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Fact checking

According to Wikipedia, fact checking is:

Fact checking is the act of checking factual assertions in non-fictional text in order to determine the veracity and correctness of the factual statements in the text. This may be done either before (ante hoc) or after (post hoc) the text has been published or otherwise disseminated.”

In the era of post-truth, fake-news are becoming a sensible issue with strong implications in social and political life worldwide. Here is why fact-checking is becoming a primary commitment for journalists, and post hoc fact-checking is flourishing as a specific journalistic genre.

What are the techniques of fact checking?

  • Understand the context: see who wrote/said something and check if the source is trustworthy or if it has been previously reported for fake-news and hoaxes
  • Ask for sources: when someone is making a statement, a very basic technique for fact checking is to ask for some evidence or source
  • Search online: anyone else may have already found something about the information, statement, news or article you want to check
  • Look for different perspectives: reach out experts of a certain topic and ask them their advice and experience
  • Check with trustworthy sources: consider searching for more information in public libraries or – it’s relevant – check open government data.

Fact checking resources

There are media which are entirely focusing on fact checking, here you can find a short list of those who have an international relevance:

After exploring these resources, you may also be interested in learning about the latest advancements in AI-powered fact-checking. WordLift has developed an innovative tool that leverages artificial intelligence to assist in the fact-checking process. Discover more about this cutting-edge technology in our article, ‘The AI Fact-Checker: Enhancing Accuracy in the Digital Age’.