irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2022
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $253KTRAININGS - FIRST DRAFT HELD VIRTUAL TRAINING EVENTS, GARNERING VIEWS FROM ATTENDEES AROUND THE WORLD INCLUDING JOURNALISTS, ACADEMICS, RESEARCHERS, HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHERS TO PROVIDE TRAINING ON INFORMATION VERIFICATION TECHNIQUES. MANY OF FIRST DRAFT'S TRAINING VIDEOS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON YOUTUBE.
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
A Limiting Lens Research Project
Conducted mixed-methods research on Covid-19 vaccine misinformation in Hispanic communities, analyzing social media content and providing recommendations for public health and platform interventions
Local News Fellows
Engaged five fellows across the U.S. to support local newsrooms with misinformation monitoring, research, and expertise on information disorder in local communities
Virtual Training Events
Provided global training on information verification techniques for journalists, academics, and researchers, with sessions available to the public via YouTube
activities · 2 groups
What they do
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Nonprofit Investigative & Community Journalism 1 activity
- Expand international partnerships and regional presenceEstablished an international Partner Network with newsrooms, universities, platforms, and civil society organizations, and opened a Sydney bureau affiliated with the University of Technology Sydney’s Centre for Media Transition to serve the Asia-Pacific region.
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Uncategorized 4 activities
- Conduct research on misinformation and information disorderProduces research reports, insights series, and analyses on misinformation and disinformation, including studies on vaccine misinformation in Black and Hispanic communities, anti-Muslim influence operations, election-related disinformation, climate misinformation, and cross-border spread of conspiracy theories. Research includes mixed-methods analysis of social media content across platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Telegram, and WhatsApp.
- Deliver training and capacity-building programs on information verificationConducts in-person and virtual training events, master classes, and online courses for journalists, academics, and media practitioners on verifying online media, combating misinformation, and prebunking strategies. Includes development of training materials and tools made publicly available, such as YouTube videos and quick-start courses.
- Provide real-time monitoring and alerts on election misinformationDelivered morning alerts and daily briefing documents to monitor and counter election-related misinformation during the 2022 Australian federal election, using a pre-emptive approach to track and slow the spread of false narratives on social media platforms.
- Support local newsrooms and communities through fellowship programsEngaged five U.S.-based fellows to deliver training, conduct research, and provide expertise on misinformation and information disorder to local newsrooms and community organizations.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$0
Contributions & grants——
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$725K
Program expenses76%
Admin / overhead23%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$118K
Grants paid out$527K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$0
Cash$706K
Investments$0
Liabilities$6K
Net assets$0
Liquid reserves11.7 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue -100.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JUSTIN ROSS TREAS SECRET OP D | THRU 01/23, CONSULT. AS OF 02/23 | 10 | $102K |
| CLAIRE WARDLE | PRESIDENT | 5 | $8K |
board members · 5
- ANGELA MATUSIK — DIRECTOR
- ANUSHA ALIKHAN — DIRECTOR
- DANIEL BRAMATTI — DIRECTOR
- LYNN SCHEID — DIRECTOR
- PAUL CHEUNG — DIRECTOR
relationships · 14
Who they work with
- Australian Electoral Commission Partner — Collaborated with the Australian Electoral Commission to monitor and respond to election misinformation, including verifying claims and receiving official clarifications.
- Climate 200 Partner — Collaborated with Climate 200, which provided campaign funding to some of the "teal" independents discussed in the report.
- Council of Europe Government — Published a report for the Council of Europe on information disorder.
- Internet Archive Government — Hosts the First Draft website in perpetuity
- Internet Archive Partner — Archived First Draft's website in perpetuity following its closure in 2022.
- Not specified Partner — Collaborated with unnamed partners to create resources on combating mis- and disinformation.
- Rita Allen Foundation Funder — Provided grant funding to support research on Covid-19 vaccine misinformation affecting Black communities.
- Rita Allen Foundation Funder — Provided grant funding to support research on Covid-19 vaccine misinformation in Hispanic communities.
- Shorenstein Center for Media, Politics and Public Policy Partner — Hosted First Draft from 2017 to 2019, during which time the Information Disorder Lab was developed.
- Twitter Partner — Partnered with Twitter to feature misinformation guidance on Twitter Moments and monitor election-related narratives on the platform.
- University of Technology Sydney’s Centre for Media Transition Partner — Affiliated with First Draft's Sydney bureau to support work in the APAC region.
- YouTube Partner — Conducts research on the spread of misinformation, including anti-Muslim content, on YouTube.
- YouTube Partner — Hosts training videos on YouTube for public access.
- like-minded journalists Partner — Collaborates with journalists to tackle misinformation.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Capacity Building Through Training and Tool Provision 6 orgsmethodology: training-based resilience buildingBy equipping journalists and organizations with verification techniques and practical tools, we increase systemic resilience against misinformation because skilled professionals amplify credible reporting and disrupt false narratives at scale.shared approach: Preemptive Narrative Shaping →
- Community-Specific Modeling for Accurate Misinformation Detection 6 orgsmethodology: community-specific-modelingBy training misinformation detection systems on locally grounded, culturally specific data, we improve identification of harmful narratives because models that reflect community context capture nuances that generic systems miss.shared approach: Preemptive Narrative Shaping →
- Prebunking to Proactively Inoculate Against Misinformation 6 orgsmethodology: prebunkingBy providing audiences with preemptive exposure to weakened forms of misinformation narratives, we build psychological resistance to false information because early inoculation reduces susceptibility when full-strength misinformation later spreads.shared approach: Preemptive Narrative Shaping →
- Trusted Messengers to Counter Misinformation in Marginalized Communities 6 orgsmethodology: trusted_messengersBy delivering counternarratives through community-embedded messengers with cultural and linguistic credibility, we increase uptake of accurate information because trust in the source mediates receptivity to corrective content.shared approach: Preemptive Narrative Shaping →
- Collaborative Network Model to Amplify Impactmethodology: collaborative network modelBy working through partnerships with journalists and organizations, we extend the reach and effectiveness of interventions because coordinated networks multiply dissemination and enhance local legitimacy.