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While the internet has facilitated the spread of false and misleading information, disinformation, and fake news, university students who aim to combat this issue have undertaken an important initiative. In collaboration with university students, the fact-checking organisation has transformed their verification efforts into a free booklet called the "Verified Information Kit."

TURKEY - As the internet has become the primary source of news and platforms provide rapid content flow, the dissemination of false and misleading information has accelerated. Teyit, a fact-checking organisation that has been seeking solutions to the problem of misinformation on the internet since 2016, has initiated a new project within this scope. Bringing their years of experience to the university environment during the 2022-2023 academic year, Teyit gathered students from sss in Istanbul, Ankara, and Eskişehir under the project called "Verified Information on Campus" and transformed it into a free booklet with the same name.

Two hundred sixty-three students participated from five universities

Two hundred sixty-three students from five universities in the three cities participated in the project. They acquired knowledge on topics such as information disorder, methods of accessing accurate information, fact-checking tools, and the psychology of misinformation through face-to-face workshops and Discord meetings with the Teyit team. Thematic sessions were organised on elections, natural disasters, and conspiracy theories. As part of the Verified Information on Campus project, students examined over 100 suspicious pieces related to the February 6 earthquakes and elections, verifying some through open sources. The verified information and the project process were transformed into a booklet called the "Verified Information Kit." the participating students continued to share their experience in fact-checking and the tools and resources they have learned to access accurate information.

"A guide to accessing accurate information for everyone"

Esra Özgür, the Content Manager of Teyit Education, stated that the Verified Information Kit, prepared from interactions and meetings with students, guides everyone to access accurate information. The guide, which explains the fundamental concepts of fact-checking, techniques for identifying reliable sources, and fact-checking tools, is accessible to everyone for free on Teyit's website. She shared her thoughts on the project, "The disruption of face-to-face education has not only distanced students from campuses but also from their communities and social environments that allow for sharing experiences. During this process, we realised that fact-checking goes beyond being an individual and digital practice; it strengthens us as a community against suspicious information. This experience became one of the main elements shaping the kit. The questions asked as comments under questionable content shared on Discord fed the question lists in the Verified Information Kit, which helped distinguish reliable sources. They highlighted the critical methods in fact-checking tools.