Jenni Sargent is the Managing Director of First Draft, a non-profit organization working internationally to address the challenges of information disorder through research, field work and education. Jenni led the formation and launch of First Draft in 2015 and has devised and coordinated a number of its key initiatives including CrossCheck; the first project of its kind to encourage competing newsrooms to collaboratively verify and transparently endorse each other’s work. A specialist in the ethics and processes of online newsgathering and reporting, Jenni manages a team of 40 across offices in London, New York and Sydney.

Claire Wardle leads the strategic direction and research for First Draft. In 2009 she left her academic position at Cardiff University to develop an organization wide training program for the BBC on social media, verification and misinformation and has been obsessed with the topic ever since. In 2017 she co-authored the seminal report, Information Disorder: An interdisciplinary Framework for Research and Policy for the Council of Europe. Over the past decade she has been a Fellow at the Shorenstein Center for Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School, the Research Director at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and head of social media for the United Nations Refugee Agency. She holds a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Pennsylvania.

Ben Sargent has overseen the financial and operational management of First Draft since its inception and is Company Secretary. Prior to that, Ben was a co-founder and director of Digital Skills Network, responsible for operations and business development. Ben started life as a camera engineer for Panavision and graduated to international production management and partner relations, specialising in 35mm motion pictures. A fluent Spanish speaker, Ben takes a lead advisory role in establishing our bureaux around the world and is the COO & Treasurer of our New York office.

Aimee managed Comprova, the Brazilian election project in 2018. She serves as project lead on First Draft initiatives and builds strategic partnerships with complementary organizations to support and enhance our work around the world. She started working online in 1996 and was a digital originator at The New York Times. She was an editor at the Wall Street Journal Europe in Brussels and upon her return to New York, worked in the communications departments at the American Civil Liberties Union, the Overseas Press Club of America and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. She graduated from Indiana University School of Journalism and has an MFA in creative writing from Rutgers-Newark University.

As Chief of Staff, Stephanie is responsible for creating environments where individuals and teams deliver their highest goals. Responsible for driving effectiveness across First Draft's people, processes and projects, Stephanie brings a wealth of organizational and team development experience during a 20 year career - applying structure to creative and idea driven businesses and people. Prior to joining First Draft, Stephanie spent 8 years with Lloyd's Register, latterly as EA to the Executive Vice President supporting the creation and global launch of the external and corporate affairs business function. Beginning her career at major recording label, East West Records, Stephanie has held senior support and project development roles in the creative industries, including commercial music, digital broadcast, advertising and PR. Stephanie has a MA in Music Business Management and is a proud board member of the Brixton Pound - a local community organization.

Originally from a TV and film production background, Emma has more recently been responsible for implementing successful international media capacity development projects, educational programmes and training practises and procedures. Emma’s previous drama, factual and live event clients include National Geographic, Discovery, BBC Films and Channel 4. With a Masters in Education, Power and Social Change, she has been able to put her creative expertise, production talents and teaching skills to good use in developing countries having assisted women and youth in particular in gaining their own voices through the respective media platforms. Emma recently completed work as Country Director for BBC Media Action’s North Africa office where she governed Libya, Tunisia and Algeria television, social media and training projects with successful regional and national business development and the establishment of effective donor partnerships with organizations including UNESCO, MEPI & the FCO.

Alastair is digital editor, investigating trends and sources of disinformation and supporting CrossCheck projects around the world. He initially joined First Draft as managing editor in 2015, reporting on the field, training newsroom partners and commissioning editorial coverage before joining Press Association as a social media journalist in 2017. At PA he was named social media journalist of the year for his work reporting on breaking news events and investigating deeper issues around UK terror attacks, the Grenfell Tower disaster, the rise of the far right, climate change and knife crime, before re-joining First Draft in 2019.

Victoria is the Ethics and Standards Editor, ensuring that First Draft's best practices for responsible, accurate and transparent reporting are implemented across all output. Previously, she worked as a Senior Attorney Editor in Thomson Reuters' legal publishing division and as a law clerk for the Honourable William F. Morse of the Anchorage Superior Court in the Alaska Court System. Victoria is a contributor to SCOTUSblog and the co-creator of several interactive tools that aid legal journalists and educate the public about the Supreme Court of the United States, including SCOTUS Map and SCOTUS Watch. She holds a JD from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone scholar.

Ali investigates information disorder and supports CrossCheck projects from the London office. He has recently completed his Masters in Digital Journalism from Goldsmiths, University of London, and wrote about India and the Middle East for The New Arab before joining First Draft. He has worked as a designer, architect, and instructor in several countries, and studied architecture and conflict resolution for his bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto.

Sogol handles First Draft’s accounts and human resources matters. Before coming to First Draft, she worked in accounts and payroll for a variety of firms, and in the hospitality industry. Fluent in Farsi, Sogol also has experience as a TV presenter for an Iranian channel.

Marie Bohner started working with First Draft on CrossCheck France in 2017 for the French presidential election. She coordinated the collaboration of media, academic and tech partners on the project. As a French and German citizen, she has assisted First Draft with partner meetings in Germany and at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. She has been working with First Draft’s European partners since March 2019. Marie has managed artistic and cultural events and Human Rights and advocacy related projects in France, Germany, Switzerland, India, Hungary and Senegal. These range from festivals and conferences to training courses and leadership seminars with said events having been conducted on an intercultural, local and international basis. As a freelancer she has written for publications including Global Voices (ENG and FR), Rue89 Strasbourg (FR), Novo (FR), Zut (FR) and Fisheye (FR). She is a member of the National Council of ActionAid France / Peuples solidaires.

Abigail is a business analyst, focusing on implementing a project management framework and standardised processes across the business. She will also be assisting the implementation of COVER. Prior to First Draft, she worked as a business analyst for a global insurance company for 8 years.

Seb is a research reporter with background in economics and international relations research. He reports on disinformation tactics and trends and inauthentic online activity relating to key political events and narratives with a particular focus on French speaking countries (he has the dual nationality British/French). He previously worked on an international disinformation research project at Zinc Network (formerly Breakthrough Media). He has degrees from from King’s College London and the UvA (University of Amsterdam).

Carlotta is a data journalist with a background in philosophy, who will research and report on global information disorder and coordinated networks of amplification for First Draft. She specialises in data-led investigations, multimedia reportage and advanced internet research. She has previously worked with The Times’ Data team and La Repubblica’s Visual Lab, producing investigations on mental health, migration, cybercrime and issues surrounding social justice. She has also written for a number of publications including The Guardian, the BBC and the New Internationalist. She has been nominated for The Information is Beautiful Awards, and won The One World Media production fund.

Paul Doyle comes from the broadcast television and radio sector where he has worked across a variety of genre, including news and current affairs, as both a Producer and a Director for BBC, Sky, Bloomberg, Virgin Media, Communicorp and RTE. Paul is also a qualified project manager, has an advanced Diploma in Education and Learning and completed a Masters in Digital Media, incorporating Political Communications & Critical PR. With many years' experience leading content development, organizational learning and skills training initiatives, Paul takes that experience into First Draft where he works across all our education tools; overseeing their development and implementation. As Outreach Manager, Paul is responsible for strengthening relationships with newsrooms, academics, publishers and the wider public.

Rachelle Louise is Business Administrator at First Draft providing administrative and business support to the Operations, Editorial and Finance teams. Before joining, Rachelle provided client relations, lifestyle and project management support to medical executives within the private sector and the NHS as Senior Quality Improvement Manager. Keen to utilise her skills outside of work, Rachelle engages charity outreach initiatives with HRH Queen Diambi of the Luba Tribe of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rachelle graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, University of Roehampton.

MJ is part of the Community Engagement team. Before joining First Draft MJ worked in strategic and digital communications for agencies in London and Dublin advising corporations, governmental bodies and brands. She has a degree in Law and Political Science and an MSC. in Business and Management from Trinity College Dublin.

Laura heads First Draft’s training and education across newsrooms and journalism schools. Her work as a multimedia journalist started back in her home, Mexico, as a photographer for a newspaper. She also worked for newspapers and film production companies in the US before coming to the UK in September 2011. Laura has worked in different newsrooms across the UK: ITV Meridian, BBC South East, BBC Radio Kent, NBC News, R4’s The World Tonight and Channel 5 News. Previously she worked as a Lecturer in Television and Multimedia Journalism at the University of Kent, and produced a politics show for KMTV. She is passionate about access into journalism and diversifying the media and is the co-founder of PressPad and the UK chapter of AMMPE World. Laura also works as the London correspondent for Bloomberg Mexico and Estrella TV in Los Angeles.

Bethan is a social media journalist at First Draft in London, investigating information disorder and supporting global CrossCheck projects. After completing a Masters in Digital Journalism at Goldsmiths, she became the Google News Initiative Fellow at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (2019). Prior to this, she worked in the documentary film industry. Bethan also has a degree in German and History from the University of Edinburgh.

Delwyn is a business analyst responsible for analysing First Draft's business processes, its model and its integration with technology. He guides First Draft in improving processes, products, services and software through data analysis and is currently focusing on the development, implementation and delivery of First Draft’s Cross Check platform. Delwyn initially trained as a lawyer and was called to the bar in 2007.

Anne has recently helped to launch First Draft in Asia-Pacific, overseeing CrossCheck Australia for the 2019 federal elections. Anne has spent most of her career working in Asia, including as an international journalist and anchor at CNN International Hong Kong, Bloomberg TV, Radio Television Hong Kong, and Radio Corporation Singapore. She was anchor and national correspondent for the iconic Australian program Landline, and fill-in co-host for ABC News Breakfast. As an Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong, Anne set up the award-winning Cyber News Verification Lab in the wake of Occupy Central, collaborating with verification technologists Meedan. Anne also conducted news literacy courses throughout Asia, consulted for UNESCO Asia, and conducted research projects with Google News Labs partners into the misinformation ecosystem of Asia. She is an assessor at the International Fact-Checking Network (Poynter) and a Google News Initiative trainer. She recently worked as an ABC multi-platform state Chief of Staff, and producer on the National Digital desk at the ABC’s digital headquarters in Brisbane. Anne completed her PhD in social media verification education in January 2019.

Leneli is the Bureau Assistant, US. Her background includes work as a litigation paralegal at a mid-size law firm in New York and also as an administrative assistant to the President of a non-profit business league. She holds a Journalism degree from St. John’s University.

Lorraine is the HR Manager, overseeing all aspects of the HR practices, policies and processes to support First Draft's growth and to maintain a positive working environment. Lorraine brings 17 years HR experience and has been responsible for Organizational Change, Recruitment and Selection, Learning and Development, Employee Relations and Law and Performance Management. Lorraine has spent the last 11 years at The Salvation Army working in various HR roles ranging from HR Manager to Head of HR Shared Services. Lorraine enjoys building relationships and believes in nurturing a positive working environment. Lorraine has an MA in Personnel and Development and is a Chartered Member of the CIPD.

Jacquelyn is a research analyst. Previously, she worked as an editor of photography at media service organizations Meredith Corporation and NBC Universal. She holds an MFA from Parsons School of Design with a degree in Art, Media and Technology, as well as a Master of Science from NYU Tandon School of Engineering in Integrated Digital Media.

Lydia is a multimedia journalist and First Draft’s digital content producer, packaging interactive media around CrossCheck investigations and raising awareness of First Draft’s work across platforms. Previously, she worked at WikiTribune, leading investigations, building communities, hosting workshops and reporting on social issues, politics, digital culture and gender from Finland, New York and corners of Britain. As a freelance journalist, she reported extensively on issues affecting women, including around the aftermath of Ireland’s referendum to legalise abortion, workplace discrimination and sex work activism in the UK. Lydia is also the UK correspondent for NewsMavens and a member of The Second Source, the alternative network for women in the media.

Pedro Noel has been working with digital rights since 2011, when he co-founded the Associated Whistleblowing Press, an NGO dedicated to the defense of human rights by the means of transparency, accountability and whistleblowing. As an investigative journalist and advocate, Noel took part in dozens of publications revealing wrongdoing and human rights violations in Spain, Iceland, Peru and Mexico, where he also trained more than 100 journalists in digital and journalistic skills. He was granted the “Orlando Sierra” fellowship of the Office of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression of the Organization of American States and the “Journalists for Transparency” of Transparency International. Before joining First Draft, he was a fact-checking and verification journalist at AFP (Agence France-Presse). Pedro has a background in Philosophy.

As First Draft's Team Coordinator, Jennifer assists with building relationships with the organization's external stakeholders, coordinating training requests and managing event logistics. Previously, Jennifer worked at Kings College Hospital, Save the Children UK and Goldsmiths University. She holds a degree in Fashion Management and Marketing from the University for the Creative Arts.

Akshata Rao is a Digital Content Producer at First Draft. She is responsible for creating videos for all our online and social media platforms. She has previously worked as a breaking news video producer making packaged videos and long form explainer videos at the Guardian and HuffPost. She worked on the international desk as a multimedia news producer at Reuters News Agency. She has also worked at The Times as a multimedia video journalist and as an assistant news producer producing live news bulletins focused on global markets at Bloomberg LP in London.

Prior to joining First Draft, Justin served as Director of Administration at the American Securitization Forum (a non-profit trade association), where he oversaw all internal operations. He also managed human resources and administration as Administrative Manager at Vatera Holdings. He holds an MBA from Cass Business School (City, University of London), an MA in economics from Boston College, and a BA in math and economics from Cornell University.

Jack is leading the development of all CrossCheck related technology, including our pioneering collaborative investigation and publishing platform. Trained in Information Technology by Hewlett-Packard, he has a background in digital design, video editing, CGI and animation. A key member of First Draft since its inception, Jack devised and developed all interactive training content and structured our blended learning curriculum. Jack is fluent in Spanish and provides user support to our CrossCheck partners around the world.

Tommy Shane previously worked at the UK House of Commons, where he set up and managed the digital content team for select committees. He also worked at Full Fact during the 2017 UK General Election on their digital campaign. His research on social media has been published by Social Media + Society, and in 2017 he was named a global pioneer in digital democracy by Nesta. He holds degrees from the University of Cambridge and King’s College London.

Clea is a social media journalist at First Draft in London, investigating information disorder and supporting global CrossCheck projects. Before joining First Draft, she worked as a freelance reporter. She studied English Literature and History at the University of Edinburgh and completed a qualification from the National Council for the Training of Journalists at the Press Association.

Rory is a Senior Investigator at First Draft in London. With a background in data journalism, investigative reporting and international development, he will be looking into the various ways in which disinformation spreads as well as the evolution of disinformation and its myriad global networks. He will also be working with CrossCheck’s partners on more in-depth investigations around disinformation both in a supportive and collaborative role. Before joining First Draft, Rory worked for CNN, Vox, Vice and Truthout, covering various topics from immigration and food policy to politics and organized crime.

Diara J. Townes was a marine and environmental scientist, studying audience engagement, oceanography and climate change. As a social engagement journalism student at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, she built relationships and solutions with leaders and locals in the Rockaways, a beachside peninsula in New York City, following Hurricane Sandy. While interning at CNN, she fact-checked, verified, researched and assisted the Documentary Unit’s productions in public health, climate change and national politics.

Shaydanay is a research reporter, investigating disinformation online. Before First Draft she worked as a criminal justice reporter in New York and project director at Physic Ventures in San Francisco. She has a background in Middle Eastern languages and politics, GIS, and food policy, as well as a masters from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.

Maddy is a research reporter focusing on misinformation. Previously she worked as an abortion rights opposition researcher at Media Matters for America, monitoring anti-abortion organizing on social media. As a researcher with a sociology background, she has worked on a variety of projects, including studying oyster aquaculturists, organizing focus groups of women experiencing intimate partner violence, and interviewing rural farmers in Bhutan.