Skip to Main Content

Civic Engagement: Fact Checking

Is that really true?

   

Political ads and debates are full of claims, inferences, statistics, and stories.  How do you know if you are hearing facts, opinions, or just spin?  Take a look at one of these fact-checking sites to get the real story.  Just click on them to go straight to the websites.

 

  
FactCheck.org monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.

 

 
PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others on its Truth-O-Meter.

 


Snopes
 is the oldest and largest fact-checking site online, widely regarded by journalists, folklorists, and readers as an invaluable research companion.

 

The Washington Post

Although The Washington Post Fact Checker checks more conservative claims than liberal ones, their checks are excellent and sourced, so you can follow up for yourself.

-----------------------------------------

All Sides
While not technically a fact checking site, AllSides pulls articles from the left, right, and center on political topics to give readers different points of view.

 

ProPublica logo

ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom providing investigative journalism on political issues.  Winner of multiple Pulitzer and other journalism prizes.