Quick Fact-checking with Social Media

by Eric Johnson
 
A host of fact-checking organizations on social media make it easier than ever for reporters to get the story straight.

Over the last few years a number of fact-checking organizations have sprung up to keep tabs on the veracity of statements made by politicians and pundits. FactCheck.org was one of the first, followed by the Washington Post and PolitiFact from the Tampa Bay Times. This is a welcome trend in the age of instant digital media when anyone can say anything and have it spread almost instantly. This is a great tool for reporters who may not have time to go back to the office and do research on everything they hear on the beat. Below are some of the ways reporters can use fact-checking social media to bring more accuracy to their stories.

• When using a laptop, Reporters can check if statements made by public figures have been tested for accuracy. The three most often-cited websites are:
• The FactChecker at The Washington Post
• PolitiFact at The Tampa Bay Times
• FactCheck.org from the Annenberg Public Policy Center
• With a smartphone or tablet in hand, there are apps available to check the facts on the go. Here is the Truth-O-Meter app from PolitiFact for both the Android and iPhone.
• PolitiFact and FactCheck are both on Twitter. 
• Politifact tweets here
• FactCheck tweets here
• PolitiFact provides a useful Twitter option where reporters and other people can submit statements for verification. Tweet @PolitiFact with the hashtag #politifactthis.
• These fact-checking Twitter feeds and blogs are useful during live events. For example, Both PolitiFact and FactCheck were busy tweeting corrections during the recent presidential and vice-presidential debates. The Washington Post also live-blogged the vice-presidential debate from their Election 2012 Blog. Here are some of the samples tweets sent out during the debate between Republican Paul Ryan and Democrat Joe Biden:

With tools such as this so readily available, it is conceivable that all reporting could be a combination of on-the-ground story-writing and any relevant facts cultivated from social media stories. For example a story posted on storify.com could include twitter feeds from PolitiFact or FactCheck mixed in with interviews and other sources.This is a trend that could keep old-fashioned reporting relevant in the digital age.