PolitiFact's Guide to Fact-checking

This video shows some of the techniques we use for PolitiFact.com, the Pulitzer Prize-winning political site from the St. Petersburg Times. This video is a part of the YouTube Reporter's Center. See more videos on how to report the news - and share your ideas - at http://www.youtube.com/reporterscenter

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• politifact
• fact-checking
• politics
• barack
• obama
• st.
• petersburg
• times
• youtube
• reporter's
• center
• online
• journalism

[clrjazz]

Get it right on the State Of The Union Speech, you went from a half truth to a mostly true abt the presidents jobs quote, it was all true :| smh.

[jedidavisWAMPA]

I checked this site before but noticed how the conservatives have so much fact checking, yet the liberal's side so very so little fact checking. This inclines to me that this site is biased as well. So perhaps an independent like me could get the same scrutiny for both and other sides besides reps and dems.

[icowrich]

@teltelamont Do you assume that factual errors are always equal on both sides?

[AnnaInGV]

Video notes: How Politifact does its fact-checking (on researching politicians' claims)

Ask claimant for their src (gives you a place to start);

Go to other srcs to verify (eg try orig, indept srcs e.g. GAO);

Principle: love&fear the internet; likewise Wikipedia (use it to find orig srcs);

Verify everything, by going to orig srcs - find the roots of a fact.

Fact check your fact checking;

Final advice: be skeptical, & verify everything.

[blackadder2012]

Politfact is nothing but a bunch of half truths itself



[joe57788]

Did President Reagen say " without labor unions this country will not have a democracy>

[bman2112]

Looks like your guide needs updating. PolitiFact gets schooled: ?v=FyN9QVB-UhI

[rwagener11]

This is a standard that every news organization should do before they report anything. It would almost take all the bad out of politics.  You should think about a "TRUST SEAL" that news organizations can use if they only use verified facts by you.

You are going to make a difference in the coming elections. Thanks

[HauntyStarchild]

Republican sources lie more than democrat sources, so it would make sense to need to analyze their statements more.

[teltelamont]

Politifact is biased! Please compare the amount of conservative vs liberal statements analyzed by Politifact and you will see what I mean.