The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is a non-profit journalism school and research organization located in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school is the owner of the Tampa Bay Times newspaper and the International Fact-Checking Network.
History
The school began on May 29, 1975, when Nelson Poynter, the owner and chairman of the St. Petersburg Times and Times Publishing Company, announced that he planned to start a small journalism school called the Modern Media Institute. In 1977, Nelson Poynter willed ownership of the Times Publishing Company to the Institute so that after his death the school would become the owner of the St. Petersburg Times. Poynter died on June 15, 1978, at the age of 74. He had become ill in his office just a few hours after he helped break ground for the new St. Petersburg campus of the University of South Florida. At that point, the Institute began to grow into the larger school that exists today. The Poynter Institute's second president, Robert J. Haiman, moved the institute in 1985 from the bank building on Central Avenue to the award-winning building where it is located today. Craig Newmark is a board member of the Poynter Foundation and donated $1 million to it in 2015. In 2017, the Poynter Institute received $1.3 million from the Omidyar Network and the Open Society Foundations in order to support new projects in three main areas: fact-checking technology, impact tracking, and financial awards through innovation grants and crowdfunding matches.
News University
News University is a project of the Poynter Institute that offers journalism training through methods including e-learning courses, webinars, and learning games. NewsU is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
International Fact-Checking Network
In 2015, the institute launched the International Fact-Checking Network, which sets a code of ethics for fact-checking organizations. The IFCN reviews fact-checkers for compliance with its code, and issues a certification to publishers who pass the audit. The certification lasts for one year, and fact-checkers must be re-examined annually to retain their certifications. Google, Facebook, and other technology companies use the IFCN's certification to vet publishers for fact-checking contracts. The IFCN and the American Press Institute jointly publish Factually, a newsletter on fact-checking and journalism ethics.
In 2019, Poynter used various "fake news" databases to compile a list of over 515 news websites that it labeled "unreliable." Poynter called on advertisers to "blacklist" the sites on the list. The list included conservative news websites such as the Washington Examiner, The Washington Free Beacon, and The Daily Signal. After backlash, Poynter retracted the list, citing "weaknesses in the methodology." Poynter issued a statement, saying: "We regret that we failed to ensure that the data was rigorous before publication, and apologize for the confusion and agitation caused by its publication."
