the origins and evolution of fact-checking, and the new urgency of verification

From Fact-Checking to Verification

@CraigSilvermanEditor, Regret the Error, Poynter

Editor, Verification Handbook

In The Beginning: Magazine Fact-Checking

“Any bright girl who really applies herself to the handling of the checking problem can have a very pleasant time with it and fill the week

with happy moments and memorable occasions” — Edward Kennedy, Time (1920s)

30s to 70s

• New Yorker, Esquire, New York, The Atlantic, Forbes, Fortune, Newsweek etc. add checking departments.

• Closed process.• Job is a stepping stone.

Checker’s Mindset

“I knew nobody would notice the difference. But there’s a certain aesthetic pleasure in just

knowing it’s correct.”

Decline of Checking

• Newsweek eliminates checkers, 1996• Fortune, 1997• Cutbacks and outsourcing

Media Fact-Checking

• Accuracy in Media, 1969• FAIR, 1986• Media Research Center, 1987 (NewsBusters)• Honest Reporting (2000), • CAMERA (1982)• Media Matters for America, 2004

Rise of Political Fact-Checking

• FactCheck.org, 1993• PolitiFact, 2007

Today: Over 40 active fact-checking sites.

Source: https://www.reporterslab.org/duke-study-finds-fact-checking-growing-around-the-world/

Fact-Checkers today

“Fact-checking is a relatively new form of journalism in which reporters research the

accuracy of statements by politicians. In the past, fact-checking was primarily done on

political ads, but it’s been expanded to any kind of statement — speeches, interviews,

press releases, even tweets.”— Bill Adair founder of PolitiFact

New: Networks

Source: Statistica, http://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/

New: Abundance

• 100 hours of video uploaded to YouTube ever minute.

• More than 500 million tweets sent per day.• More than 55 million Instagram photos

uploaded per day.

Social Media/Meme Checking

“Journalism is a discipline of verification”

— The Elements of Journalism

So…

Let’s teach this discipline!

Three Elements

Verification employs a mix of three factors: 1. A person’s resourcefulness, persistence,

skepticism and skill.2. Sources’ knowledge, reliability and honesty, and

the number, variety and reliability of sources you can consult/talk to.

3. Documentation.

Source: Steve Buttry, Verification Handbook

Verification Values

• Restraint.• Discipline.• Multiple sources.• Communication.• Collaboration.

Mindset

• Assume it’s not true.• Skeptical.• Investigator.• Separate emotion and motivation from work.

Core Activities

• Identify and investigate the original source — and interview them.

• Confirm date and time.• Confirm content of the information.• Research similar events, content.• Speak to additional sources. “How do you know

that?”• Triangulate all collected information.• Use tools when possible, but not just tools.

Verification Toolkit

• VerificationHandbook.com• Skype/Phone• Reverse image search• EXIF reader• Google Maps/Earth• Who.is• Spokeo, Pipl.com,WebMii.com• Twitter Advanced Search• YouTube Data Viewer• Izitru

Resources

• VerificationHandbook.com• Coming soon: six free videos on verification,

more case studies.• Citizen Evidence• Bellingcat• Regret the Error

Discussion

• Complete our survey: – http://bitly.com/verificationsurvey

• What are you teaching about verification and fact-checking? What works?

• Why isn’t it being taught?• What can we create to help you teach the

discipline of verification?