Fact-checking organizations reached more people in 2025 even as their finances weakened, according to a new report from the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter.
The State of the Fact-Checkers report, based on a survey of 141 organizations in 71 countries, found that 62% grew their audiences in 2025. At the same time, 76% described their financial position as vulnerable or in crisis. Only 22.6% said they were sustainable.
Funding shifted and tightened
Grants replaced Meta as the largest average source of revenue, accounting for 46.2% of income. Meta’s third-party fact-checking program fell from 45.5% to 34.3%, following the company’s January 2025 announcement that it would end the program in the United States. Cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development further reduced media spending in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.
That left many organizations more exposed. Nearly three-quarters, 74.5%, operated on budgets under $500,000. More than half, 56.9%, depended on a single funder for at least half their income. The middle budget tier of $500,001 to $999,999 nearly halved, falling from 17% to 8.5%.
Staff cuts reversed recent growth
In 2024, 42.6% of organizations said they had added full-time employees. In 2025, that trend reversed. Just 23.4% added employees, while 38.3% reported cuts, up from 14.9% the year before.
With fewer staff, coverage narrowed across every topic category the survey tracked. Climate science saw the steepest decline, falling from 75.2% to 55.5%. Historical claims also dropped sharply, from 59.9% to 40.1%.
Audiences grew as formats changed
The growth came increasingly through video and visual formats. Short-form video was the most common expansion, cited by 54.7% of organizations. Visual explainers rose from 39.3% to 44.5%. Written formats, including brief fact checks and long-form reports, declined.
Organizations also published in more languages. In 2025, 60.6% said they published in more than one language, up from 52.5% in 2024.
Collaboration deepened
Fact-checkers collaborated more in 2025, and with a wider range of partners. In all, 94.9% said they collaborated with at least one type of partner. The share collaborating monthly or more rose from 35.3% to 58.4%.
Nongovernmental organizations and civil society groups saw the sharpest growth as collaborators, rising from 52.5% to 70.8%. Academic partnerships also grew, from 56.7% to 65%.
AI use grew, along with rules for using it
More than half of organizations, 53.3%, said they had integrated AI tools into their workflows. Research and information gathering was the most common use, followed by translation.
Half of organizations now have formal AI guidelines, up from 32% in 2024. Nearly 80% of those guidelines include ethical standards such as disclosure practices. Some 73% of organizations said they expect AI to play a supporting rather than leading role over the next three years.
AI also created new problems. Nearly half of organizations, 49.6%, said deepfakes and synthetic media were a major challenge to their work.
Pressures extended beyond finances
Lawsuits affected 20.4% of organizations in 2025, up from 16.4% in 2024. Nearly three in 10 said they faced pressure, restrictions or interference from government authorities.
Harassment fell overall, from 78% to 65%, but for some organizations it became more frequent. Across all organizations surveyed, 24.1% said harassment increased in frequency compared with 2024.
Even so, 92% of organizations described themselves as highly or somewhat adaptable, and 78.1% said their fact-checking methods improved over the past year.
What the data shows
The report points to a field carrying more public-facing work on weaker financial footing. Fact-checkers are publishing in more languages, working with more partners and keeping their journalism free to the public.
The strain is clear. So is the continued effort to adapt. The question is whether support for that work will grow with the need.
The full State of the Fact-Checkers report is available.