HC/SWCD Libraries: Voting &amp; Elections: Fact Checking

Fact Checking Sites

Vote Smart
Vote Smart's mission is to provide free, factual, unbiased information on candidates and elected officials to ALL Americans.
OpenSecrets
Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the Center for Responsive Politics is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy
PolitiFact
PolitiFact is a fact-checking website run by editors and reporters from the Tampa Bay Times, an independent newspaper in Florida. It rates claims made by politicians on its Truth-o-Meter scale. PolitiFact is widely regarded as one of the best sources for political fact-checking, winning the Pulitzer Prize in 2008 for its coverage of the 2008 election.
Snopes
For over two decades, Snopes has been a valuable resource for evaluating urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation circulating online.

Digital Media

Evaluating Digital Sources
"Because so much information is now available online, it’s important to know how to navigate digital sources versus print sources. Today, almost every print source has a digital edition (e.g., ebooks, online newspapers), and some academic journals only publish digitally. However, despite the many credible digital sources available today, there are still many unreliable sources available on the internet. " Purdue University

Critical Tips for Evaluating Sources

Important component of evaluating sources for credibility is using critical reading skills. Whether you get your news from a traditional media source or social media, question everything you read while keeping an open mind to learn from trusted sources. Ask questions of the text as you are reading as though you are having a conversation with it.

What are the credentials of the author? Have they written or spoken about the topic previously? When you search their name online, what do others say? Are there any issues with claims made in the past? Why do you think the author wrote this work?
Who is the publisher? When you search them online do you find any controversies or complaints?
Is the claim being made reliable? Do other reputable sources support the claim? Is it backed up by evidence? Does it seem plausible? Is it up to date? Remember, if it is breaking news, it may take time for all of the facts and evidence to come to be clear.
Are there viewpoints missing from the conversation? If so, find other sources that can provide a full picture of the topic.
Is the source intentionally trying to mislead or cause harm?

For every source you find, evaluate and investigate the arguments, evidence given to support arguments, opinions, and biases to determine if this is a source you can reliably trust.