Logically confirms new VP of Fact-Checking to scale capabilities and partnerships into new regions

Dec 5, 2022

Logically, the tech company combining AI and human expertise to tackle mis- and disinformation, has today announced the appointment of Baybars Örsek as its new Vice President of Fact-Checking. Örsek’s focus will be on scaling and growing Logically’s fact-checking capabilities into new regions, as well as promoting knowledge sharing and collaboration across the fact-checking community.

• Baybars Örsek joins Logically having served as Executive Director of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the Poynter Institute since 2019; Örsek established Turkey’s first political fact-checking project Dogruluk Payi (Share of Truth) in 2014

• Örsek is Logically’s latest hire in its mission to tackle harmful and problematic online content at scale, with sights set on expanding into other key markets

Örsek joins Logically having served as the Executive Director of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and international programming at the Poynter Institute since 2019. Before joining the IFCN, Örsek founded Turkey’s first and only political fact-checking project - Dogruluk Payi (Share of Truth) - in 2014, and Turkey's open data platform Veri Kaynagi (Data Source). Örsek also organized the Global Fact 6 in Cape Town in 2019 and Global Fact 9 in Oslo in 2022, as well as the two virtual Global Facts in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic. During his time as the Director of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, Örsek secured more than $20m to support fact-checking efforts around the world.

Logically’s AI-assisted Fact-Checking allows newsrooms and social media platforms to access one of the world’s largest teams of dedicated fact-checkers who are supported by an AI-driven dashboard. This AI-assisted service enables the company to quickly verify any claims and images that its partners might find questionable, supporting both topic and event-driven fact-checking. Logically’s Fact-Checking offering is used by Meta and TikTok. 

On his new role, Örsek said: “If fact-checking and tackling the threat of mis- and disinformation is a global arms race, Logically is firmly on the frontline. There is no better place to be making a tangible difference when it comes to tackling online harms. Fact-checking plays an increasingly important role in a world where misinformation can originate from nation-state adversaries, cynical domestic campaigns, or from groups pursuing financial gain. Harnessing AI means we can augment each fact-checker’s expertise while helping them to intervene quickly and efficiently to reduce harms done by mis- and disinformation.”

“My priorities are to continue investment in our regional teams, which includes expanding the reach of Logically’s fact-checking offering to even more regions, including Asia-Pacific, Africa, and further into Europe. As online harms continue to grow, there is also a need to bring the community closer together. No company or platform has all the answers, and it is only through collaboration, knowledge sharing, and closer regulatory alignment that we can keep up with the pace of increasingly sophisticated threats.”

Lyric Jain, Founder and CEO of Logically, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Baybars to Logically during such an exciting time in our growth journey. It’s no secret that fact-checking and tackling mis- and disinformation has gathered an increasing amount of attention over recent years, and Baybars has been at the forefront of the industry from very early on. He will inject an enormous amount of experience into the fact-checking side of the business, which we are excited to continue growing and scaling over the coming years. This includes doubling down on investing in our technology and regional teams, as well as expanding our support and partnerships with major and emerging platforms, and working with the wider industry to develop stronger regulatory standards.”

Örsek joins Logically following several years of strong growth and expansion for the company. In 2021, Logically launched its threat intelligence platform, Logically Intelligence, which is currently used by public sector bodies in three major democracies and adds to the partnerships it has already established with Meta and TikTok. Earlier this year, the company announced the completion of a $24 million funding round to help scale its capabilities and drive growth across its three core markets in the US, UK, and India.