Still looking for a last-minute Christmas gift? Snopes has you covered.
The fact-checking website launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money ahead of what will surely be a busy year for verification services.
“We have big plans for 2020,” the page said. “We need your help.”
As we enter a new decade—and another election cycle—Snopes wants to beef up its operations by hiring more fact-checkers and developers (only 10 people currently work in the newsroom) and upgrading its website, among other improvements.
Since its creation in 1994, Snopes (initially known as the Urban Legends Reference Pages) has funded its work through advertising and occasional partnerships.
“Everything about the site since its inception has been a long, slow, evolutionary process, from what it looked like to the material we covered to how it was funded,” founder David Mikkelson told TechCrunch. “This is just another part of that process. We’re just going where the road leads us.”
Over the last decade, that road has led to social media, fake news, and a growing demand for fact-checking.
“Someone has to step up who has an interest in making sure the content flowing through the pipes is credible and reliable—so we’re stepping up,” VP of operations Vinny Green said in a statement to TechCrunch. “But our only access to capital and reach is what we grow ourselves.”
Enter you.
Backers can contribute as little as $5 or as much as $5,000 with no material reward (just the satisfaction of knowing you’re supporting a struggling organization).
But if you want to spruce up your wardrobe or surprise a truth-loving friend for the holidays, Snopes offers various perks, including tees, stickers, and “all sorts of cool swag.”
Each tier comes with a one-year founding membership ($30), with your choice of enamel pin ($40), T-shirt ($60), pens and stickers ($80), water bottle, notebook, or mug ($100), and tote bag or power bank ($120).
The entire #DidYouSnopesThat pack is also available for $250.
More on Geek.com:
- Facebook ‘Exempts’ Politicians From Fact Checking
- AI as Fact Checker: Algorithm Identifies Fake News
- Instagram Automatically Labels, Hides Fake News
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