RMIT FactLab CrossCheck rigorously monitors online misinformation, pre-emptively alerts and guides our media and community partners of emerging online narratives and harmful trends.
RMIT FactLab CrossCheck rigorously monitors online misinformation, pre-emptively alerts and guides our media and community partners of emerging online narratives and harmful trends.
RMIT FactLab CrossCheck rigorously monitors online misinformation, pre-emptively alerts and guides our media and community partners of emerging online narratives and harmful trends.
Our reputation for excellence is evidenced by the partnerships and trust we’ve nurtured with dozens of media mastheads in Australia – from the ABC to Australian Community Media, Crikey, The Guardian – as well as diverse, under-represented community media.
Since beginning at RMIT FactLab in 2023, we’ve extended this to new media partners, researchers and community stakeholders. This includes Indigenous language and multicultural media, and across to New Zealand with our first Māori and Chinese language projects.
RMIT FactLab CrossCheck is a founding partner with the Information Futures Lab, Brown University. This international affiliation opens the shared knowledge and experience that comes from the core teams to CrossCheck partners.
We are a team of online verification experts who run thriving collaborative engine rooms to monitor misinformation and disinformation and alert our partners and stakeholders – preferably before it causes further damage. The best and most diverse newsrooms regularly rely on us, trusted influencers with millions of followers share our guidance.
We conduct specialist training for media, civil society, corporate and public sector. Our training provides ongoing, systematic support and consulting services where necessary – not just 'fly in fly out' training. We’ve trained the smallest of community newsrooms, to investigative reporting teams in Australia’s national broadcasters.
We’ve advised on influence operations and policy making, but we’re also creative – having trained influencers, tv presenters including the comedy series Question Everything.
We also provide long form research reports and briefing documents.
In 2023 our projects include the Indigenous Voice to Parliament Referendum and the New Zealand election.
The challenge of monitoring and responding to mis- and disinformation is exacerbated during election campaigns, and we’ll be helping our media partners in New Zealand ahead of their upcoming election. Similarly, the Voice to Parliament referendum is an easy target. False and misleading information can take many forms and it’s not always obvious – sometimes a drip feed of narratives can be just as damaging.
RMIT FactLab is committed to ensuring the historic Voice referendum is not derailed by false and misleading information.
CrossCheck at RMIT FactLab will help New Zealand newsrooms and community media prepare for online threats during the election period with immersive training events.
At CrossCheck we research into the emerging trends and harmful effects of online disinformation, conspiracy theories, hate speech and extremism. Explore a collection of our latest research and investigations reports below.
Turning the lens on four misleading narratives, this article, coupled with additional expert advice, offers tips on how the media can help dispel disinformation effectively ahead of future democratic events.
CrossCheck launched a pilot project to ask Australians what kind of referendum misinformation and disinformation they were facing, and tips came in almost every day.
This article chronicles when and how the Voice to Parliament referendum got caught in a conspiracy theory positing that the United Nations could take over Australia if a Yes vote was achieved.
Misleading memes and social media commentary that claim the Voice to Parliament could overturn decisions of government via the High Court have no legal basis. This narrative misrepresents a nuanced legal debate about the implications of the power of the Voice to make representations to executive government.
Access a free library of resources and guides designed to help both journalists and the public boost media literacy, hone online investigation skills and stay ahead of the curve of misinformation and harmful content.
The rebranded app’s temporary view limits, new Direct Message setting and ending of access to its free API present a challenge for journalists trying to discover content, track down sources and identify any unusual patterns or trends. This guide offers a few tips and workarounds.
For more information on how to support our projects or enquire about training please contact us to get in touch.
Acknowledgement of Country
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.
Acknowledgement of Country
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.