Grounded in academic research and working with a community of practice, First Draft coordinates with stakeholders across the globe to tackle common issues, including ways to streamline verification of textual and visual content, build frameworks for researching misinformation, and increase information literacy. First Draft’s community of practice brings together social platforms, newsrooms, professional associations, research labs, and universities to find and test shared solutions to the challenges of ethically sourcing information claim verification, and reporting stories that emerge online. Central to the First Draft approach is the open sharing of research and tools that help stop the spread of mis- and dis-information online.
Beyond the newsroom, the community of practice includes academic and research partners from institutions that offer programs in journalism, communications, computer science or human rights. Faculty at these institutions study the same issues and challenges addressed by First Draft. Academic and research partners are invited to conduct and contribute to relevant research projects.
Everyone in the Community of Practice is granted access to a 5-unit online verification course that features teaching materials, participant activities and discussions, instructional videos, and interactive resources.