On Jan. 21, 2022, after PolitiFact declined to act in response to our Jan. 14, 2022 correction request, we sent this formal complaint to the International Fact-Checking Network, noting on the complaint form that PolitiFact’s inaction breached its pledge to “scrupulously” adhere to an open and honest policy on corrections.
Dear International Fact-Checking Network,
On Jan. 11, 2022, I discovered PolitiFact incorrectly quoted presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton in a 2015 fact check.
I flagged the mistake for PolitiFact and writer Louis Jacobson on Twitter. I also provided an updated link to video/audio of Clinton’s remarks so PolitiFact could confirm my judgment and perhaps use the link to update the outdated one used for the fact check.
After a few days of seeing no fix, I submitted a correction request to truthometer@politifact.com on Jan. 14, 2022.
After a week of seeing no fix, it was time to report PolitiFact’s failure to follow its corrections policy to the International Fact-Checking Network.
As with past cases like this one, I can expect the IFCN to note that there is no pattern of such occurrences, no need to note the incident on PolitiFact’s annual review and no reason to reveal to the public the IFCN is aware that PolitiFact does not scrupulously observe its policies on corrections and updates.
Updated a few minutes after publication to add the date to the title.