Misinformation and Disinformation: Fact Checking

When misinformation obscures the truth and readers don’t know what to trust, Snopes’ fact-checking and original investigative reporting lights the way to evidence-based and contextualized analysis. We always link to and document our sources so readers are empowered to do independent research and make up their own minds.

Snopes got its start in 1994, investigating urban legends, hoaxes, and folklore. As demand for reliable fact checks grew, so did Snopes. Now it’s the oldest and largest fact-checking site online, ..."

NPR (national public radio) is an independent, nonprofit media organization that was founded on a mission to create a more informed public. Fact Check is a special issue covering a wide range of topics covered by the media.

A nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.

Founded in 2015, MBFC is an independent online media outlet dedicated to educating the public on media bias and deceptive news practices. MBFC’s aim is to inspire action and a rejection of overtly biased media. We want to return to an era of straight forward news reporting. MBFC follows a strict methodology for determining the biases of sources. Dave Van Zandt is the primary editor for sources. He is assisted by a collective of volunteers who assist in research for many sources listed on these pages. MBFC also provides occasional fact checks, original articles on media bias, and breaking/important news stories, especially as it relates to USA politics. Funding for Media Bias Fact Check comes from donations and third-party advertising. We use third-party advertising to prevent influence and bias as we do not select the ads you see displayed.

A media technology and solutions company that strengthens our democratic society with balanced news, media bias ratings, diverse perspectives, and real conversation. We expose people to information and ideas from all sides of the political spectrum so they can better understand the world — and each other.

Headquartered at the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, FlackCheck.org is the political literacy companion site to the award-winning FactCheck.org. The site provides resources designed to help viewers recognize flaws in arguments in general and political ads in particular. Video resources point out deception and incivility in political rhetoric.

One of the longest-running fact-checking sites out there. Initially focused on analyzing internet hoaxes and rumors, it has extended its range to include general fake news as well. This includes political stories and viral content.
The website assigns these stories various ratings to reflect their reliability. These include ratings such as true, fiction, unknown, decontextualized, or variations thereof.
The analyses of rumors or stories look at the origins of these stories, whether there are elements of truth, and where stories may have gone astray (such as decontextualizing truth).

Africa Check verifies news from the African continent. The website is a signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). It is also one of the IFCN Fact-Checking Organizations available on WhatsApp, which that allows users to submit messages and potential fake news for fact-checking.

Lead Stories is a lesser-known website that helps users fact-check information. The website debunks fake news across a variety of platforms, including entertainment, tech, politics, and international news.
The website focuses on trending stories, images, videos, and posts with false information. It includes fact checks, analysis, and corrections.
It also has specific feeds dedicated to political affiliations (fact-checking US Democrats and Republicans).
The site also provides fact-checking services to social media companies TikTok and Facebook.

A UK-based fact-checking website, Full Fact is considered a reliable source and is endorsed by MBFC. The website is a fact-checking charity, with a diverse range of funding and transparency around income. They even make sure their Board of Trustees come from different sides of the political spectrum.
Full Fact also goes further than fact checks and even provides a fact-checking toolkit. The site also pushes for corrections from publishers when they publish incorrect or misleading information.