PolitiFact

PolitiFact is a project of the Poynter Institute, a nonprofit organization that operates independently of Tampa Bay Times, with the goal of fact-checking claims made by Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton, and other prominent figures in the United States presidential election, 2012. The project was founded by Bill Adair and Stephen Engelberg in 2007, with the aim of bringing journalism and fact-checking together to provide accurate information to the public, as seen in the work of Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post and Sarah Kendzior of The View. PolitiFact has been recognized for its work, receiving the Pulitzer Prize in 2009, and has been cited by CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.

Introduction

PolitiFact is a fact-checking organization that aims to provide accurate information to the public, as seen in the work of FactCheck.org and Snopes. The project uses a team of journalists and researchers to fact-check claims made by politicians, pundits, and other public figures, including Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Nancy Pelosi. PolitiFact's fact-checking process involves researching and verifying the accuracy of claims, and then rating them on a scale of True, Mostly True, Half True, Mostly False, and Pants on Fire, a system also used by The Washington Post's Fact Checker. The project has been recognized for its work, receiving awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Online News Association, and has been cited by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.

History

PolitiFact was founded in 2007 by Bill Adair and Stephen Engelberg, with the goal of fact-checking claims made during the United States presidential election, 2008. The project was initially funded by the Knight Foundation and the Poynter Institute, and was launched in partnership with the Tampa Bay Times. Since its founding, PolitiFact has fact-checked claims made by a wide range of public figures, including George W. Bush, John McCain, and Sarah Palin. The project has also expanded to include fact-checking of claims made by state and local politicians, as well as advocacy groups and special interest groups, such as the National Rifle Association and the American Civil Liberties Union. PolitiFact has been recognized for its work, receiving the Pulitzer Prize in 2009, and has been cited by ABC News, CBS News, and NBC News.

Methodology

PolitiFact's fact-checking process involves researching and verifying the accuracy of claims, using a variety of sources, including news articles, academic studies, and official documents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency. The project uses a team of journalists and researchers to fact-check claims, and then rates them on a scale of True, Mostly True, Half True, Mostly False, and Pants on Fire, a system also used by The Washington Post's Fact Checker and Glenn Kessler. The project also provides detailed explanations of its fact-checking process, including the sources used to verify claims, as seen in the work of Sarah Kendzior and Glenn Greenwald. PolitiFact's methodology has been recognized for its rigor and transparency, and has been cited by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, as well as Harvard University and Stanford University.

PunditFact

In 2013, PolitiFact launched a new project called PunditFact, which focuses on fact-checking claims made by pundits and talking heads on cable news shows, including CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. PunditFact uses the same fact-checking methodology as PolitiFact, but focuses specifically on claims made by pundits and commentators, such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Rachel Maddow. The project has fact-checked claims made by a wide range of pundits, including Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, and Chris Matthews, and has been recognized for its work, receiving awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Online News Association.

Notable_Rulings

PolitiFact has made several notable rulings over the years, including fact-checking claims made by Donald Trump during the United States presidential election, 2016. The project has also fact-checked claims made by Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Ted Cruz, among others. One notable example is PolitiFact's fact-checking of Trump's claim that Mexico would pay for a border wall, which was rated Pants on Fire. The project has also fact-checked claims made by state and local politicians, including Governor Rick Scott of Florida and Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City, as well as advocacy groups and special interest groups, such as the National Rifle Association and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Reception

PolitiFact has received widespread recognition for its work, including the Pulitzer Prize in 2009. The project has been cited by a wide range of news organizations, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, as well as CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. PolitiFact has also been recognized for its transparency and rigor, and has been praised by journalism organizations and fact-checking groups around the world, including the International Fact-Checking Network and the European Fact-Checking Network. However, the project has also faced criticism from some politicians and pundits, who have accused it of bias and inaccuracy, including Donald Trump and Rush Limbaugh. Despite this, PolitiFact remains a widely respected and trusted source of fact-checking information, and continues to play an important role in promoting journalism and fact-checking in the United States and around the world, as seen in the work of Glenn Kessler and Sarah Kendzior. Category:Fact-checking websites