Who Fact-Checks the Fact-Checkers?
Lack of Confidence
A 2018 study by Gallup found that 44% of Americans could not think of a news source that reports objectively. That same study also reported that 73% of Americans thought that the spread of false information over the web was a major problem. For many Americans dubious about the accuracy of news outlets’ reporting, locating an unbiased fact-checking source is difficult.
Websites With Answers
So where can one find a neutral source? The following suggested websites are a good place to start. Bookmark them and keep them handy to fact-check the news stories shared on your TV and social media feed or discussed in your social circles.
- AllSides.com displays the political bias of articles and rates media bias in news sources. The day’s top news stories from the left, center and right of the political spectrum appear side-by-side so you can see the full picture.
- FactCheck.org, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, brands itself as a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.
- LeadStories.com is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) Code of Principles, and it’s always looking for the latest false, deceptive or inaccurate stories or media making the rounds on the internet.
- Snopes.com is dubbed the “internet’s definitive fact-checking resource.” It conducts original, investigative reporting to eliminate misinformation from the web.
Although our opinions may differ, we all share a certain blindness to our own biases. Confirmation bias — the favoring of ideas that confirm our existing beliefs — often leads us to seek out sources that justify what we already think we know.