside responders from International Committee of the Red Cross and election observers from Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
Firstdraft has faced scrutiny regarding perceived editorial decisions and partnerships during polarized events such as the 2016 United States presidential election, debates over content moderation at Facebook, and coverage tied to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Critics from commentators at publications like The Spectator and National Review have questioned alliances with platforms including Twitter and donors linked to philanthropic foundations such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Open Society Foundations. Academic critics from University of Cambridge and University of Oxford have debated Firstdraft’s methodologies in relation to studies published by Journal of Communication authors and analysts at think tanks like Brookings Institution and Chatham House. Concerns were raised in forums hosted by Australian Parliament committees and panels at International Forum on Online Platforms and Human Rights.
Firstdraft has partnered with international media organisations including Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Deutsche Welle, and NHK. Funding sources have included grants from philanthropic institutions such as Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and regional funds tied to the European Commission and Australian Government cultural programs. Collaborative projects involved technology partners like Google Jigsaw, research collaborations with Oxford Internet Institute, and training commissions from public broadcasters including BBC and Sveriges Television. Transparency advocates from Transparency International and legal scholars from Yale Law School have engaged with Firstdraft on governance and funding disclosure practices.
Firstdraft's resources have been cited in reporting by The New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and El País and in academic work from MIT Media Lab, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford Internet Observatory. Its verification techniques influenced newsroom protocols at The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and BuzzFeed News, and informed policy discussions at the European Commission and Council of Europe. Awards and recognition have come from journalism bodies including International Press Institute and training accolades referenced by Poynter Institute. Debates over its role have featured in conferences hosted by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Oxford Internet Institute, and World Economic Forum panels.
Category:Non-profit organizations based in Australia