By Debbie Gardner
dgardner@thereminder.com
In an era where information comes at us from so many different sources – newspapers, magazines, radio, T.V., social media and the internet, sorting out fact from fiction is harder, but oh so important.
And as we move into what is predicted to be a very contentious election season on all levels, the need to make informed decisions is crucial.
Below is a list of websites designed to help individuals check the authenticity of statements and information presented by candidates and public officials from myriad levels of government and published in various media.
Fact-checking sites
Politifact (www.politifact.com)
Pulitzer Prize winning site run by editors and reporters from the Tampa Bay Times (Florida) newspaper. “PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics. The PolitiFact state sites are run by news organizations that have partnered with the Times.” Read about their principles under ‘About Us.’
FactCheck.org (www.factcheck.org)
“FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, 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.”
OpenSecrets.org (www.opensecrets.org)
“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.”
Fact Check (Washington Post) (www.washingtonpost.com/political/fact-checker)
“The purpose of this website, and an accompanying column in the Sunday print edition of The Washington Post, is to ‘truth squad’ the statements of political figures regarding issues of great importance, be they national, international or local.”
Snopes (www.snopes.com)
“The definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.”
Duke Reporters’ Lab: Fact Checking (https://reporterslab.org/fact-checking/)
Includes a database of global fact-checking sites, which can be viewed as a map or as a list; also includes how they identify fact-checkers.
The above information courtesy Berkley Library, University of California https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/fake-news
SciCheck (www.factcheck.org/scicheck)
FactCheck.org’s SciCheck feature focuses exclusively on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy. It was launched in January 2015 with a grant from the Stanton Foundation. The foundation was founded by the late Frank Stanton, president of CBS for 25 years, from 1946 to 1971.
Media Bias/Fact Check (https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/)
Media Bias/Fact Check (MBFC), founded in 2015, is an independent online media outlet dedicated to educating the public on media bias and deceptive news practices and return to an era of straight forward news reporting. MBFC follows a strict methodology for determining the biases of sources. MBFC also provides occasional fact checks, original articles on media bias, and breaking/important news stories, especially as it relates to USA politics. Funding for Media Bias Fact Check comes from donations and third-party advertising to prevent influence and bias; site does not select the ads readers see displayed.
NPR FactCheck (https://www.npr.org/sections/politics-fact-check)
NPR (National Public Radio) is an independent, nonprofit media organization that was founded on a mission to create a more informed public. Every day, NPR connects with millions of Americans on the air, online, and in person to explore the news, ideas, and what it means to be human. Through its network of member stations, NPR makes local stories national, national stories local, and global stories personal.
The above information courtesy College of Staten Island, The City University of New York https://library.csi.cuny.edu/c.php?g=619342&p=4310783
The News Literacy Project (https://newslit.org/)
The News Literacy Project is a nonpartisan education nonprofit building a national movement to create a more news-literate America. NLP is the nation’s leading provider of news literacy education.
It includes information on news literacy in the age of AI and how to fact check AI.
How to Fact-Check Images with Google (https://newsinitiative.withgoogle.com/resources/trainings/fundamentals/reverse-image-search-verifying-photos/
A quick video demo of how Google’s reverse image search tool can be used to fact-check and research images.
Rumor vs. Reality Cards, Reality Team (www.realityteam.org)
Reality Team is a nonprofit working to push credible information into social media feeds. They research complicated issues, share what they learn and always list sources.
If disinformation frustrates you – follow @RealityTeam11 on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Breaking News Headlines and Media Bias | Ground News (https://ground.news/)
Website that shows how the left, right and center are covering topics. Limited number of free articles available per month; subscriptions available starting at $.89 per month ($9.99 a year). Includes tabs for stories on the candidates, the issues, election coverage and “blindspot”– stories not receiving much attention by either the Left or Right-leaning media
The above information courtesy St. Louis Community College Libraries (https://guides.stlcc.edu/fakenews/factchecking)
