Anglo-American University in Prague Seznam.cz Cooperates with AAU on Fact-Checking Discussions
Anglo-American University has joined Charles University, and Masaryk University in strengthening fact-checking within Seznam Discussions!
Seznam.cz, the leading Czech internet company, has been fact-checking comments within Seznam Discussions since 2022. It has already added context to more than 30,000 comments containing factually incorrect statements.
The contextual boxes are based on independent fact-checking projects such as AFP, Demagog.cz, Czech Radio’s Ověřovna, and other reputable organizations and media. Seznam.cz publishes all fact-checks it uses in a clear and searchable database.
“When adding context to factually incorrect claims made by our users, we care deeply about being as objective and impartial as possible while building on trustworthy sources. That’s why we invited three renowned universities to join the cooperation, ensuring an additional review of every single fact-checking box,” said Peter Jančárik, who is responsible for disinformation and content moderation at Seznam and also leads the Discussions editorial team.
At the Anglo-American University, researchers from a wide range of humanities disciplines (modern history, law, economics, philosophy, political science, and international relations) participate in the verification process.
According to Radek Soběhart, AAU Director of Research, the university sees this project as another opportunity to develop the so-called “third role” of universities:
“Our school is not widely known in the Czech environment, as all programmes are conducted in English according to international educational standards. We see an opportunity in this project to show that our academics do not live in an ivory tower of theoretical research, but consider cultivating the public sphere to be one of their main professional missions. Based on experiences from surrounding countries, we are aware of how essential such cultivation is for the quality of democratic culture and the development of a free society.”