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 followed that up with the email message embedded below. Below that email message we embedded a follow up message from Dec. 6, 2019 that garnered a short response from Brown.
Brown’s response counts as the reason we included this post in the “interviews” category.
Fri, Dec 6, 2019 at 12:40 PM
Dear Mr. Neil Brown,
This is my second email message to you on this topic.
The International Fact-Checking Network is stonewalling legitimate journalistic inquiry into its activities.
The IFCN commissioned two reviews of challenged Facebook posts. The analysis of at least one of them was significantly flawed.
Also, the IFCN collected no fewer than 10 complaints about PolitiFact's adherence to its policy on corrections. The justification for dismissing the complaints relied primarily on astonishingly flawed analysis of one complaint by outside assessor Michael Wagner (University of Wisconsin).
I sent material refuting Wagner's analysis to Wagner and to the IFCN. Neither has replied to address the substance of the refuting material.
Director Orsek initially welcomed an in-person meeting to discuss the situation before apparently reversing course to adopt the stonewall strategy.
If the IFCN can undermine my analysis then it should release its counterargument as a matter of basic transparency. I would welcome that action.
Keeping its reasoning under wraps produces the impression that the IFCN has involved itself in suppressing the truth about one of its verified signatories. PolitiFact's close relationship to Poynter does nothing to reduce the appearance of wrongdoing.
Please, in the interest of transparency, confirm receipt of this email and detail for the record the actions you are taking to address this matter. Thanks. I hope you enjoy a magnificent holiday season.
Fri, Dec 6, 2019 at 1:47 PM
Bryan - I've been traveling and am now catching up on correspondence.
Thanks, as always, for your interest in these matters. A number of the principals involved are also traveling. I'll take up your issues with them upon their return, and then send you my feedback. I would anticipate getting back to you in about week, based on their schedules.
Have a great holiday season, as well.
Fri, Dec 6, 2019 at 4:12 PM
Mr. Neil Brown,
Thanks. I greatly appreciate you making time to respond to my email. I look forward to resolving this situation, which ought to improve fact-checking and accountability over the long run.
(The next message was my follow-up after about a week of not hearing back from Brown)
Mon, Dec 16, 2019 at 12:46 PM
Update? Thanks! I remain interested in a transparent statement from IFCN/Poynter either decisively debunking the key complaint or else acknowledging the problem and laying out a path forward addressing the problem. Thanks again.