IFCN statement on U.S. visa restrictions targeting fact-checkers - Poynter

"Fact-checking is journalism. It is the straightforward work of comparing public claims against the best available evidence and publishing the results for all to see. This work strengthens public debate - it does not censor it. It is protected within the United States by the First Amendment, and the U.S. has long supported similar press freedoms internationally. To conflate this work with censorship is to misunderstand what fact-checkers do, or to deliberately misrepresent it."

"These are the same standards that have defined high-quality journalism for generations. Our signatories do not remove content from the internet. They add information to the public record. We are also troubled by the broader implications for trust and safety professionals whose work protects children from exploitation, prevents fraud and scams, and combats coordinated harassment. These functions make the internet safer for everyone, including Americans."

U.S. consular instructions to deny visas to fact-checkers, content moderators, and trust-and-safety staff raise deep concern. Fact-checking is journalism: comparing claims against evidence and publishing results strengthens public debate without censoring it. Fact-checking is protected by the First Amendment and aligns with long-standing international press freedoms. The IFCN network spans over 170 organizations in 80+ countries committed to nonpartisanship, source transparency, and corrections. Signatories add information to the public record rather than removing content. Trust and safety work protects children, prevents fraud and scams, and combats harassment. Treating accuracy-seeking as disqualifying chills press freedom and democracy.

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