Misbar
مسبار | |
| Formation | 2019 |
|---|---|
Official language | English, Arabic |
Key people |
|
| Website | misbar |
Misbar (Arabic: مسبار, lit. 'probe') is a fact-checking website based in Jordan. It was established in 2019.
History
[edit]Misbar is based in Jordan.[3] The domain misbar.com was registered 22 October 2001.[4] Misbar was established as a fact-checking unit under Baaz, Inc. in 2019. It later became a standalone organisation operating under Metafora Production W.L.L.[5]
Misbar's managing editor Mohammed Al-Sheikh told The New Arab in 2020, "There are many fact-checking platforms and initiatives in the Arab world, but we consider ourselves the first platform working round the clock to check news, fight fake news, and also raise awareness among the public about the media."[1]
Misbar was part of the #CoronaVirusFacts Alliance, a group of fact-checkers led by the International Fact Checking Network (IFCN) which sought to combat COVID-19 misinformation.[6] The project ended in 2023.[7]
Misbar has debunked disinformation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In 2024, The New Arab reported that Misbar was one of multiple MENA-focused fact-checkers that was targeted by a Russian disinformation campaign known as Matryoshka, in which inauthentic social media accounts provided disingenuous fact-checking requests to disrupt fact-checkers' work.[2]
Misbar has debunked misinformation in the Gaza war, including false claims that dead Palestinian children were actually dolls[8][9] and a photo of IDF soldiers edited to show them holding the ISIS flag.[10][11] It has also debunked misinformation that spread online following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.[12]
In 2024, Misbar won an award from the Arab Fact-Checkers Network (AFCN) for the "Fact-Checking Platforms Collaboration to Counter Mis/Disinformation During the War on Gaza and South Lebanon" project, done in collaboration with Tahaqaq in Palestine and Sawab in Lebanon.[13]
Operation
[edit]Misbar operates as a non-profit.[5] It maintains offices in the United States and Jordan.[6] Its policy states that its employees "may not engage in partisan political activity or contribute to political candidates or lobbying organizations."[14]
Misbar relies on photo and video verification methods to verify information from media sources, and contacts people to verify statements attributed to them.[1] It maintains the Misbar Index, a dashboard which assigns transparency scores to news organisations based on the severity and frequency of misinformation they have published.[5]
In May 2021, Hind Khoudary, a Palestinian journalist working for Misbar, said that Instagram was censoring her content related to support for Sheikh Jarrah residents and Palestinians during the Sheikh Jarrah controversy.[15] Misbar has fact-checkers based in the Gaza Strip, such as Eman Hillis[16] and Wesam Abo Marq.[17]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Arabic fact-checking site goes online to counter fake news". The New Arab. 28 February 2020. Archived from the original on 16 September 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- 1 2 Ambri, Anas (16 February 2024). "Pro-Russian disinfo campaign targets TNA sister publication". The New Arab. Archived from the original on 29 March 2026. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ Shuham, Matt (16 October 2023). "Israel Made False Claims About A Horrific Image, Says Palestinian Journalist". HuffPost. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ↑ "misbar.com". WHOIS. 22 October 2001. Archived from the original on 13 February 2026. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- 1 2 3 Ibahrine, Mohammed; Ahmad, Norita (26 June 2026). "Beyond the Black Box: Human-AI Collaboration and Algorithmic Accountability in Arabic-Language Fact-Checking". Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media. 0 (0): 1–21. doi:10.1080/08838151.2026.2694044. ISSN 0883-8151.
- 1 2 Singer, Jane B. (20 April 2023). "Closing the Barn Door? Fact-Checkers as Retroactive Gatekeepers of the COVID-19 "Infodemic"". Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly. 100 (2): 332–353. doi:10.1177/10776990231168599. ISSN 1077-6990. PMC 10119658. PMID 38602946.
- ↑ "CoronaVirusFacts Alliance". Poynter. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ↑ Chowdhury, Archis (19 October 2023). "Israeli Govt Handles Falsely Claimed Slain Gazan Child Is A Doll". BOOM. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ↑ Summers, William (13 December 2023). "Images show Gazan baby, not a doll". Australian Associated Press. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ↑ Sabry, Ahmed (13 March 2024). "The Image Showing Israeli Soldiers Holding An ISIS Flag Has Been Altered". Misbar.
- ↑ McCarthy, Bill (15 March 2024). "Israeli soldiers photo doctored with Islamic State group flag". Agence France-Presse.
- ↑ Schaer, Cathrin (3 January 2025). "How fake news campaigns could push Syria back to civil war". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ↑ ""Collaboration to Counter Mis/Disinformation During War on Gaza and South Lebanon": ARIJ's AFCN Award Winner 2024". Arab Fact-Checkers Network. 8 December 2024.
- ↑ Fatima, Areeba (23 February 2024). "Audio of Hamas operatives discussing Gaza hospital blast is misleading". Soch Fact Check. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ Siddiqui, Usaid; Suleymanova, Radmilla (21 May 2021). "Israel, social media groups cooperating against Palestinians: NGO". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ↑ Scheindlin, Dahlia (11 June 2025). "Israelis are convinced Palestinians want to leave Gaza. What do Gazans themselves say?". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 24 May 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
Eman Hillis, a Gaza-based fact-checker with Misbar website...
- ↑ "Wesam Abo Marq, Author at The Intercept". The Intercept. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
