Fact-checking journalism has never been exactly easy. Our normal work days include overcoming a series of obstacles: We field questions from readers seeking the facts on topics large and small. We dig for hard-to-find information over the internet and track down experts to interview over the phone. We reach out to press secretaries and spokespeople, […]
PolitiFact has developed many strategies for fact-checking over the years. But one simple tool remains tried and true: the checklist. We find that using a checklist — a simple yet consistent list of search strategies — reduces errors and increases the comprehensiveness of our fact-checks. Here’s our latest version of a fact-checking checklist and how […]
It’s hard for fact-checkers to admit it, but sometimes all the evidence, sources and citations in the world won’t change people’s minds. Our work is beloved by those who are truly open-minded. But to people who already have a firm set of beliefs glued in place? Not so much. Still, we stay hopeful that misinformation […]
PolitiFact has had the same mission since it started in 2007: To give people the information they need to govern themselves in a democracy. Never has that mission felt as important as it does in 2022. The Jan. 6 insurrection was a dramatic moment of democracy under assault. But it was the outward manifestation of […]
While it’s easy to consider President George Washington as a Founding Father from long ago, his political milieu of the 1700s had at least one thing in common with today: People used misinformation to try to gain political advantage. And, yes, even George Washington was a target. Forged letters from before his presidency claimed to […]
On Jan. 6, 2021, PolitiFact journalists were waiting to fact-check comments from senators and House members as they counted electoral votes and certified Joe Biden as president. Instead we watched, along with everyone else, as rioters overran the U.S. Capitol, fueled by misinformation from then-President Donald Trump and a storm of pro-Trump media. We’ve spent […]
Shortly after 2 p.m. on Jan. 6, supporters of President Donald J. Trump breached the U.S. Capitol, turning the seat of American democracy into the scene of an unforgettable crime. Inside, lawmakers had been preparing to count the Electoral College votes that would bring Trump’s presidency to a close. Outside, the rioters erected a hanging […]
Readers had no shortage of significant falsehoods to pick from for the 2021 Lie of the Year, but a large majority agreed that one stood out above all the others: Donald Trump’s claim that he won the 2020 presidential election. The lie easily outpaced all the other choices with a whopping 74.9% of votes cast. […]
Former President Donald Trump recently released a statement claiming he was “right about everything” that critics said he was wrong on. Is he right about being right? We looked through the 10 points in Trump’s June 12 statement and found that in some cases what he claims is unproven or in dispute, in a few […]
As the evidence phase of the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump started, House impeachment managers sought to portray Trump as the “inciter-in-chief” of a dangerous insurrection. Their presentation focused on Trump’s statements and actions in the runup to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. “To us, it may have felt like […]
Since the election, we’ve heard from many readers who are disappointed with our fact-checking work on the election results. Here are a few of the comments we’ve received. “As usual you lie. There are countless election poll watchers who have given sworn affidavits in illegal activities at the polls. You are so far left-wing that […]
PolitiFact’s misinformation beat means we’re fact-checking some of the most inaccurate and outrageous messaging on the internet. Halloween — and the end of the 2020 campaign — seem like the perfect time to share some of this fact-checking of extreme content. You may find it eye-opening as to just how bad things are in some corners […]