How can I fact-check?

Answered By: Priscilla Coulter

Last Updated: May 13, 2024 Views: 56834

Fact-checking is an important skill -- not only does it help you ensure that your college research and writing are free of bias and inaccuracies, but it also ensures that you are an informed consumer and citizen.

These are some well-known, reputable fact-checking sites that publish their findings online for quick reference:

FactCheck.org: "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."
LogicCheck: LogicCheck was inspired by the many fact-checking sites and sources dedicated to using principles and best practices of journalism to help citizens sort truth from falsehood during an age of political polarization and “fake news.” The LogicCheck project supports this same goal with a mission to look at not just facts, but arguments into which those facts fit.
Media Bias/Fact Check: "We are the most comprehensive media bias resource on the internet. There are currently 900+ media sources listed in our database and growing every day. Don’t be fooled by Fake News sources."
NewsGuard: "NewsGuard employs a team of trained journalists and experienced editors to review and rate news and information websites based on nine journalistic criteria. The criteria assess basic practices of credibility and transparency. "
PolitiFact: "a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics. PolitiFact is run by editors and reporters from the Tampa Bay Times, an independent newspaper in Florida."

AllSides "breaks trending topics down to three stories, written by sources identified as from the left, from the right, and from the center. The site also has bias ratings for more than 600 media outlets and individual writers."

Find similar sites, from all over the globe, with the Duke Reporters' Lab fact-checking database.

If you'd like to try doing your own fact-checking, try looking for reputable sources that corroborate the details of a statement that you heard.