When Verificat joined the Transition Accelerator programme, it was already an established fact-checking organization in Catalonia. By applying to the accelerator, they sought to take a more structured approach to growing and serving their audiences. We spoke with Alba Tobella, Verificat’s co-founder and director, and Ruth Pérez Castro, Head of Communications, about how the programme helped the newsroom turn scattered engagement efforts into a clearer, more intentional strategy.
“At the beginning, we were very focused on audience targeting and engagement. But the programme helped us align everything we were doing toward clear priorities and realistic goals”, said the team.
From broad outreach to targeted engagement
Before joining the accelerator, Verificat had begun building direct relationships with its audiences, particularly educators. Through its media literacy programmes and education newsletter, the organization had built a community of around 1,000 teachers.
During the programme, the team strengthened this work and developed new audience products tailored to specific groups, including educators, young audiences, and people interested in understanding hate speech and disinformation.
One key outcome was the launch of a dedicated hate speech newsletter, designed to provide deeper analysis and context. To reach new readers, Verificat partnered with a comedy content creator who helped promote the newsletter on social media. “Partnering with someone who already has influence online helped us reach people who were interested in this topic and bring them into our newsletter,” said Pérez Castro.
Connecting editorial work with audience growth
The accelerator also helped Verificat rethink how its journalism supports audience development. Rather than treating publishing, partnerships and engagement as separate activities, the team began connecting them more intentionally.
For example, Verificat publishes regularly with La Vanguardia, one of Spain’s largest newspapers. Through the programme, the team started using these opportunities to guide readers toward its own platforms, including newsletters and social channels. “If we publish something in a newspaper or on social media, we now ask ourselves what we want to achieve,” the team explained. “How does it help us grow our audience or strengthen engagement?”
To support this work, Verificat created a new digital audience coordinator role focused on audience growth, engagement, and community management.
Building participation, not just readership
Beyond publishing, Verificat has focused on turning its audience into an active community. The organization runs educational contests, workshops, public debates, and youth fact-checking initiatives, helping people move from passive readers to active participants.
“We try to engage people at every stage from discovering our content online to participating in debates, workshops, or subscribing to our newsletters,” said Tobella.
The accelerator also supported the development of Verificat’s “Verified Debates” format, which brings together fact-checking, data analysis, and public discussion around major topics such as online misogyny and disinformation. These projects allow the newsroom to explore complex issues in greater depth and connect more meaningfully with its audience
As Verificat expanded its audience products and engagement efforts, it also saw growing trust from its community. During breaking news events and crises, audiences increasingly turned to Verificat for reliable information.
“In moments of confusion, people come directly to us to find reliable information,” said Pérez Castro. “That’s when you really see the trust you’ve built.”
Multilingual challenges and expanding reach
Operating in Catalonia presents unique linguistic challenges. While Verificat is committed to publishing in Catalan to serve its local community and preserve cultural identity, Spanish-language content allows the organization to reach broader national and international audiences.
To address this, Verificat developed a multilingual strategy across different platforms, publishing Catalan content locally while expanding Spanish-language content through youth-focused channels and international partnerships.
This approach allowed Verificat to balance its local mission with scalable audience growth.
Strong foundation for sustainable growth
The Transition Accelerator helped Verificat turn its audience engagement efforts into a more structured and sustainable model. The team launched new audience products, strengthened partnerships, and built internal capacity to support long-term growth.
“The programme gave us the structure and clarity to connect everything we do toward the same goal,” said Tobella.
As Verificat continues to grow and expand its reach, investing in deeper relationships with the community is their main bet for audience trust in an increasingly challenging media environment.
The Transition Accelerator is part of the Media Innovation Europe programme (MIE), made possible with the support of the European Union.
