Latin American Small Newsrooms Combat Viral Misinformation Across Region

Migration, Elections, and Scams: Latin American Newsrooms Battle Disinformation

Migration, elections, scams, the reported death of Pope Francis, and Middle East conflicts generated the most disinformation across Latin America during the first half of 2025, according to the Ibero-American and U.S. fact-checking network LatamChequea.

With false information primarily spreading through viral social media content, newsroom teams trained in verification methodologies and equipped with technological tools have become essential, says Argentine fact-checking organization Chequeado, which leads LatamChequea.

In August, Chequeado launched the second edition of MediaFact Latam, a training and mentorship program designed to help media outlets across the region combat viral misinformation. The initiative, developed in partnership with Google News Initiative, involves allied organizations Mala Espina (Chile), Colombia Check (Colombia), Verificado (Mexico), and Ojo Público (Peru).

“We know it’s a difficult time for creating permanent units within newsrooms,” said Chequeado’s executive director, Franco Piccato. “That’s why we’re betting on helping participating outlets create flexible fact-checking teams so that when there’s a need for verification, they can quickly come together and take action.”

The program offers intensive fact-checking training by Chequeado, personalized mentorships, and access to verification tools El Chequeador and El Desgrabador. This year, 16 outlets from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru are participating.

Local Impact, Limited Resources

El Armadillo, an independent local outlet in Colombia’s Antioquia department with only six journalists, participated in the program’s 2024 edition. Despite its small size, the outlet now applies verification techniques in its daily investigative work.

“In small outlets, complementarity, versatility in the newsroom, and flexibility in staff roles are very important,” said El Armadillo co-founder Mateo Isaza. “Having training and installed capacity among staff in verification methods is something newsrooms must do, especially small ones, because resources are limited.”

The team recently used these verification skills during coverage of protests in Medellín against violence in Palestine, employing techniques taught by Chequeado and Colombia Check to accurately reconstruct events involving civilian contractors and police.

“It was super important to have those verification tools and to be able to compare those versions and images circulating with accusations against public officials and protest organizers,” Isaza said. “That kind of training really shields you from errors, bias, and superficial approaches to journalistic topics.”

Adapting to Provincial Realities

In Argentina’s San Juan province, even larger media outlets struggle to establish dedicated verification units due to financial constraints.

“We don’t have a media outlet here in San Juan with the financial ability to keep a dedicated verification team,” said journalist Ana Paula Gremoliche, who works at El Tiempo de San Juan. “In the afternoon shift, we’re just three people.”

Gremoliche, who participated in the 2024 program while at Diario Huarpe, emphasized the importance of sharing verification knowledge with colleagues. Fellow participant Yanina Paez explained that although Diario Huarpe doesn’t have a formal fact-checking unit, designated staff members are assigned to intervene when questionable content appears.

“There’s someone on the morning shift and someone on the afternoon shift, so if any kind of disinformation comes in, they’re specifically in charge of that topic,” Paez said.

Preparing for Election Season

With Peru’s national and regional elections approaching in 2026, Peruvian investigative site El Foco is developing strategies to combat electoral misinformation efficiently with its eight-person team.

Sandro Mairata, disinformation editor at El Foco, said the outlet refined its verification processes after participating in MediaFact Latam. They’ve created two initiatives: Foco-Factos, focused on real-time verification of political statements, and an educational comic book targeting young audiences to raise awareness about electoral disinformation.

“At Ojo Público, they’re very structured and meticulous about accuracy. At El Foco, we’re looking for ways to make this process faster,” Mairata said. Both projects are currently awaiting funding.

Tools and Techniques in the AI Era

El Chequeador, a virtual assistant launched by Chequeado in 2024, has played an important role for program participants. The tool guides users step-by-step through fact-checking processes, making verification faster and more efficient.

While the basic version is free and open to the public, MediaFact Latam participants received access to a premium version that includes AI features, such as generating draft articles based on fact-checks.

Participants agree that one of the program’s main contributions was training them to be more skeptical, particularly valuable in an era where AI-generated deepfakes are increasingly sophisticated.

“Before, everything was assumed to be real,” said Gremoliche. “Nowadays, that kind of evidence is no longer irrefutable. This critical and journalistic lens has helped me a lot in my later work, especially in politics.”

As deepfake videos and photos become more prevalent—several cases were documented during Argentina’s recent midterm elections—these verification skills have become essential tools for responsible journalism across Latin America, allowing even small newsrooms to play a vital role in combating the spread of misinformation.