LEAST BIASED
These sources have minimal bias and use very few loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appeals to emotion or stereotypes). The reporting is factual and usually sourced. These are the most credible media sources. See all Least Biased Sources.
- Overall, we rate Verify-Sy as Least Biased based on fact-checking efforts that address misinformation from both pro-Assad and anti-Assad narratives. However, we rate their factual reporting as Mostly Factual due to a lack of transparency regarding funding sources and unverifiable claims about their NGO registration in Turkey.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: LEAST BIASED (-1.1)
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL (3.6)
Country: Syria
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: TOTAL OPPRESSION
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
History
Verify-Sy is a fact-checking platform established in Syria in early 2016 by Ahmad Primo to combat the spread of misinformation. It monitors content published by various media outlets, regardless of their political or religious affiliations, and works to verify and correct false information. Though it claims to be registered as an NGO in Turkey, Verify-Sy does not disclose a physical contact address.
Read our profile on the Syrian Government and Media.
Funded by / Ownership
Verify-Sy claims to operate as a non-governmental organization (NGO) registered in Turkiye under Doğru Medya Derneği (Association of Correct Media) since 2021. However, a review of publicly available NGO registries and resources in Turkiye did not provide any evidence confirming the existence or registration of this organization under the stated name. Verify-Sy is also a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and has been a Facebook fact-checking partner in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region since 2019.
Analysis / Bias
Verify-Sy aims to provide fact-checking services by analyzing claims and content related to Syria, emphasizing neutrality and transparency in its stated methodology. The organization claims to base its analyses on verified evidence, including cross-referencing data and investigating sources. In order to evaluate whether Verify-Sy has a consistent pro-Assad bias, we examined their overall body of work, including specific examples from their archives.
For instance, Verify-Sy debunked a widely circulated claim involving a photo allegedly showing a member of the pro-Assad Liwa al-Quds militia engaging in violence. The fact-check titled “The Combatant Who Cut Off the Liwa al-Quds Militia’s Combatant is Not in the Photo” disputes the image’s authenticity, demonstrating that it was unrelated to the event in question. While this could be perceived as defending a pro-Assad militia, it also reflects a focus on correcting misinformation regardless of political implications.
In another example from 2016, Verify-Sy fact-checked a claim by the Russian Defence Ministry, an ally of Assad, concerning Al-Quds Hospital in Aleppo. The fact-check, titled “Al-Quds Hospital Director Denies the Claims of the Russian Ministry of Defence,” reported on the hospital’s director’s denial of Russian statements that the hospital was used as a base for militant activities. This challenges a narrative supportive of Assad’s regime, demonstrating Verify-Sy’s willingness to scrutinize claims from pro-Assad sources when evidence contradicts them.
More recently, Verify-Sy examined a claim made by CNN regarding a Syrian detainee allegedly freed from a secret prison. In the fact-check titled “Updated: Did CNN Fabricate the Story of ‘Freeing a Syrian Detainee from a Secret Prison’?” Verify-Sy investigated whether the individual portrayed as a freed prisoner was a former Assad regime intelligence officer. Their analysis provided evidence challenging the credibility of CNN’s story, which CNN later acknowledged as inaccurate.
These examples demonstrate that Verify-Sy addresses claims from both pro-Assad and anti-Assad narratives. While individual fact-checks might give the impression of bias depending on the cases selected, the platform’s willingness to scrutinize various narratives suggests an effort toward impartiality.
Failed Fact Checks
- None in the Last 5 years. They are an IFCN Fact Checker.
Overall, we rate Verify-Sy as Least Biased based on fact-checking efforts that address misinformation from both pro-Assad and anti-Assad narratives. However, we rate their factual reporting as Mostly Factual due to a lack of transparency regarding funding sources and unverifiable claims about their NGO registration in Turkey. (M. Huitsing 12/31/2024)
Source: https://verify-sy.com/
Last Updated on December 31, 2024 by Media Bias Fact Check
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