FactCheck.org
| Available in | English |
|---|---|
| URL | FactCheck.org |
| Commercial | no |
FactCheck.org is a non-partisan,[1] nonprofit[2] website that describes itself as a "'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics."[3] It is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.[3]
Most of its content consists of rebuttals to what it considers inaccurate, misleading, or false claims by politicians. FactCheck has also targeted misleading claims from various partisan groups.
Besides maintaining a website, FactCheck.org distributes audio stories by podcast[4] and iTunes Radio.[5]
Topic in the 2004 Vice-presidential debate
FactCheck.org became a focus of political commentary following the 2004 vice-presidential debate between Dick Cheney and John Edwards. Cheney cited the website, claiming that the independent site defended his actions while CEO of Halliburton. Cheney's claim is disputed by FactCheck.org as wrong, saying that "Edwards was mostly right" when talking about "Cheney's responsibility for earlier Halliburton troubles".[6]
Cheney's reference created some controversy because he incorrectly cited the web site's address as "FactCheck.com." At the time of the debate, factcheck.com was controlled by Frank Schilling's company Name Administration Inc., who quickly redirected the address to point to an anti-Bush website owned by Bush critic George Soros.[7]
Spin-offs and other fact-checkers
- FactCheckEd.org:[8] An educational resource for high school teachers and students. Sister site to FactCheck.org and a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.[9] Created September 2005
- PolitiFact.com:[10] A service of the St. Petersburg Times - Created August 2007, uses the "Truth-o-Meter" to rank the amount of truth in public persons' statements. 2009 Pulitzer Prize Winner.
- WashingtonPost.com/factchecker:[11] A project of The Washington Post, known for grading politicians on the factual accuracy of their statements with one to four "Pinocchios."[12] Created September 2007 by Post diplomatic writer Michael Dobbs specifically for the 2008 presidential campaign.[13] Shutdown Nov 4, 2008.[14] Relaunched with a broader focus on Jan. 11, 2011 with veteran Washington Post diplomatic correspondent Glenn Kessler at the helm. [15]
- Bama Fact Check:[16] An Alabama-based, statewide partnership of newsgathering organizations which checks factual claims by politicians and public figures in Alabama. Partners in the project include The Anniston Star, The Decatur Daily, The Dothan Eagle, The Florence TimesDaily, The Opelika-Auburn News, The Tuscaloosa News and WVTM-TV in Birmingham.
References
- ^ Conkey, Christopher (2004-01-29). "Hitting the campaign trail via your PC; Our picks for five web sites that cut through the bluster". The Wall Street Journal. p. D1.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help)www.factcheck.org - Brooks Jackson, a former Cable News Network and Wall Street Journal reporter, debunks misleading claims, false attacks and subtle associations that litter the campaign trail on a Web site housed at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center. It strives to reinforce the late New York Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan's conviction: "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." The site is thoroughly apolitical: Anyone who plays with the facts gets skewered. And Mr. Jackson keeps harping on things that offend him until they subside.
- ^ Hartlaub, Peter (2004-10-24). "Web sites help gauge the veracity of claims; Online resources check ads, rumors". San Francisco Chronicle. p. A1. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
- ^ a b "About". FactCheck.org. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
- ^ FactCheck.org Radio
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Cheney & Edwards Mangle Facts". Factcheck.org. 2004-10-06. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
- ^ Milbank, Dana (2004-10-07). "Urging Fact-Checking, Cheney Got Site Wrong". Washington Post. p. A08.
- ^ "FactCheckED.org". FactCheckED.org. 2008-12-11. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
- ^ "About Us". FactCheckED.org. Retrieved 2009-06-07. [dead link]
- ^ "St. Petersburg Times Online". Politifact.com. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
- ^ "Fact Checker". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
- ^ "About the Fact Checker - Fact Checker". Blog.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
- ^ "washingtonpost.com Launches "FactChecker"". Findarticles.com. 2007. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
- ^ "Fact Checker". Voices.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
- ^ http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2011/01/welcome_to_the_new_fact_checke.html.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Bama Fact Check". www.bamafactcheck.com. 2010-08-31. Retrieved 2010-11-07.