TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has been officially proposed for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, announced a journalism institution under the global fact-checker, Poynter.

IFCN Director Baybars Orsek said he was honored by this achievement. “While we recognize that this nomination is a long way from being shortlisted for this unparalleled award, we see it as an important validation of the work of fact-checkers worldwide. Simply put, facts matter and fact-checking can save lives,” he said on Thursday, Jan. 22.

Founded in 2015, IFCN has become an important part of journalism work around the world, promoting higher standards in fact-checking.

Fact-checkers, Orsek said, often worked under threat or attack to provide quality information and combat misinformation which were often made deliberately and polluted society or inhibited freedom.

Norwegian parliamentarian Trine Skei Grande announced Thursday that she nominated IFCN for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. As quoted from Poynter, Skei Grande said she supported the global fact-checker for the work it does against online mis/disinformation.

“In war, truth is the first victim. And we live in a time where fighting lies is so important that @JoeBiden mentioned it in his speech yesterday,” Skei Grande noted on her Twitter.

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ISTMAN MP | POYNTER