Election Promise Tracker returns
RMIT ABC Fact Check will once again launch its famous Election Promise Tracker to monitor the political promises made during election campaigns.
Over the next three years the promise tracker will monitor the progress of 50 commitments made by the Morrison government, recording how many promises are broken, kept or remain undelivered.
The popular online tool, first developed by ABC Fact Check, generated millions of views as it tracked 80 promises made by the Abbott Government ahead of the 2013 election.
It recorded that over three years the Abbott Government broke 19 promises (24 per cent) and kept 30 (38 per cent). The remainder were not delivered.
The Election Promise Tracker will start tracking the progress of the Morrison Government’s promises in July, allowing the public to search for promises made by subject area or status, and gain access to graphics, statistics and timelines.
Since RMIT and the ABC joined forces two years ago, the award-winning Fact Check unit has produced more than 110 fact checks, ranging from crocodile-related deaths to negative gearing.
The team, headed by award-winning journalist Russell Skelton, will continue to produce fact checks as well as monitoring the progress of Morrison Government promises.
Skelton said tracking commitments was labour intensive and limited to the three years of parliament to allow reasonable calls to be made on promises.
“The election promise tracker is hugely popular. It’s used by everyone: school kids, researchers and politicians,” he said.
“In fact, it’s carefully watched within the Canberra bubble.
“We’ll be keeping an eye on these promises and in three years’ time you’ll know how many promises the Morrison Government kept and how many it broke,” he said.
School of Media and Communication Dean, Professor Lisa French, welcomed the return of the Election Promise Tracker as a credible and quality tool to inform the public.
“The promise tracker will insert objective facts, provide a reliable source of information and play a critical role for democracy in Australia,” she said.
What the fact?
In an era of fake news, RMIT journalism students will undertake an Australian-first new subject focused solely on teaching fact checking and verification skills.
Spotting photoshopped images and fake social media accounts and using Google Earth verification are among the skills students will learn when the subject commences in Semester 2 2019. While designed as a compulsory subject for first-year students, the inaugural semester will be open to all journalism students.
RMIT Journalism Lecturer Gordon Farrer said the subject was about teaching students to think like a detective.
“Journalists need to think like they are an investigator, not just a journalist who's just gathering information and putting it together,” he said.
“This subject aims to teach practical critical analysis skills needed to sort fact from fiction, opinion from reliable reporting.”
But it’s not just journalism students who will benefit from learning these skills – a free micro-credential on fact checking and verification is also available to RMIT students through RMIT Creds.
Developed by Fact Check’s Sushi Das, the 90-minute online course aims to teach basic fact-checking skills and help students identify fake news and adulterated photos and videos.
-Ends
For general media enquiries: + 61 439 704 077, or news@rmit.edu.au
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 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.