As well as publishing fact checks, FactCheckNI also produces explainer articles. These pieces help readers understand complex claims, issues and debates that cannot easily be reduced to a simple true or false verdict.
Some of these explainers take what is known as a “prebunk” approach. Prebunking refers to the practice of providing accurate information and context about a topic before misleading claims or misinformation begin to circulate widely. The aim is to help people recognise and evaluate claims if they encounter them later. We use the same process of claim/subject selection as we do in all our fact checking work.
Prebunk explainers often focus on subjects where confusion or misinformation is likely to arise, such as: elections; public policy debates; health information; or emerging news stories. Rather than assessing a single specific claim, these articles set out the key facts, background and evidence so readers have the information they need to understand the issue.
This approach complements our traditional fact checking work. While our fact check articles investigate individual claims, and assess their accuracy, prebunk explainers aim to equip and support readers with reliable information in advance, helping reduce the impact of misleading claims before they spread in Northern Ireland.
In both cases, our goal is the same: to support informed public understanding by providing clear, accurate and independent information
