Fact-checking and its detractors
Fact-checking has become a familiar tool for political reporters to hold office-holders and candidates accountable. But critics ask if fact-checkers sometimes miss the forest for the trees, and if the practice often struggles with false equivalency the way conventional political coverage does.
The Latest
Fact-checking is crucial when the news moves this fast
News Poynter ·Three ways AI is making reliable information harder to find
News Poynter ·FactChecking Trump’s Prime-Time Address on Iran
News FactCheck.org ·Fact-checking has to go where misinformation actually spreads
News commentary Poynter ·In the absence of truth, misinformation becomes harmful: Nepal’s experience shows why fact-checking matters in crises
News Poynter ·The tale of the tape: Trump repeatedly pledged to cut gas prices by 50%
News Popular Information ·Flaws in Government Tool to ID Noncitizen Voters
News FactCheck.org ·Meta’s Oversight Board warns that 'Community Notes' aren’t a proper substitute for fact-checking globally
News Audience & Social – Nieman Lab ·Trump says Iran is ‘based on disinformation.’ Experts say its influence operations go far beyond that.
News Poynter ·Can news organizations at least stipulate that Trump is untrustworthy?
News commentary Press Watch ·‘President Trump is right’: The White House’s go-to line about Trump’s false claims
News edition.cnn.com ·Q&A on the SAVE America Act
News FactCheck.org ·Fact check: Trump’s barrage of false or unproven claims about the Iran war
News edition.cnn.com ·in brief
Fact checking: not a tool for all seasons
It was love at first sight, but over time, my ardor has cooled. I still believe there is value in cataloging misstatements, exaggerations, and, well, lies. But when government policies are undertaken and justified by nothing more than a fever-dream of fantasy and fiction, fact checking doesn’t meet the moment.
Sept. 27, 2024