Better social media formats

A service that helps transform a written fact-check into a more engaging visual format (e.g., storyboard, social media carousel).

The scenario

Once upon a time fact-checking teams completing investigations were left with very little time or resources to ensure that their work reached a wide audience on social media, which had become an important discussion space in which citizens formed opinions.

Every day they would struggle to come up with social-media friendly formats to share their articles, while the misleading images or fake news they were fighting against kept reaching more people. This was a challenge of resources, but also of ethics: resorting to clickbait was not a solution.

 

What's expected of my proposal?

Check the Scenario Starter Kit or the Applicant’s Guide for more information.

One day… (what will you do to address the problems and challenges being faced?)

Because of that… (what changes will your solution bring?)

Until finally… their work started to see levels of engagements similar to the fake news they were debunking, while keeping a distinct identity. This led to more balanced social media conversations, supported by empowered users who used their publications to warn others in comment sections.

Keywords

social media engagement fact-check distribution content formats civic communication misinformation debunking visual storytelling ethical outreach meme-based activism

Scenario starter kit

Recommendations for your design process

  • Identify the platforms most used by your target audience.
  • Test short-form, visually engaging formats (e.g., Instagram Reels, TikTok, infographics).
  • Maintain a consistent brand identity while adapting tone for each platform.
  • Build templates so fact-checkers can quickly repurpose content.

Solution users and audience

  • Fact-checking teams
  • Digital media coordinators in CSOs
  • Journalists producing explainer content
  • Social media audiences in EECA, especially young users

Advice

  • Keep accuracy at the core — never sacrifice truth for virality.
  • Use humor or relatable angles to make complex topics approachable.
  • Leverage trending audio or formats while keeping your visual identity.

Glossary

  • Social-media friendly formats: Optimized text, image, and video designs that capture attention and encourage sharing online.
  • Clickbait: Misleading or sensationalized headlines/content aimed solely at attracting clicks.

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