Fact Checking
8 of the Best Fact-Checking Websites
Fact-checking websites are a popular resource for verifying information. Review eight of the best fact-checking sites to help you identify fact from fiction.
These days, fact-checking isn’t just something that’s nice to have — it’s a necessity. With the amount of misinformation and disinformation swarming out there, it can be tricky to tell what’s fact and what’s misinformation.
Fact-checking websites are a popular resource for verifying information. Some specialize in specific niches, while others are more broad. However, they typically have a common goal — to illuminate the truth.
Review eight of the best fact-checking sites that can help you sift fact from fiction.
The Originality.ai fact checker uses an internally designed AI to verify facts. It scans facts, figures, and events in content to help editors, content marketers, and web publishers rapidly review information before publication.
Further, you can pair the fact-checker with AI-generated content detection to highlight potential instances of AI copy that need further review so you can reduce the risk of publishing AI hallucinations (factual errors generated by AI).
Try Originality.ai’s fact checker for yourself today. Then, use it to review content before you hit publish.
Key features: An internally designed AI streamlines the fact-checking process for web publishers and content creators.
According to the University of California, Berkeley Library, Politifact won a Pulitzer Prize for its detailed fact-checking.
The Poynter Institute’s PolitiFact is one of the best political fact-checking websites and has become almost synonymous with election season in the United States. With its “Truth-O-Meter” scale ranging from “True” to “Pants on Fire,” its deep-dives into political claims are nothing short of legendary.
To verify facts, PolitiFact notes that they employ a team of journalists to pore over each claim. Further, they also include sources in their posts to back up research so readers can dig into the context and fully review what was said versus the facts.
Key features: The Poynter Institute’s PolitiFact is incredibly transparent about its methods, including detailed citations and sources that allow the public to do some investigative follow-up on their own.
You simply can’t mention fact-checking websites without highlighting FactCheck.org. FactCheck.org is run by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
It’s a non-profit and nonpartisan organization that centers on debunking viral claims that appear in everything from debates to television advertising. FactCheck.org also analyzes political speeches, ranking it as one of the best political fact-checking websites alongside PolitiFact.
Having a website like FactCheck.org to rely on helps the public establish media literacy to identify misinformation. What’s more, FactCheck.org’s user-friendly explanations break down complex topics into easily digestible pieces for a wide audience.
Key features: FactCheck.org is one of the University of Pennsylvania’s renowned fact-checking projects that focuses on verifying political facts in user-friendly articles.
According to The City University of New York, College of Staten Island Libray, Snopes has a foundational spot among the best fact-checking sites.
Snopes was established in 1994 and quickly became one of the most well-known fact-checking websites. It was first designed to dispel urban legends, unbelievable folklore, and questionable rumors.
Today, its diligent team of editorial researchers reviews the accuracy of rumors as well as entertainment and political news.
Key features: Snopes was one of the first fact-checking sites, founded in 1994 to investigate the accuracy of folklore and urban legend — today, they review entertainment and political media.
Reuters Fact Check adheres to guidelines (IFCN Code of Principles) set forth by the International Fact-Checking Network, which focuses on accuracy and transparency in reporting.
Like many other news-based fact-checking websites, Reuters Fact Check is devoted to verifying claims made in the news and on social media by public figures.
Journalists who are part of Reuters’ fact-checking team may contact primary sources or consult experts to verify claims. Reuters’ reputation for impartial reporting lends well to its credibility as a trusted source, making it a leader among the best fact-checking websites.
Key features: Reuters Fact Check closely reviews the social media of key public and political figures for misinformation while following the International Fact-Checking Network’s Code of Principles for transparent, accurate reporting.
The Washington Post’s Fact-Checker is led by journalist Glenn Kessler, whose career spans nearly 40 years. It stands out for the use of its “Pinocchio Test.” Named for the little puppet who couldn’t tell a lie, the Fact-Checker rates the accuracy of claims on a scale from one to four Pinocchios.
Additionally, like Reuters, The Washington Post complies with the IFCN Code of Principles. In the context of fact-checking, one of The Washington Post’s primary focuses is reviewing statements made by politicians and other important public figures.
Key features: The Washington Post Fact-Checker is best known for its “Pinocchio Test,” which is its accuracy scale for how factual (or not) a statement is.
The College of Staten Island Library notes that Media Bias/Fact Check (known as MBFC) is an independent website that rates the accuracy and bias of news stories. It’s funded by third-party ad revenue as well as donations. It has quickly become a popular fact-checking website for those seeking to better understand misinformation in the media.
An intriguing note is that MBFC evaluates media bias based on human perspective and interpretation rather than incorporating AI into the process.
Key features: MBFC is an independent fact-checking website with human-focused bias reviews that runs on third-party ad revenue.
OpenSecrets is a nonpartisan, nonprofit and independent organization that monitors the financial influence and effect of money in United States’ politics. Although it’s not exactly a fact-checking website, research done by OpenSecrets is frequently cited by journalists and fact-checkers alike.
OpenSecrets generally covers topics related to elections and spending. Some of its article topics include analyses of how much was spent and where, who made campaign contributions (and how much), and lobbying.
Key features: A nonprofit and nonpartisan outlet for transparent information about financial influences in US politics.
In an age of AI hallucinations, when misinformation can be prevalent in the news, blogs, and media, fact-checking is more important than ever. Verifying information is a fantastic first step to improving media literacy.
Further, as a web publisher or online creator, using a fact-checking tool is an excellent way to highlight potential facts that need further review before publication.