Reliable Sources for Fact Checking

Need some help sorting through the political ads and scare stories during this election season and beyond? Here are some reliable sources that sift through the hype and fabrications for us.

 

• FactCheck.org from the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center is a nonpartisan, nonprofit "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. FactCheck monitors the factual accuracy of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. MBFC rates it as dead-center least biased and very high on factual reporting. IFCN signatory.

 

• AP Fact Check from one of Media Bias Fact Check's least-biased sources, focuses on fact checking political claims and publishes "Not Real News: A Look at What Didn't Happen This Week," which the Daily Mining Gazette has been printing. Associated Press is currently at the border of least-biased and left-biased but very high on factual accuracy. IFCN Signatory.

 

• OpenSecrets.org is the Center for Responsive Politics' nonpartisan guide to money's influence on U.S. elections and public policy. MBFC rates it as dead-center least biased and very high on factual reporting, noting that it is a source for fact checkers.

 

• Ballotpedia is a nonprofit and nonpartisan encyclopedia, sponsored by the Lucy Burns Institute, designed to connect people to politics utilizing a neutral point-of-view philosophy. We believe in the power of information to transform lives and politics, and we are committed to making the most knowledge available to the greatest number of people. MBFC rates it as dead-center least biased and very high on factual reporting.

 

• sunlightfoundation.com has a Web Integrity Project that monitors changes to government websites: "making government transparent and accountable through data, tools, policy and journalism." MBFC rates it slightly left-center and high on factual accuracy.

 

• PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and reported in the form of a Truth-O-Meter, it is among the least-biased IFCN sites but leans slightly left of center. PolitiFact is run by editors and reporters from the Tampa Bay Times, an independent newspaper in Florida. IFCN signatory

 

• Check Your Fact is owned by but operated independently of the Daily Caller. Media Bias Fact check rates Daily Caller an unreliable news source, but Check Your Fact is one of very few right-center IFCN fact-checkers with high factual accuracy. They focus primarily on hoaxes and political statements.

• Science Feedback reviews climate-related and health and medical claims. Their fact-checkers are PhDs with recently published articles in top-tier peer-reviewed science journals, making this the best fact-checker for science-related claims, according to Media Bias Fact Check. IFCN
 
• How to Fact-Check images with Google A quick video demo of how Google's reverse image search tool can be used to fact-check and research images.

What is the International Fact-Checking Network?

International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at Poynter was launched in 2015 to bring together the growing community of fact-checkers around the world and advocates of factual information in the global fight against misinformation. We enable fact-checkers through networking, capacity building and collaboration. IFCN promotes the excellence of fact-checking to more than 100 organizations worldwide through advocacy, training and global events. Our team monitors trends in the fact-checking field to offer resources to fact-checkers, contribute to public discourse and provide support for new projects and initiatives that advance accountability in journalism.

We believe truth and transparency can help people be better informed and equipped to navigate harmful misinformation.

Check the facts before forwarding!