Media Literacy: Fact Checking

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  • AP Fact Check: “We want to identify and debunk trending stories of all kinds, whether in text, photos or videos, that are fictional, contrived, twisted or otherwise patently false yet likely to be mistaken for truth by unwary news consumers.”
  • FactCheck.org: “We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.”
  • Google Fact Check Tools: Fact checking aggregator.
  • Lead Stories: “[A]lways looking for the latest false, misleading, deceptive or inaccurate stories, videos or images going viral on the internet.”
  • Open Secrets: “Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the Center for Responsive Politics is the nation’s premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.”
  • Media Bias/Fact Check: “We inspire action and a rejection of overtly biased media resulting in a return to an era of straightforward fact-based news reporting. Our purpose is to give people the resources and tools needed to understand the bias and credibility of the sources they consume.”
  • Politifact: “Fact-checking journalism is the heart of PolitiFact. Our core principles are independence, transparency, fairness, thorough reporting and clear writing. The reason we publish is to give citizens the information they need to govern themselves in a democracy.”
  • PunditFact: “[D]edicated to checking the accuracy of claims by pundits, columnists, bloggers, political analysts, the hosts and guests of talk shows, and other members of the media.”
  • Reuters Fact Check: “Examining social media narratives and misinformation… Combatting misinformation, fact-checking and monitoring emerging narratives require time and resources.”
  • SciCheck: “[F]ocuses exclusively on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy.”
  • Snopes: “When misinformation obscures the truth and readers don’t know what to trust, Snopes’ fact-checking and original investigative reporting lights the way to evidence-based and contextualized analysis. We always link to and document our sources so readers are empowered to do independent research and make up their own minds.”
  • Washington Post – The Fact Checker: “[E]xplain[s] difficult issues, provide missing context and provide analysis and explanation of various “code words” used by politicians, diplomats and others to obscure or shade the truth. The Fact Checker is at heart about policy — domestic and foreign — as we have found that politicians are apt to be more misleading about complex and difficult-to-understand topics.”

Database of Fact Checking Sites