Communal counting: The Northern Ireland census

Posted on by Ferre WOUTERS

Communal counting: The Northern Ireland census
by Ferre WOUTERS for FactCheckNI
6 March 2019

In Northern Ireland, much data are reduced to communal categories of “Protestant” and “Catholic”, for the purposes of monitoring the delivery of public services and compliance with discrimination legislation. These two religious denominations are also used as proxy for British unionist and Irish nationalist identities. For some, a Protestant-majority population provides assurance of continuation of the Union with Great Britain; for others, a Catholic-majority population means a call for a referendum for a united Ireland. Thus the decennial exercise of the Northern Ireland population census has an added sensitivity and importance. Continue reading Communal counting: The Northern Ireland census

10 years of Nieuwscheckers

Posted on by Ferre WOUTERS

10 years of Nieuwscheckers
by Ferre WOUTERS for FactCheckNI
25 January 2019

Nieuwscheckers is a Dutch project for students in journalism at the University of Leiden. Supervised by lecturers Peter Burger and Alexander Pleijter, students monitor the media looking for statements or articles that make their eyebrows frown. Once such a claim is found, they ask the journalist who published the claim to clarify on which it is based. Students then investigate this and publish their conclusion online. Continue reading 10 years of Nieuwscheckers

Semtex and powdered milk: A history of Ireland-Northern Ireland border checks

Posted on by Ferre WOUTERS

Semtex and powdered milk: A history of Ireland-Northern Ireland border checks
by Ferre WOUTERS for FactCheckNI
21 January 2019

At an event in London on 15 January 2019, Arlene Foster (Leader, DUP), stated that during the Troubles there has not been a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. When asked what she meant by this, she explained: “The borders of the past were there for a completely different reason. They were there to stop terrorists, they were there to stop the flow of Semtex (explosives), as opposed to the flow of powdered milk.” Continue reading Semtex and powdered milk: A history of Ireland-Northern Ireland border checks

The Santa myth: A joyful act of confirmation bias

Posted on by Ferre WOUTERS

The Santa myth: A joyful act of confirmation bias
by Ferre WOUTERS for FactCheckNI
21 December 2018

At FactCheckNI we are interested in facts. Through the training we deliver, we also come face-to-face with many of the beliefs people hold dear. Here we unpack one of the most cherished beliefs, and show how even fact checkers can engage with a little bit of magic … Continue reading The Santa myth: A joyful act of confirmation bias