Details about The Associated Press can be found in the “about” section of AP’s corporate website: https://www.ap.org/about/

In short, AP, one of the world’s pre-eminent news gathering organizations, is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative composed of U.S. newspapers and broadcasters and serving additional customers around the world. AP has a dedicated team of fact checkers with teams based in the United States and Mexico. Their work includes the branded AP Fact Checks that examine claims by public figures, as well as debunks of false and misleading information that’s circulating online, including as part of the Facebook fact-checking program.

Fact-checking is also deeply integrated into our whole global operation and we rely on the expertise of our journalists on a wide variety of topics to inform our fact-checking work. Any AP journalist may work on a fact check with support from the Fact Check team.

For more details about fact checking at the AP, see: https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-234264975049

Additional details can be found in AP’s most recent annual report: https://www.ap.org/about/annual-report/2021/

This section is compliant. 

From its website (the two bottom lines link to more in-depth information on eligibility: 

"ABOUT THE AP

The AP is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative composed of newspapers and broadcasters. The vast majority of AP’s revenue comes from licensing content to news outlets and other organizations. The AP Fact Check team is funded by AP’s general news budget and has previously received funding from the Knight Foundation.

Read more about the AP.

See AP’s 2022 annual report."

The Associated Press has been fact-checking people in power throughout its 177-year history, and has been doing distinct fact-checking items at least since 1988. These separate items were originally created to shine a spotlight on questionable assertions made by public figures, such as U.S. elected officials and candidates for office. In more recent years, fact-checking at AP has also come to include the debunking of misinformation that is shared online, to counteract the misinformation and help the public be better informed.

Dozens of journalists around AP contribute to our fact-checking efforts. About a dozen people focus exclusively on fact-checking, debunking and the coverage of the misinformation crisis, mostly in reporter and editor roles, and with specialization on various topics such as technology, health, politics and migration. They include three team members working exclusively in Spanish, and one editor who works in English and Spanish. Details about team members can be found here: https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-234264975049

The team’s work focuses on the branded AP Fact Checks that examine claims by public figures, as well as debunks of false and misleading information that’s circulating online, including as part of the Facebook fact-checking program. The fact-checking team is a unit within The Associated Press, a global news organization that provides a wide variety of news gathering and distribution services for news outlets around the world.

We'll continue to focus on aggressively fact-checking people in power and debunking misinformation that affects how people live their lives – how they make decisions about their health, the ballots they cast, etc. We're also working on sharpening our ability to identify and debunk misinformation that travels in or affects underserved communities. And we seek to improve the exposure and impact of our fact-checking work, including by more aggressively promoting our work with AP’s existing customers, and by looking for additional opportunities to collaborate with platforms, startups and other news organizations.  

AP Fact Check has demonstrated its compliance with Criteria 1.2.

We publish several fact checks a week, and have for many years. You can find them below.

Highlighted fact checks: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-fact-check

Debunking of online misinformation (English): https://apnews.com/hub/fact-checking

Debunking of online misinformation (Spanish): https://apnews.com/hub/ap-verifica   

AP Fact Check publishes the required number of fact checks, according to a review of its site. As such, I mark Criteria 1.3 compliant. 

I have reviewed a number of fact checks from the AP Fact Check site found here: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-fact-check, and one of the things that I find very useable and helpful is the structure of the fact checks. AP Fact Check uses the following subheads: 

CLAIM

AP's ASSESSMENT

THE FACTS

These act as a helpful tool for those using the site to easily identify what the false (or misleading)item/misinformation is and why it's being investigated/reviewed by AP Fact Check staff. Noting this, a more thorough explanation of individual fact checks from the last six months including a review or their sources and methodology is provided in subsequent criteria. 

The AP fact-checking operation is part of The Associated Press, an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative composed of U.S. newspapers and broadcasters. The vast majority of AP’s revenue comes from licensing content to members of the cooperative and to other news outlets and organizations around the world. The AP Fact Check team is funded by AP’s general news budget, which includes revenue from AP’s participation in the Facebook fact-checking program. AP operates independently from government and political interests.

Read more about the AP here: https://www.ap.org/about/

The 2021 AP annual report is available to the public: https://www.ap.org/about/annual-report/2021/

AP Fact Check's/The Associated Press's independence and not-for-profit status are thoroughly explained. As such, I mark Criteria 1.5 compliant. 

Not applicable

AP Fact Check does not use any of those funding sources. As such, I mark Criteria 1.6 compliant. 

These fact checks show that we’re following the same process across the political spectrum, and applying strong but fair scrutiny to all misinformation spreaders and people in power, across a variety of topics.

In all our fact-checking work, as you’ll see here, we aim to focus on misinformation that both is gaining significant traction and runs a high risk of doing real-world damage – for example, when falsehoods might alter people’s health decisions or affect who they might choose to vote for.

In each case, we isolate the false claims and/or deceptive imagery, then use AP’s industry-leading standards on unbiased reporting to determine the facts. We focus on evidence, in the form of credible data, subject-area expertise and what our journalists have themselves witnessed.

We go where that evidence takes us and offer a clear conclusion about the facts. If we can’t prove something with certainty, we won’t publish it – we'd rather not have a fact check than arrive at a conclusion that we’re not sure about.

We stay away from anonymous sourcing for these items and attribute information as specifically as possible, with the thinking that our readers should be able to recreate the fact checks themselves.

Our goal is always to arrive at the facts, and then explain them simply and clearly. We steer clear of bias – anyone who says something questionable who has a significant audience earns the same scrutiny, regardless of their message or their politics. Then, we go where the facts lead us.

Here are some examples:

NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week: https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-donald-trump-joe-biden-anheuserbusch-750214d3ed1ca8218df12a9efe2feed0

FACT FOCUS: Fake Trump mug shots spread in lieu of real one: https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-mug-shot-fact-check-2a57de9b109fa95f833c62e5509b9e45

Trump arrested? Putin jailed? Fake AI images spread online: https://apnews.com/article/ai-misinformation-trump-putin-new-york-42ac9c41c5504d05412b492e48bcaded

FACT FOCUS: Claims blame ‘woke’ policies on bank’s demise: https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-fdic-svb-california-d84764deb458371667ac7f850f430f22

‘Brought to you by Pfizer’ video is false, edited to deceive: https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-pfizer-tv-presenters-collapsing-998875877043

Posts mischaracterize CDC data on COVID-19 vaccine deaths: https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-cdc-covid-vaccine-deaths-910677348223

Posts misrepresent rioter’s actions in Jan. 6 Capitol attack: https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-january-6-jacob-chansley-tucker-carlson-193191103193

FACT FOCUS: Biden administration isn’t banning gas stoves: https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-us-consumer-product-safety-commission-ap-fact-check-texas-2003dcf8d0bee8ddf45080186b2e0c7b

Company where Gaetz owned shares had pandemic loan forgiven: https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-matt-gaetz-ppp-loan-forgiveness-940122862427

FACT FOCUS: No ‘incredible rise’ in transgender shooters: https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-transgender-nashville-shooting-misinformation-cd62492d066d41e820c138256570978c

A review of fact checks published over the last six months shows AP Fact Check's commitment to nonpartisanship and fairness. It has published individual fact checks under their own headlines on Dominion voting machines and Gov. Ron DeSantis and a recent immigration bill (not linked). It also has a NOT REAL NEWS section, which is a roundup of fake stories, which I think is a great way to reach busy readers. Recent fact checks include one on funding a Biden appointee did or did not receive and an Amy soldier "opening gates for migrants." 

As such I mark Criteria 2.1 compliant. 

AP’s approach to fact-checking: https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-234264975049

AP’s News Values and Principles, which also apply to fact-checking work: https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/

AP Fact Check's site explains of its work:

"We produce fact checks when we are presented with a claim from a newsmaker – in any format – that deserves further explanation or scrutiny. The AP Fact Check team, along with our experts in the field, investigates and reports out that claim to present the facts around it. These claims can come from newsmakers from any news department, and they are fact-checked by our AP experts, with oversight, guidance and reporting help from the AP Fact Check team.

The AP Fact Check team also produces items that debunk misleading or false information and visuals that are gaining significant traction online. This includes collaborative projects with Facebook and Twitter to add factual context to misleading posts on their platforms."

In addition, the Fact Check site explains AP's Statement of News Values. 

Regarding fact checking multiple views/POVs, the site reads: "As with all AP staff, AP fact checkers must adhere to the company’s Statement of News Values, which states: 'AP employees must avoid behavior or activities - political, social or financial - that create a conflict of interest or compromise our ability to report the news fairly and accurately, uninfluenced by any person or action.'”

As such, I mark Criteria 2.2 compliant. 

For Criteria 2.3, I reviewed the fact check headlined "Posts misrepresent rioter’s actions in Jan. 6 Capitol attack" dated March 7, 2023 written by Melissa Goldin. 

A claim incorrectly said one of the Jan. 6 rioters was actually led through the US Capitol by police. The AP Fact Check explains in its assessment this way: "False. Court documents and video footage from the attack on the Capitol make clear that Chansley, who is widely known as the “QAnon Shaman” and is one of the most recognizable Jan. 6 rioters, entered the Capitol without permission, was repeatedly asked to leave the building and was not accompanied at all times."

As such, I mark this criteria compliant. 

For Criteria 2.4, I reviewed the fact check headlined "Company where Gaetz owned shares had pandemic loan forgiven" dated January 31, 2023 and written by Ali Swenson. 

Rep. Matt Gaetz, it was claimed, had a more than $480K loan forgiven from the Small Business Administrations's PPP even though the conservative lawmaker does not own any companies. AP's Assessment explained: "Missing context. Caregivers Inc., a private at-home care company in Florida, had the loan forgiven. Gaetz reported in 2021 that he was a shareholder in the company, making him a partial owner. The company has sold and he no longer owns shares, his office said in an emailed statement."

As such, I mark this item compliant. 

AP News Values and Principles – Political Activities: https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/conflicts-of-interest/political-activities   

AP Fact Check's nonpartisanship is clearly stated. As such, I mark Criteria 2.5 as compliant. 

To assess Criteria 3.1, I reviewed "FACT FOCUS: No 'Incredible Rise' in Transgender Shooters" dated March 30, 2023. Here, the AP Fact Check noted: "THE FACTS: While specific data on transgender and nonbinary mass shooters can be hard to isolate, available information shows that the overwhelming majority of assailants in mass shootings are cisgender males." 

It goes on to explain using data fro the Gun Violence Archive to first count the number, the fact check also used the following sources, who were named and explained in the piece: a professor of sociology at Ohio State University; a professor criminology, law and public policy/statistician from Northeastern University; gender studies professor who referred to a different database of mass shootings (National Institutes of Justice). 

The AP Fact Check noted: "The research found that of the 172 people who committed public mass shootings covered in the database, 97.7% were male. The data makes no distinction between transgender and cisgender perpetrators." 

Due to the quality of range of sources, I mark Criteria 3.1 compliant. 

To assess Criteria 3.2, I reviewed sourcing for a May 23 fact check by Philip Marcelo headlined "FACT FOCUS: Fake image of Pentagon explosion briefly sends jitters through stock market" that looked into a claim of an explosion at the Pentagon which showed black smoke billowing from it. 

The claim was false, and the sources used included: Police and fire officials in Arlington, Virginia (the northern Virginia city is home to the Pentagon, which is the Defense Department HQ), which had to turn to Twitter to debunk the claims that spread on Twitter. The AP Fact Check item also explored how this was likely an AI-created image, so it included a computer science professor (UC Berkeley) and the co-director of the Center for Responsibility in AI Systems & Experiences in the source list. The sources also provided evidence of photo manipulation, and that was very clearly explained in the piece. 

Due to the use of these sources, I mark Criteria 3.2 as compliant. 

I reviewed the May 18, 2023 fact check "Video prompts false claims that soldier allowed migrants to cross border illegally" written by Philip Marcelo. The claim is that a U.S. soldier opened a border gate to allow illegal immigrants into the U.S. The claim was judged false. 

Here are the sources used to warrant that designation: officials with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (statement emailed to AP); Missouri National Guard spokesperson; and a Cornell Law school professor specializing in immigration.

Due to these sources, I mark this item compliant. 

A May 16, 2023 item written by Karen Phan showed that President Biden did NOT touch a child inappropriately despite a claim online showing a photograph. The AP Fact Check noted the photograph had been digitally altered, and one of its sources was an AP photographer who shot the real photograph in Hartford, Connecticut. Just as a fail safe, the fact checker also used video shot by CSPAN. 

As such, I mark this item compliant. 

AP Fact Check is a unit of The Associated Press, as is explained in this description of our approach to fact-checking work: 

Further proof is the presence of these fact-checking hubs on the AP News website: https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-234264975049

Highlighted fact checks: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-fact-check

Debunking of online misinformation (English): https://apnews.com/hub/fact-checking

Debunking of online misinformation (Spanish): https://apnews.com/hub/ap-verifica 

AP Fact Check is very clearly a fact checking unit of the larger Associated Press (AP). As such, I mark Criteria 4.1 compliant. 

AP Fact Check is a unit of The Associated Press, funded by the general AP news budget, as well as direct revenue from fact-checking customers like Meta.

The Associated Press is a not-for-profit cooperative that derives its revenue from U.S. newspaper and broadcast members and other news customers around the world. More details about AP can be found here: https://www.ap.org/about/

Further details about AP’s finances can be found in the cooperative’s most recent annual report: https://www.ap.org/about/annual-report/2021/

Continuing from above, the AP Fact Check is a not-for-profit site part of the larger AP. Its funding status and finances are outlined in its most recent annual report that can be found: https://www.ap.org/about/annual-report/2022/ A more detailed chart from its financial information is attached. Noting these, I mark Criteria 4.2 compliant. 

This description of AP’s approach to fact-checking includes details about the AP Fact Check leadership team, which exercises control over editorial decisions: https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-234264975049

The AP's editorial team as well as its fact check staff are clearly labeled online. As such, I mark Criteria 4.3 compliant. 

This description of AP’s approach to fact-checking includes biographical information on members of the AP Fact Check team: https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-234264975049

I mark Criteria 4.4 compliant because its staff members and their bios are online and accessible. I've attached a partial list to illustrate this section's compliance. 

This description of AP’s approach to fact-checking includes a section where the public is encouraged to email the team at FactCheck@ap.org with comments, questions and suggestions of claims to fact-check: https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-234264975049

I can confirm that there is an email address where members of the public/users of the site would very easily be able to community with the Fact Check team. As such, I mark Criteria 4.5 compliant. 

This description of AP’s approach to fact-checking notes that the team focuses on misinformation spread by top political leaders and other significant news makers, as well as damaging false content that is gaining the most traction online: https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-234264975049

The AP Fact Check site explains how it does its work: "We produce fact checks when we are presented with a claim from a newsmaker – in any format – that deserves further explanation or scrutiny. The AP Fact Check team, along with our experts in the field, investigates and reports out that claim to present the facts around it. These claims can come from newsmakers from any news department, and they are fact-checked by our AP experts, with oversight, guidance and reporting help from the AP Fact Check team.

The AP Fact Check team also produces items that debunk misleading or false information and visuals that are gaining significant traction online. This includes collaborative projects with Facebook and Twitter to add factual context to misleading posts on their platforms."

As such, I mark Criteria 5.1 compliant.

For Criteria 5.2, I'll assess the methodology of the item also used in item 2.4 about Rep. Matt Gaetz and whether the Republican Congressperson had taken a $482,321 loan from the Small Business Administration's PPP (he had not). The fact check explains that the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability was holding a hearing on fraud and waste, which was generating incorrect social media posts. It explained its process by, once establishing the House meetings were taking place, showing his financial disclosures including in a company called Caregivers Inc. AP Fact Check then used federal records to show how much that company had received from PPP. It closed the piece explaining: "Lawmakers weren’t blocked from participating in the Paycheck Protection Program and businesses associated with several Republican and Democratic lawmakers benefited from it."

I mark this criteria compliant due to the thorough explanation of this criteria. 

For Criteria 5.3, I evaluated the "Biden Administration isn't banning gas stoves" fact check published January 12, 2023. As it does with all of its items, AP Fact Check starts with a review of the claim and how such a matter became part of the public consciousness. Here, an official with the Consumer Product Safety Commission said "any option is on the table" about regulating gas stoves, which then spread to people believing wrongly that Biden wanted to take away their stoves. AP Fact Check connected with the CPSC chair, who said in a statement they had no place to ban gas stoves, but that the initial statement referred to the regulation of new products that may emit toxic chemicals. Turns out that older stoves may emit problematic materials and the AP cited health experts and noted local regulations looking to stop the spread of these chemicals. 

It's a clear explanation of the origin, the spread, and the outrage coupled with facts. As such, I mark Criteria 5.3 compliant. 

For Criteria 5.5, I reviewed "Fake Trump mug shots spread in lieu of real one" published April 4, 2023. 

AP Fact Check explained: "The fabricated images, at least some of which were created using artificial intelligence text-to-image generators, fooled some social media users looking to track down the visual symbol of Trump being charged for 34 felony counts of falsifying business records." While the images may have been fabricated, AP noted Trump profited off of some of the fake images. 

AP Fact Check's methodology explained Trump's arrest and booking including when his mug shot would have been taken. Its methodology included noting the doctored photographs included "hallmarks of synthetic work." 

Based on this methodology and explanation, I mark this item compliant. 

I reviewed "Phones given to US immigrants have limited uses" published May 24. This claim was judged false and fact checker Melissa Goldin explained why. 

Some immigrants who participate in a federal program receive phones. (The program is called Alternatives to Detention.) The phone allows them access only to the information for running this program. In order to verify, the AP Fact Check explained the phones and the program even explaining it reached out to the phone manufacturer. Once those were established, Goldin talked to an immigrations expert and provided details on how many people were enrolled the program according to federal statistics. 

Due to this detailed methodology, I mark Criteria 5.5 compliant. 

This description of AP’s approach to fact-checking includes a section where the public is encouraged to email the team at FactCheck@ap.org with comments, questions and suggestions of claims to fact-check: https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-234264975049. In addition, the heavily followed @APFactCheck Twitter account has open DMs, which the team watches for requests and suggestions. We make no specific promises about what sorts of claims will and won’t be fact-checked, as these decisions need to made on a case-by-case basis.                                                  

Any reasonable user of the AP Fact Check site would understand what is and is not up for review. It is clearly articulated online. As such, I mark Criteria 5.6 compliant. 

The AP Fact Check operation follows AP’s broader correction policy, which can be found here: https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/telling-the-story/corrections-correctives

AP Fact Check has a corrections policy that is fair and accessible. As such, I mark Criteria 6.1 compliant. 

I can confirm through a review of its corrections policy that AP Fact Check meets IFCN's standards for fair and honest corrections. As such, I mark Criteria 6.2 compliant. 

We watch for correction requests through the AP Fact Check email address, as well as the @APFactCheck Twitter account. We also field suggestions from fellow journalists around the AP, who tend to read each other’s stories quite closely. We take any correction suggestion very seriously, and consider each on its merits. We have no bias toward correcting, or not correcting – we simply assess whether there is something that is inaccurate, unfair or unclear. If there is, we make a change, and we explain the change we made in a note published on the item.

We made various minor corrections during the year. But we didn’t field any serious correction requests from the general public – or from subjects of our stories – during the past 12 months. What is more common is to hear from people who are unhappy about fact-checks we did. We take all input seriously and are careful to always take into consideration what is being said around our fact checks.  

Given that no "serious" correction requests were submitted nor corrections made and because I did not see any that would have qualified in this review, I mark Criteria 6.3 compliant. 

This is on the page where we explain our approach to fact-checking, toward the bottom: https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-234264975049

The site reads: "You can also file a complaint with the International Fact Checking Network if you feel that AP or any other IFCN member has violated the fact-checkers’ code of principles." As such, I mark Criteria 6.4 compliant. 

The AP Fact Check operation follows AP’s broader correction policy, which can be found here: https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/telling-the-story/corrections-correctives.                                          

The Associated Press has an open and honest corrections policy. As such, I mark Criteria 6.5 compliant.