About

FACTA is an Italian non-profit media applying the scientific method to investigative and data journalism.

Mission

Our mission is to promote democracy through science-based investigative journalism. We focus on the Southern European and Mediterranean region, where there are enormous environmental, social and political problems: media tend to be controlled by politics, with a lack of transparency, poor digital innovation and very scarce funding for independent investigative work. For this reason, we strongly believe that rigorous, transparent and open science journalism can help better inform the public debate and build scientific citizenship.

Team

We are a passionate group of journalists strongly believing that good science journalism can be a powerful tool for democracy. We have a strong expertise in science and data journalism, multimedia production, data analysis and visualizations.

Science & Data journalism

Elisabetta Tola

Freelance chief editor at Il BO Live and presenter of Radio3Scienza at RAI Radio3. Science and data journalist, Ph.D in Microbiology. Tow-Knight fellow 2019 Graduate School of Journalism, CUNY. Co-founder and CEO of the science communication agency formicablu. Co-founder and President of FACTA.

Science journalism & Multimedia production

Giulia Bonelli

Freelance science journalist and video editor. Mainly covers climate, environment, astronomy, and space exploration. Regular contributor to the magazine Global Science edited by the Italian Space Agency. Senior consultant at the science communication agency formicablu. Co-founder and board member of FACTA.

Management & Project development

Francesca Conti

Freelance journalist and chairwoman of the science communication agency formicablu. Degree in Biology and Master in science communication. Extensive experience in management and in the development of communication strategies and products. Co-founder and board member of FACTA.

Science & Data journalism

Marco Boscolo

Freelance data journalist. Contributes to Il BO Live, LeScienze (the Italian edition of Scientific American) and RSI, the National Swiss Radio in Italian. Partner of the science communication agency formicablu. In 2020 co-authored the book Semi ritrovati, viaggio alla ricerca dell’agro-biodiversità and in 2024 he published La bianca scienza. Co-founder and partner of FACTA.

Science & Tech journalism

Nicola Nosego

Freelance science journalist. Partner of the science communication agency formicablu. Editor of Nature Regional Editions. Contributor to various international and national newspapers and communicator for national research bodies, such as Italian Space Agency, and international ones, such as EPFL in Lausanne. Author of four popular science books and several television programs for RAI. Co-founder and partner of FACTA.

Data analysis & Digital production

Benedetta Pagni

Freelance data analyst working on several journalistic and science communication projects on database creation, scientific literature review, data analysis, and application of Artificial Intelligent tools to satellite imagery and data analysis. Specialized in medical writing for a platform of doctors. Freelance consultant at formicablu and FACTA.

Advisory Board

Jeff Jarvis

Director, Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, New York, US

Aron Pilhofer

James B. Steele Chair in Journalism Innovation at Temple University, Philadelphia, US

Carola Frediani

Journalist and author specialized in cybersecurity and surveillance, author of the newsletter ‘Guerre di rete’

History

FACTA was created as a cultural association in 2018. Until the end of 2023, it was incubated as a spin-off of the Italian science communication agency formicablu. Then, FACTA was developed as an autonomous independent media, legally registered as a non profit social enterprise in May 2023. FACTA is a member of the Reference Media Circle, a self-organised, European network of 26 independent media collectively advocating for the wellbeing and financial sustainability of independent, public interest media.

Sustainability

We aim to become fully sustainable by the end of 2025. In the short term, sustainability is mainly granted through grants and donations. Sources of revenues come from a mix of:

Foundations and international reporting projects and grants
Syndication with media, editorial companies and other civic organizations
Training activities

Financial Report 2023