Who fact-checks the fact-checkers?

Lee Shappell

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OPINION — A reader recently wrote to thank us for emphasizing the importance of fact-checking information that you may read on social media or hear in conversation.

We recommended actions to take and places to go to verify information. Indeed, that is vital in this age of disinformation overload and flat-out lies, which can fuel uncivil discourse.

But, the reader added, who fact-checks the fact-checkers? This is a great question, and we’d like to address it this month.

The reader suggested that fact-checkers, too, might have built-in biases.

“They are all significantly biased and often leave out some facts themselves or interpret them in a biased manner,” reader David Ellett wrote. “Facebook, X and Google are infamous in their manipulation of facts, stories and data and are almost as bad as our government.”

Although Google, Facebook and other social media platforms gained their market dominance because of their reputation for lack of bias, the Independent Institute acknowledges that people now suspect that their searches on those platforms may be biased despite protestations by industry representatives.

The institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public policy research organization not affiliated with Independent Newsmedia, notes that social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have “deplatformed some (most notably Donald Trump) and have been censoring the posts of others.” Platform representatives counter that they have adjusted their “search algorithms” to prevent that.

The irony, according to the Independent Institute, is that people who lean toward limited government may support government intervention to limit bias on those platforms. The unintended consequence, the institute says, is that to advocate government intervention is to advocate replacing freedom of choice in the market with government control of the flow of information.

But does social media drive partisan animosity?

Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy think tank in Washington, D.C., reports that a review of studies and interviews with subject-matter experts indicates that platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter likely are not the root causes of political polarization, but they do exacerbate it.

So, where’s the truth?

Never sure who to trust? It’s not easy wading through the minefield of biased or deliberately misleading information that can escalate into barbarous discourse.

First, consider whether multiple other “reputable” outlets also are reporting the information, or whether it was only on an outlier site set up as click bait to titillate or create lies and confusion. Compare how different nonpartisan groups handled the exact same claim.

Also, when a fact-checking site does not have the information you’re looking for, try a general web search on the topic and add the term “fact-check.”

Look at who funds and operates the organization making the claim. Is it an academic institution, nonprofit or subscriber-funded newsroom? Or is it politically affiliated or ad-revenue-driven?

Among the best ways to get the truth is “straight from the horse’s mouth.” Go to the official site and search claims and attributions.

For young people, the News Literacy Project is a national educational program that mobilizes seasoned journalists to work with educators of middle school and high school students on how to sort fact from fiction in the digital age and create critical thinkers. A 2024 survey of American teens’ information attitudes, habits and skills found that most are inclined to believe the conspiracy theories they see on social media.

Wright State University, a public research university in Fairborn, Ohio, recommends several sites dedicated to fact-checking and investigating claims:

Snopes.com — An independent network that began with investigating urban legends and hoaxes, then expanded to broad investigation of claims.

PolitiFact.com — A nonprofit that rates the accuracy of public officials’ claims.

FactCheck.org —A self-described “consumer advocate” for voters to reduce confusion and disinformation about issues, operated by the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

MediaWise — A fact-checking network from the Poynter Institute that focuses on claims from social media and details the fact-checking process.

Major outlets like PolitiFact or FactCheck.org publish their rating criteria and selection processes. Check whether the fact-checker evaluated the entire context of a statement or focused only on an isolated, out-of-context quote.

How to spot fake news

The Macdonald-Kelce Library at the University of Tampa offers tips on how to spot fake news and misinformation:

Check credentials — Is the author specialized in or currently working in the field? Check LinkedIn or do a quick search.

Read “About Us” — Does the resource have one? Reputable websites do, and they provide a way to contact them. Also examine their corrections policy.

Check the source — Sometimes, official-sounding associations really are biased think tanks or represent only a fringe view. Click through links to find the original transcript, study, video or official document they used. Ask yourself if the original source actually says what the fact-checker claims it does.

Examine URLs — What looks like a .edu domain followed by .co or “.lo” is likely fake. If you see a slight variation of a known URL, investigate.

The Macdonald-Kelce Library also recommends being skeptical of exaggerated and provocative headlines with excessive use of capital letters or emotional language. Does the article link to sites that seem to skew left or right? Also, check the dates. Read the most up-to-date information.

When you open a news article in your browser, open a second, empty tab. Use the second window to look up claims, author credentials and organizations as you read.

Be sure you are not paying more attention to information that confirms your beliefs and ignores evidence that does not.

Be suspicious of pictures. Sometimes they are digitally manipulated. Consider a reverse image search. Google Lens and Bing Visual Search can be helpful.

The book, “Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers,” offers more strategies for verifying information:

Read upstream — Find the original source of a claim, so you’re not basing your information on someone else’s interpretation.

Read laterally — When you find information online, it may be from a source you’re not familiar with. What do other experts in the field say about the author or the source?

Finally, trust your own common sense and instincts. If what you're reading seems too strange to be true, it probably is.

It is essential to the act of deescalation, to the civil discourse that we espouse at the Civility Learning Lab, and to your own mental health not to repeat misinformation.

Lee Shappell is opinions associate with Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA’s Arizona newsroom. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to azopinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.