Cristina Tardáguila

Founder, Lupa (Brazil); Research Consultant, Equis Institute (U.S.); Anti-disinformation Columnist, Univision (U.S.)

Cristina Tardáguila is a distinguished journalist and OSINT researcher celebrated for her resolute commitment to audience engagement and disinformation counteraction. With extensive experience, she adeptly manages complex projects, fosters innovation, and facilitates collaborations. Fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, Cristina’s passion for political developments has greatly influenced her journey. Notably, she orchestrated the groundbreaking #CoronaVirusFacts alliance, uniting 99 organizations across 16 time zones to produce 15,000 fact-checks. Her visionary leadership extended to designing FactChat, unifying 12 U.S.-based fact-checking entities for real-time coverage of the 2020 presidential election. Amid the pandemic, Cristina developed multilingual WhatsApp chatbots to deliver reliable information, contributing significantly to disbursing $2.7 million in grants to over 50 organizations. Cristina’s impactful trajectory encompasses founding Brazil’s inaugural fact-checking newswire, showcasing her prowess in breaking news, HR management, and media literacy. She skillfully led Agência Lupa, overseeing a diverse team of 20, launching pioneering initiatives like LupaEducação, reaching 7,000+ students, and authoring notable books like ‘Tempestade Perfeita’ on media challenges, and ‘Você foi Enganado’ exposing political deception. With TEDx talks, prestigious awards, and advocacy for factual journalism, Cristina has left an indelible mark. Her tenure as senior program director at the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) highlighted transformative projects, securing funding, and refining processes. Currently, a senior OSINT researcher at Equis Institute, Cristina’s commitment to untangling misinformation underscores her wide-ranging expertise and remarkable contributions in the media landscape.