FactCheckNI 'does not have a constitutional position' says boss as she gets set to take part in SDLP event
The boss of FactCheckNI has said that the organisation does not have a constitutional stance as she gets set to take part in a conference about Northern Ireland leaving the UK.
Orna Young is one of the speakers listed for the SDLP’s June 25 conference at The MAC theatre in Belfast titled: “The Future of These Islands: Preparing for Change.”
FactCheckNI is a not-for-profit community interest company which selects claims that have been made about issues such as immigration, crime, or the economy, and adjudicates on how accurate they are.
It aims to “hold public figures, campaigns, and the media to account”, and describes itself as “independent and non-partisan”.
Among the 21 names listed to take part in the conference are SDLP MPs and MLAs, former taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Irish justice minister Jim O’Callaghan of Fianna Fail, and Baroness Sue Gray, former Downing Street Chief of Staff.
There are also unionist figures such as ex-UUP councillor Linzi McLaren, loyalist activist Joel Keys, and former UUP member of the Seanad Ian Marshall.
In the wake of her appearance on the SDLP conference bill, the News Letter contacted Dr Young to ask why she is taking part, if she favours constitutional change, and if she feels participation could undermine the perception of FactCheckNI as a neutral source of information.
Dr Young replied: “I have been invited to participate in this event in my capacity as Managing Director of FactCheckNI, Northern Ireland’s only independent fact-checking organisation.
"My contribution will focus on the importance of information integrity during referendums and other major democratic processes.
"FactCheckNI does not take positions on constitutional questions, nor do we advocate for particular political outcomes.”
Dr Young holds a PhD in Politics from Queen’s University Belfast, according to her online biography, which adds that FactCheckNI “grew from research she undertook over a decade ago, which found that social media was having a profound impact on nature of community relations in NI”.
Her LinkedIn profile says she founded the organisation to ensure “we empower citizens and institutions to navigate misinformation with confidence”.