Behind the Scenes of the Fact Checkers
Telling truth from lies and the spectrum in between is a challenging task. Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk at flickr.com/thomashawk/Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
There are many fact-checking outfits in the U.S. whose stated goal is to monitor the factual accuracy of political statements by elected officials. The Austin American-Statesman’s PolitiFact Texas is one. But quite often, as fact checkers dig through political claims, it seems they bring in some subjective interpretations. KUT’s Emily Donahue explores the nuances involved in separating political rhetoric from fact with the Statesman’s Gardner Selby.
Our methodology is straightforward. We start by checking how a person or entity reached their claim, how they reached the figures or whatever else they’re saying. Then we seek independent verification.
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