What Alt News does

Alt News is an independent Indian fact-checking initiative founded in 2017 by Pratik Sinha and Mohammed Zubair and operated through the Pravda Media Foundation, a Section 8 nonprofit company registered in Gujarat, India. The organization debunks misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech circulating in Indian media and social networks, and produces original investigative journalism on misinformation networks, platform accountability, and media misreporting. Its content is organized across six pillars — Fact Checks, Media Analysis, Investigations, Hate Speech documentation, Platform Accountability, and Reports — distributed in both English and Hindi through its website (altnews.in), YouTube channel, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, and a WhatsApp reader-submission tipline. The team of approximately 16 named individuals includes co-founders, directors, senior editors, correspondents, and video editors, with offices in Ahmedabad (headquarters) and Kolkata.

The underlying technology is a human-driven Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) methodology rather than a proprietary platform. Researchers use off-the-shelf tools including Google Reverse Image Search, the InVid Chrome extension for video verification, and structured multi-step verification processes that incorporate reverse image search, internet filters, outreach to authorities, and review of original transcripts. The organization does not employ proprietary AI/ML systems, APIs, or software products; all verification work is performed by trained journalists and researchers. The technology differentiator is domain specialization in Indian-language and India-context misinformation combined with a publicly documented five-step methodology (claim selection, systematic research, veracity evaluation, detailed writing, ongoing updates).

The business model is fully donation- and grant-funded. Alt News charges no fees for its fact-checking services and operates without advertising, corporate sponsorship, or subscription revenue. Individual donors contribute via the Instamojo payment portal (restricted to Indian bank accounts), with cheques accepted in the name of Pravda Media Foundation. Institutional support has come from foundation grants, including the Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation (IPSMF) and a FY 2017-18 grant of INR 300,000 from Zindabad Trust. Revenue figures for any year after FY 2017-18 are not publicly disclosed. Customer acquisition is entirely organic and community-led: readers submit suspicious viral content via WhatsApp, fact-checks are published, and distribution occurs through social media sharing.

Name

Alt News

Legal name

Pravda Media Foundation

Website

https://altnews.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Alt News is an independent Indian fact-checking initiative founded in 2017 that debunks misinformation and documents hate speech across Indian media and social platforms, serving the general public through free English and Hindi fact-checks distributed via its website and social channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Journalism & Fact-Checking

NAICS

Information (51)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)

Keywords

• Fact-checking services
• Misinformation verification
• Media analysis journalism
• Investigative reporting
• Hate speech monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Ahmadabad

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations from individuals: Alt News accepts donations from individuals with Indian bank accounts via Instamojo payment portal. Every article includes a donation pledge with a link to the donation page. They also accept cheques in the name of 'Pravda Media Foundation'. No cash donations or deposits accepted.
2. Grants from foundations: The Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation (IPSMF) has provided financial support to Pravda Media Foundation for reporting and publishing stories of public interest. In FY 2017-18, INR 300,000 was received from Zindabad Trust.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Alt News is an independent, reader-supported digital fact-checking initiative that debunks false and misleading claims circulating across Indian mainstream and social media. It publishes structured fact-checks, media analyses, original investigations, hate-speech documentation, platform accountability pieces, and news reports in English and Hindi, sourced primarily from reader submissions received through a public WhatsApp tipline and direct editorial research.

Product overview

Alt News is an independent fact-checking initiative operated by Pravda Media Foundation that debunks misinformation and disinformation in India. The organization offers a multi-format content platform comprising six core content pillars: Fact Checks (debunking false claims in media and social networks), Media Analysis (examining mainstream media coverage), Investigations (original investigative journalism on misinformation), Hate Speech documentation (tracking communal targeting content), Platform Accountability (analyzing social media platform handling of misinformation), and Reports (news reports on misinformation trends). Content is available in both English and Hindi, distributed across the website, YouTube, and WhatsApp. The WhatsApp tipline enables reader submissions of potentially viral misinformation for verification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fact Checks Detailed articles debunking false and misleading claims circulating in Indian media and social networks, including verification of viral images, videos, and text claims using OSINT tools and the multi-step fact-checking methodology. Targeted at the general public seeking verification before sharing content.
• Media Analysis Articles examining how mainstream Indian media covers stories, analyzing media misreports, biases, and coverage patterns in order to hold outlets accountable.
• Investigations Original investigative journalism on misinformation networks, power structures, and accountability, including long-form pieces uncovering disinformation operations and misleading narratives.
• Hate Speech / Objectionable Speech Documentation Tracking and archiving instances of hate speech in Indian media and social platforms, particularly content targeting communities on religious, caste, or ethnic lines.
• Platform Accountability Reporting Articles analyzing how social media platforms handle misinformation and harmful content in India, including platform policies, content moderation decisions, and algorithmic impacts.
• Reports In-depth reporting and explainers on emerging misinformation patterns, trends, and the broader Indian media ecosystem.
• Alt News Hindi Hindi-language edition providing the same fact-check, media analysis, investigation, hate speech, and report content categories in Hindi for Hindi-speaking audiences across India.
• Alt News YouTube Channel Video-format version of Alt News content, publishing fact-checks, investigations, and media analyses for YouTube audiences.
• WhatsApp Tipline Public WhatsApp-based submission channel at +917600011160 that lets users forward suspicious viral content (messages, images, videos) for the Alt News editorial team to review and potentially fact-check.

Quantifiable outcome

• Alt News identified at least nine individuals including Bajrang Dal district coordinator from protest footage
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Boom Live: Indian fact-checking organization debunking misinformation in English and Hindi. Directly comparable to Alt News in mission, IFCN-style fact-checking methodology, multi-language coverage, and India-focused viral claim investigations.
• Full Fact: UK-based independent fact-checking charity that combines editorial fact-checks with AI tools. Comparable to Alt News in nonprofit structure, methodological rigor, and focus on misinformation reduction rather than just debunking.
• The Quint / WebQoof: The Quint's WebQoof fact-checking vertical debunks misinformation in Indian media and social platforms. Comparable to Alt News in target audience, fact-check delivery format, and inclusion within a broader newsroom operation; differs in being part of a larger for-profit news company.
• Snopes: Pioneer independent fact-checking website covering misinformation and viral claims. Closest international analog to Alt News's independent, reader-funded, investigative fact-checking model.
• Maldita.es: Spanish nonprofit foundation dedicated to fact-checking and media literacy, with a WhatsApp tipline and methodology-driven approach. Highly comparable to Alt News in nonprofit structure, community-submission model, and focus on viral misinformation debunking.
• Newsmeter: Hyderabad-based IFCN-signatory fact-checker focused on misinformation in Indian digital media. Comparable to Alt News on fact-check methodology, regional/linguistic coverage, and viral claim verification.
• Factly: Indian data-driven fact-checking and media research outlet that publishes fact-checks and data journalism on public interest claims. Directly comparable to Alt News's investigative and fact-checking pillars, particularly on governance and electoral issues.

Broad incumbents

• AFP Fact Check: Global news agency's dedicated fact-checking service covering misinformation worldwide, including India. Comparable in methodology and output volume but embedded in a large incumbent wire service with global resources.
• India Today Fact Check: Fact-checking vertical within India Today, a large mainstream media group. Comparable content pillar to Alt News but embedded in a much larger news organization with broader reach and traditional media resources.
• Reuters Fact Check: Wire service fact-checking operation covering global and Indian misinformation. Comparable to Alt News's investigative and media accountability work but with substantially larger institutional backing and distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AltNews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/AltNewsVideos
• Facebookfacebook.com/altnews.in
• Instagraminstagram.com/altnews.in

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alt News