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After noticing an 20-word verbatim quotation without quotation marks in the “Factually” newsletter jointly published by the American Press Institute and the Poynter Institute, we emailed Susan Benkelman, the API co-author of the July 2, 2020 edition of the newsletter, to find the explanation for not clarifying the attribution and/or adding quotation marks. Benkelman directs API’s accountability journalism program. We…
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On May 18, 2020 Zebra Fact Check sought comment from Barbara McQuade. PolitiFact quoted McQuade in one of its fact checks in a way that seemed to contradict PolitiFact’s reporting. We did not find that McQuade’s new comments resolved the apparent contradiction.
We contacted Media Bias/Fact Check’s creator, Dave Van Zandt, for background information contributing to our commentary article “Media Bias/Fact Check Blinded by Science Feedback.”
Zebra Fact Check asked about the International Fact-Checking Network’s policy on informing signatory fact-checking organizations when the IFCN receives complaints about them.
After Zebra Fact Check received a message from the International Fact-Checking Network’s outside assessor, Michael Wagner, describing the flawed reasoning he used to dismiss our complaints to the IFCN about PolitiFact, we contacted IFCN Director Baybars Orsek to ask for confirmation that what Wagner sent us was the same reasoning he sent to the IFCN. This email exchange also marks…
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Following up on a lack of response from the International Fact-Checking Network regarding our inquiries, we phoned the Poynter Institute to try coaxing an official response either from the IFCN or its parent organization. Zebra Fact Check’s phone call was transferred to the office of the Neil Brown, president of the Poynter Institute. We left a phone message and then…
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After confirming that the IFCN’s outside assessor responsible for PolitiFact’s 2019 IFCN verification renewal had not received complaints submitted to the IFCN about PolitiFact, we reached out to the International Fact-Checking Network to find out more information and try to resolve the problem. The email exchange with PolitiFact Director Baybars Örsek spans about two months. Find a .pdf version of…
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In March of 2019 we noticed some discrepancies in a gender wage gap article by Warren Fiske of PolitiFact Virginia. We sent messages asking about the discrepancies and received replies from Fiske. Notably, PolitiFact did make at least three changes to its story in apparent response to our messages. The email exchange occurs below, excluding some extra messages stemming from…
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On April 16, 2019 we sent an email to PolitiFact/PunditFact pointing out problems with its fact check of Turning Point USA’s Candace Owens on the subject of the “Southern strategy.” We will update this point if we receive any email reply from PolitiFact (other behaviors by PolitiFact that may occur in response to our message will be noted in related…
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On Oct. 9, 2018 we received a response to an email message we sent to [email protected] Katie Sanders sent the response. Sanders serves as PolitiFact’s managing editor. Note that Sanders may well have also read a different description of the same issue forwarded through the International Fact-Checking Network. ZEBRA FACT CHECK (Oct. 3, 2-018) The Sept. 20, 2018 PolitiFact Missouri fact…
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