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PolitiFact Pennsylvania published a fact check on May 14, 2020 and used information published after May 10, 2020 to justify a “False” rating it issued to a statement published on May 9, 2020. PolitiFact’s statement of principles assures readers it judges political claims based on information available when the claim was made. Zebra Fact Check sent notice to PolitiFact about…
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When we could not see any attempt from PolitiFact to fix a fact check containing three instances of statements taken out of context, we submitted the case to the International Fact-Checking Network as an example of PolitiFact failing to uphold its commitment to fact check fairly.
When PolitiFact Health Check published a fact check that took President Trump out of context at least three separate times in the service of a misleading narrative, we asked PolitiFact to fix the problem. PolitiFact has apparently made no move to fix its fact check or reply to our critique. Correction May 21, 2020: Tweaked the title to read “March…
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PolitiFact, and particularly PolitiFact North Carolina, have done a poor job reporting the issue of legal protections for persons with pre-existing conditions seeking health insurance. A fact check from PolitiFact North Carolina made it sound like repeal of the Affordable Care Act could end “coverage” for people with pre-existing conditions. In fact, it would have ended the ACA’s particular protections…
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If the International Fact-Checking Network had a transparent complaint system, we could use it instead of memory to confirm the complaint was sent on Oct. 7, 2019. We composed the complaint document on Oct. 7, 2019. It was likely sent the same day or very soon after.
After reporting PolitiFact Wisconsin errors to PolitiFact without seeing any correction, Zebra Fact Check sent a formal complaint to the International Fact-Checking Network
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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In January 2020 we renewed our efforts to obtain a reply from the International Fact-Checking Network or the Poynter Institute addressing various problems with the IFCN’s efforts to ensure fact checker accountability. We hoped inquiring after the various holidays might find IFCN or Poynter officials less busy and more likely to respond. We obtained automated replies from Poynter Institute President…
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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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Lack of response from the International Fact-Checking Network led Zebra Fact Check to seek answers and accountability from the Poynter Institute, which hosts and effectively owns the IFCN. This post includes our email outreach to the Poynter Institute as well as Poynter’s automated reply promising a response to inquiry within one business day.