Populism is a major threat to democracy, political scientist Steven Levitsky warns
An independent press is critical to sustaining democracy, says the Harvard professor
June 28, 2024
News
Fact-checkers from Turkey, India and Georgia win GlobalFact 11 awards
Turkish outlet Teyit won the Highest Impact award for its work investigating Palestinian land sales to Israelis
June 28, 2024
‘Frenemies’: The complicated relationship between fact-checkers and tech giants like Meta and TikTok
Many fact-checking outlets are financially dependent on the very platforms that they criticize
June 28, 2024
Opinion | Media reaction to the newsworthy first presidential debate
Joe Biden had a bad night. That was the story from Thursday’s debate — not anything Trump said, whether it was true or not.
June 28, 2024
Two years after an open letter to YouTube, fact-checkers remain dissatisfied with the platform’s inaction
YouTube has been dogged by the same problems fact-checkers raised years ago
June 28, 2024
10 fact-checking projects in 8 countries named finalists for IFCN’s GlobalFact impact award
The International Fact-Checking Network will award the winner at the end of GlobalFact 11
June 28, 2024
Fact-checking CNN’s presidential debate: How accurate were Joe Biden and Donald Trump?
Biden and Trump clashed on topics including immigration, the economy, abortion and their ages.
June 28, 2024
Business & Work
L.A. Taco was forced to furlough its staff. Reader support brought them back within 24 hours.
Is it enough for the independent food, culture and community publication to survive? Its leadership isn’t sure.
June 25, 2024
Editor picked to lead The Washington Post won’t take the job after all
Although it’s too early to tell, Robert Winnett’s decision not to take the job could help publisher Will Lewis survive the ongoing controversy.
June 21, 2024
Nicholas Kristof has declared his journalistic purpose. What’s yours?
His memoir recounts adventures as a foreign correspondent, columnist and candidate. Plus an ill-fated interlude on the desk.
June 20, 2024
The Marion County Record drew national support following a police raid, but the weekly still needs help
After the raid, the Kansas paper faced lawsuits, saw boosted circulation and dealt with fallout from the death of the publisher's 98-year-old mother
June 18, 2024
Commentary
Opinion | How PolitiFact and others are preparing for tonight’s presidential debate
27 staffers from PolitiFact will fact-check the candidates in real time and publish their findings in two languages
June 27, 2024
Opinion | A big week for Biden, Trump and … CNN
CNN’s ratings are down, partly because of cord-cutting. But it’s also facing stiff competition from the more opinionated cable news channels.
June 26, 2024
Opinion | This is how you do it: CNN cuts off interview with Trump spokesperson after repeated warnings
Karoline Leavitt would not stop verbally attacking CNN debate moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. So anchor Kasie Hunt cut her off.
June 25, 2024
Opinion | Is this the biggest presidential debate in US history?
Many of the circumstances are unprecedented. Moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash face a job that has become increasingly more difficult.
June 24, 2024
Educators & Students
WATCH: What they don’t teach in J-school
Poynter convened a panel discussion with industry experts on the skills reporters learn on the job
April 2, 2024
Opinion | Journalism schools must move beyond reporting to prepare graduates for modern media roles
As journalism rapidly evolves, J-schools must think critically about curriculums and equip graduates with skills for emerging roles across media.
April 1, 2024
What a journalism educator learned during a summer at the Los Angeles Times
Herbert Lowe, who has taught journalism since 2010, spent seven weeks as a fellow with the Times and shares his takeaways.
September 11, 2023
How The Daily Tar Heel designed the front page everyone is talking about
‘I don’t think anyone else except this generation could give voice and legs to this feeling of what it’s like to be on lockdown …’
August 30, 2023
Ethics & Trust
FULL TEXT: Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa empowers fact-checkers, warns of inflection point for democracy at GlobalFact 11
Philippine journalist calls tech companies "frenemies" with fact-checkers and urges them to act to stop the spread of misinformation
June 27, 2024
We asked people about using AI to make the news. They’re anxious and annoyed
Focus group research from Poynter and the University of Minnesota reveals attitudes on disclosure, trust, deception among news consumers
June 27, 2024
Nobel laureate Maria Ressa tells tech companies: Now is the time to ‘do something’
Philippine journalist calls on sponsors of GlobalFact 11 fact-checking summit to protect democracy, stop spread of misinformation
June 26, 2024
Opinion | Was it unethical to secretly record Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito?
Lauren Windsor calls herself a journalist. But she didn’t act like one when she deceived Alito to get him to talk.
June 12, 2024
Fact-Checking
LIVE: PolitiFact fact-checks Joe Biden and Donald Trump’s first 2024 presidential debate
The debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump begins at 9 pm Eastern. Follow along with our live debate fact-checking here.
June 27, 2024
Fact-checkers urge collaboration, caution in using artificial intelligence tools
‘When dealing with this new, and yet to grow, devil of AI, we need to be together’
June 27, 2024
From the Institute
Poynter takes lead on AI ethics with audience research and summit
Poynter has partnered with the University of Minnesota to gauge news consumers’ view of artificial intelligence in the newsroom
May 31, 2024
Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa, experts on democracy and AI to lead GlobalFact as keynote speakers
Other speakers at the fact-checking summit include Steve Levitsky, Nikita Roy and Craig Silverman
May 16, 2024
PolitiFact launches Spanish-language website to serve more than 40 million U.S. Spanish-speakers
PolitiFact en Español is also active on WhatsApp, TikTok and Instagram to sort out political and social media claims
May 14, 2024
Here are the 30 leaders selected for Poynter’s second Leadership Academy for Women in Media cohort in 2024
Participants join a global network of more than 600 alumni who are committed to cultivating ethical, dynamic newsrooms.
May 1, 2024
ICYMI
South Korea’s fact-checking future is uncertain as a key donor retreats
The withdrawal of funding from ‘the Google of South Korea’ has left SNU FactCheck scrambling to find a new sponsor. A shutdown looms.
November 14, 2023
Mongolia moves to seize power to shut down internet, control social media
In an expedited process, 77% of parliament members voted in favor of legislation that sharply limits government criticism.
January 27, 2023
IFCN
‘You are the target’: What it’s like to fact-check a war
Armed conflicts not only give rise to misinformation, but they also present major logistical challenges to fact-checkers
June 26, 2024
International Fact-Checking Network to give inaugural Best Research award
Six organizations nominated; one to be awarded at 11th annual fact-checking summit
June 26, 2024
Locally
How the Chicago area gets its news
An in-depth Medill study identified numerous profound challenges to news organizations as the industry struggles to adapt to the digital age
May 28, 2024
Topography of a news ecosystem: A first-of-its-kind study diagnoses the local news crisis in a single state
Media scholars at the University of Maryland documented the spread of local news dead spots — and unexpected vibrant areas — in that state.
April 19, 2024
News Releases
World’s fact-checkers issue ‘Sarajevo statement’ supporting fact-checking as free speech, not censorship, at GlobalFact 11 conference
130 fact-checking organizations in 80 countries affirm that fact-checking adds to public debate; it doesn’t censor it
June 25, 2024
International Fact-Checking Network awards $975,000 to fact-checkers serving 34 countries
The grants are funded by Google and YouTube to support the capabilities of fact-checking organizations around the world
June 20, 2024
IFCN announces new grant opportunity supported by Meta to combat AI-generated misinformation on WhatsApp
Grantees will have an opportunity to innovate with WhatsApp functionality
May 31, 2024
As election nears, Poynter’s MediaWise launches media literacy resources for libraries, Spanish speakers
The two initiatives will equip library patrons and Spanish speakers with skills to identify online misinformation
May 30, 2024
Newsletters
Opinion | Two’s a party, three’s a crowd as RFK Jr. kept out of debate
CNN announced Thursday that Kennedy did not qualify. All along, he looked to be a long shot.
June 21, 2024
Opinion | More Washington Post drama as owner Jeff Bezos speaks out
Bezos seemed to show support for his embattled publisher, but his statement is unlikely to squash criticism coming from inside the Post's walls
June 20, 2024
Opinion | Could social media soon have warning labels?
The US surgeon general wants a warning — similar to those on tobacco products — that points out mental health risks of TikTok, Instagram and others
June 18, 2024
Opinion | Remarkably few digital news subscribers pay full price
Of those who pay for news online (itself a low fraction of readers), at least 60% pay less than the full price.
June 17, 2024
PBS Curriculum
Trick or truth: Are drug dealers really targeting kids on Halloween?
For teachers: This MediaWise Teen Fact-Checking Network video has an accompanying lesson plan free for any…
October 28, 2022
Reporting & Editing
A new tool aims to ease the burden on newsrooms covering November’s elections
The Knight Foundation rolled out its election hub Thursday and expects to add more resources in the coming months.
June 20, 2024
Journalism memoirs: More than just war stories
The most interesting journalism memoirs dig into the why and wherefore of the work and the life in ways useful and provocative for the rest of us
June 20, 2024
Opinion | They never taught me a thing about interviewing in journalism school
The press is increasingly scrutinized, with allegations of inaccuracy a top complaint. Skilled interviewing is more invaluable than ever.
June 17, 2024
Opinion | Why presidential debate moderators may need the most prep
CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash should review how local broadcast journalists question candidates — often in a refreshingly direct manner
June 14, 2024
Tech & Tools
Why journalists should pay attention to developments in artificial intelligence
‘This is a very malleable space that we are in with AI, and this is where we need journalists to be the people who deeply understand the technology’
June 14, 2024
Opinion | AI’s coming inverted pyramid moment for journalism
Technology has long had an effect on copy, starting with a staple of journalism that feels engrained in the nature of news itself.
June 13, 2024
AI is disrupting the local news industry. Will it unlock growth or be an existential threat?
A new report from Medill seeks to identify the potential perils and benefits of generative AI on local news business models and journalism itself
May 8, 2024
AI is already reshaping newsrooms, AP study finds
Despite ethical concerns, nearly 70% of newsroom staffers recruited for an Associated Press survey say they’re using generative AI to create content
April 10, 2024
TFCN
Watch out for claims about ‘crisis actors’ in Gaza
This photo posted on Facebook in early November got a lot of attention. It shows…
February 5, 2024
Would young people really choose TikTok over their right to vote?
GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, a political outsider who has taken many by surprise with…
November 7, 2023
Is This Legit: A media literacy skills recap
Have you ever encountered something suspicious online and wondered: “Is this legit?” Welcome to our…
May 11, 2023
Echo chambers: how they’re created and how to avoid them
Recently, I tried a little experiment on social media. I set up two fake Twitter…
May 5, 2023