Organization: Check Your Fact
Applicant: Jesse Stiller
Assessor: Margot Susca
Background
I believe the applicant has addressed my initial concerns in the area of nonpartisanship, corrections, and independence. I still have concerns about the relationship between CYF and the Daily Caller, but the application meets the criteria laid out in the assessment.
Assessment Conclusion
Compliant.
Margot Susca assesses application as Compliant
A short summary in native publishing language
I mark the applicant as compliant, yet my concerns about The Daily Caller and its relationship stand.These fall outside the bounds of the IFCN assessment criteria, and these remain noted in section 4.3. Thank you.
Section 1: Eligibility to be a signatory
To be eligible to be a signatory, applicants must meet these six criteria
- 1.1 The applicant is a legally registered organization, or a distinct team or unit within a legally registered organization, and details of this are easily found on its website.
- 1.2 The team, unit or organization is set up exclusively for the purpose of fact-checking.
- 1.3 The applicant has published an average of at least one fact check a week over the course of the six months prior to the date of application. For applicants from countries with at least 5 or more verified signatories need to have at least a fact check a week over the twelve months of publishing track. Consult to factchecknet@poynter.org for confirmation.
- 1.4 On average, at least 75% of the applicant’s fact checks focus on claims related to issues that, in the view of the IFCN, relate to or could have an impact on the welfare or well-being of individuals, the general public or society.
- 1.5 The applicant’s editorial output is not, in the view of the IFCN, controlled by the state, a political party or politician.
- 1.6 If the organization receives funding from local or foreign state or political sources, it provides a statement on its site setting out to the satisfaction of the IFCN, how it ensures its funders do not influence the findings of its reports.
Criteria 1.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please explain where on your website you set out information about your organization’s legal status and how this complies with criteria. Attach a link to the relevant page of your website.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Check Your Fact (CYF) is a dedicated fact-checking website owned and operated by the Daily Caller Inc., as explained prominently on the site's "About Us," "Privacy Policy" and "Terms of Service" pages. CYF's website is registered to the Daily Caller. In addition to its own privacy policy and terms of service, both of which identify it as a project of the Daily Caller, Check Your Fact has provided below a "Certificate of Status" for the DC's corporate registration in Delaware, first incorporated in 2009.
https://checkyourfact.com/about-us/
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
This is, as the application states, very clearly articulated on the Check Your Fact (for the rest of the assessment, I'll use its acronym CYF) website. Under "About Us" it states:
"Check Your Fact is a for-profit subsidiary wholly owned by The Daily Caller, Inc. The majority owner of The Daily Caller, Inc. is co-founder and publisher Neil Patel. The Daily Caller’s fact-checking team is funded by The Daily Caller’s general news budget, as well as revenue generated through advertising. Expenditures for Check Your Fact include employee salaries and website maintenance."
done_all 1.1 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 1.2
Proof you meet criteria
Please answer the following questions – (see notes in Guidelines for Application on how to answer)
1. When and why was your fact-checking operation started?
2. How many people work or volunteer in the organization and what are their roles?
3. What different activities does your organization carry out?
4. What are the goals of your fact-checking operation over the coming year?
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Check Your Fact launched in 2017. Our non-partisan mission is to independently fact check public figures on both sides of the the political spectrum, as well as to vet the many widely-shared claims that rocket across the internet every day.
Seven people do work for Check Your Fact: Aislinn Murphy (managing fact check editor), Alyssa Miguel (fact check editor), Trevor Schakohl (fact check reporter), Elias Atienza (fact check reporter), Jonathan Fonti (fact check reporter), Ryan Eichler (fact check reporter) and Brad Sylvester (fact check reporter). The fact check reporters identify, evaluate and write up fact-checkable claims, while the fact check editors edit and publish fact check articles, as well as assign stories.
Check Your Fact delivers informative fact check articles that provide readers with context and opposing points of view on topics that are newsworthy or of interest to its readers.
Our goals over the coming year include continuing to publish accurate, informative and well-rounded fact checks and growing our audiences on social media. We hope to boost the profile of our social media accounts to help increase the reach of our fact checks and highlight our work to more people.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
I looked at the "Staff" link from the CYF site, and this list confirms what is listed for staff in its application. A screen shot of that page is attached.
Screen Shot 2021-02-... (238 KB)
done_all 1.2 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 1.3
Proof you meet criteria
- The applicant has published an average of at least one fact check a week over the course of the six months prior to the date of application.
- For applicants from countries with at least 5 or more verified signatories need to have at least a fact check a week over the twelve months of publishing track.
- Consult to factchecknet@poynter.org for confirmation.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
From June to the end of December, Check Your Fact published approximately 770 articles.
You can view all of our fact checks on our website: https://checkyourfact.com/
They are also housed on The Daily Caller website: http://dailycaller.com/
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
CYF publishes frequent fact checks on a range of subjects.
done_all 1.3 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 1.4
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will assess compliance through a review of the fact checks published over the previous three months. No additional information required.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Reviewed:
Feb. 11, 2021 FACT CHECK: DID THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS REFUSE TO GO TO THE WHITE HOUSE?
Feb. 10, 2021 FACT CHECK: IS SHELL LAYING OFF 9,000 WORKERS BECAUSE OF JOE BIDEN?
Feb. 9, 2021 FACT CHECK: DOES THIS IMAGE SHOW HILLARY CLINTON WEARING AN ANKLE MONITOR?
Feb. 5, 2021 FACT-CHECKING MY PILLOW CEO MIKE LINDELL’S ‘ABSOLUTE PROOF’ ELECTION FRAUD SPECIAL
Dec. 29, 2020 FACT CHECK: WAS THE NASHVILLE EXPLOSION CAUSED BY A MISSILE STRIKE?
done_all 1.4 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 1.5
Proof you meet criteria
Please explain any commercial, financial and/or institutional relationship your organization has to the state, politicians or political parties in the country or countries you cover. Also explain funding or support received from foreign as well as local state or political actors over the previous financial year.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Check Your Fact has no commercial, financial and/or institutional relationship to any state, politicians or political parties in the country or countries we cover and has received no funding from foreign, local, state or political actors over the previous financial year.
Our parent company The Daily Caller, Inc. is in the business of selling advertising. As with all news companies, our parent company does sell advertising to commercial and political advertisers. This could also potentially include state entities such as government tourism bureaus. Advertising sold by the Daily Caller, Inc. is segregated from staff of Check Your Fact in the same manner that any major news outlet divides its revenue operations from its editorial operations. The Daily Caller, Inc does not use Check Your Fact's mailing lists/data/other materials in its sales efforts.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
This relationship to The Daily Caller and its financial incentives and advertising revenue are clearly articulated.
done_all 1.5 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 1.6
Proof you meet criteria
If you confirmed the organization receives funding from local or foreign state or political sources, provide a link to where on your website you set out how you ensure the editorial independence of your work.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
https://checkyourfact.com/about-us/
Decisions about what we fact check and our conclusions for our fact checks are guided solely by Check Your Fact editors and journalists. Check Your Fact exercises editorial independence over the creation of fact check content.
Check Your Fact
27-Apr-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
https://checkyourfact.com/about-us/
Check Your Fact exercises editorial independence over creation of fact check content. All fact checks are vetted, approved and edited by dedicated Check Your Fact editors. Fact checks may be performed on a contributing basis by Daily Caller staff and other freelance journalists who are thoroughly vetted by Check Your Fact's editors.
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The CYF website's staff page has been updated to provide more clarity on how we exercise editorial independence.
https://checkyourfact.com/staff/
"Fact checks are also performed on a contributing basis by Daily Caller staff and other freelance journalists who are thoroughly vetted by Check Your Fact’s editorial team. All fact checks are vetted, approved and edited by Check Your Fact editors."
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
The CYF Staff page says, "Fact checks are also performed by The Daily Caller staff and other freelance journalists who are thoroughly vetted by The Daily Caller's editorial team." This appears contradictory to that which the applicant has stated in Criteria 1.6, and I believe requires clarification.
cancel 1.6 marked as Request change by Margot Susca.
Margot Susca Assessor
12-May-2021 (3 years ago)
The CYF Staff page says, "Fact checks are also performed by The Daily Caller staff and other freelance journalists who are thoroughly vetted by The Daily Caller's editorial team." This appears contradictory to that which the applicant has stated in Criteria 1.6, and I believe requires clarification.
done_all 1.6 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Section 2: A commitment to Non-partisanship and Fairness
To be compliant on nonpartisanship and fairness, applicants must meet these five criteria
- 2.1 The applicant fact-checks using the same high standards of evidence and judgement for equivalent claims regardless of who made the claim.
- 2.2 The applicant does not unduly concentrate its fact-checking on any one side, considers the reach and importance of claims it selects to check and publishes a short statement on its website to set out how it selects claims to check.
- 2.3 The applicant discloses in its fact checks relevant interests of the sources it quotes where the reader might reasonably conclude those interests could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided. It also discloses in its fact checks any commercial or other such relationships it has that a member of the public might reasonably conclude could influence the findings of the fact check.
- 2.4 The applicant is not as an organization affiliated with nor declares or shows support for any party, any politician or political candidate, nor does it advocate for or against any policy positions on any issues save for transparency and accuracy in public debate.
- 2.5 The applicant sets out its policy on non-partisanship for staff on its site. Save for the issues of accuracy and transparency, the applicant’s staff do not get involved in advocacy or publicise their views on policy issues the organization might fact check in such a way as might lead a reasonable member of the public to see the organization’s work as biased.
Criteria 2.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please share links to 10 fact checks published over the past year that you believe demonstrate your non-partisanship.
Please briefly explain how the fact checks selected show that (I) you use the same high standards of evidence for equivalent claims, (II) follow the same essential process for every fact check and (III) let the evidence dictate your conclusions.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Once a claim is chosen, we ensure that every article is balanced. Check Your Fact has dedicated editors who scrutinize each article for fairness, ensuring that opposing viewpoints and all relevant context are represented.
We often reach out to experts to make sure our research is thorough and fair and relies on reputable source material. This includes reports from nonpartisan government agencies, academic sources and research published by prominent think tanks. Our research methods range from phone interviews to sifting through academic papers, news reports and books. We rely on primary documents wherever possible.
Source material is hyperlinked extensively within the body of the article, and where a link is not available, the article tells readers where the information came from and the qualifications of the institution or individual who provided the content. Check Your Fact also uses graphs and charts to clearly illustrate the verdict as needed.
Once a writer completes a draft, he or she submits the article to the editors who check the content for accuracy, clarity and completeness. Updates are made as needed, followed by a final round of copy-editing prior to publication.
More information about our methodology can be found here: https://checkyourfact.com/methodology/
1. FACT CHECK: TRUMP CLAIMS NO PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ‘HAS EVER WON BOTH FLORIDA AND OHIO AND LOST’ THE ELECTION
2. FACT CHECK: DONALD TRUMP CLAIMS THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ‘DID NOTHING’ ON POLICE REFORM
3. FACT CHECK: 6 CLAIMS FROM THE 1ST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
https://checkyourfact.com/2020/09/30/fact-check-donald-trump-joe-biden-first-presidential-debate/
4. FACT CHECK: DOES NANCY PELOSI OWN STOCK IN DOMINION VOTING SYSTEMS?
https://checkyourfact.com/2020/11/24/fact-check-nancy-pelosi-own-stock-dominion-voting-systems/
5. FACT CHECK: DO DONATIONS MADE THROUGH A LINK ON THE BLACK LIVES MATTER WEBSITE GO DIRECTLY TO DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES?
6. FACT CHECK: VIRAL VIDEO CLAIMS TO SHOW NANCY PELOSI SLURRING HER SPEECH
https://checkyourfact.com/2020/08/05/fact-check-video-nancy-pelosi-slurring-words/
7. FACT CHECK: WAS THE CARES ACT FIRST INTRODUCED IN 2017?
https://checkyourfact.com/2020/05/31/fact-check-cares-act-introduced-2017/
8. FACT CHECK: VIRAL IMAGE CLAIMS MICHIGAN ‘MAGICALLY FOUND’ OVER 130,000 VOTES CAST FOR JOE BIDEN
https://checkyourfact.com/2020/11/05/fact-check-michigan-found-130000-votes-joe-biden/
9. FACT CHECK: VIRAL IMAGE FALSELY CLAIMS WISCONSIN HAD MORE VOTES CAST THAN REGISTERED VOTERS
https://checkyourfact.com/2020/11/04/fact-check-wisconsin-more-votes-cast-registered-voters/
10. FACT CHECK: DID THE CDC REVISE ITS COVID-19 DEATH COUNT TO SHOW THAT ONLY 9,210 PEOPLE ‘ACTUALLY DIED’ FROM COVID-19?
https://checkyourfact.com/2020/08/31/fact-check-cdc-revise-coronavirus-death-count-9120-people/
The above 10 fact checks demonstrate that we use same essential process for every fact check and let evidence dictate our conclusions. Our fact checks rely heavily on news releases, public statements, video coverage of events, transcripts, academic and/or industry reports, federal and state government agency data, consultation with relevant experts, and reputable media reports. We also review legislative and government documents, conduct reverse image searches, review archiving services and seek comment from relevant parties. What we learn from such methods determine our verdict.
Our rating system:
True – The primary aspects of the claim are true and can be backed up with evidence.
False – The primary aspects of the claim are false and lack supporting evidence.
Unsubstantiated – There’s not enough evidence to establish a claim as true or false. The claim may have been made prematurely, or there might be conflicting data.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
It has a clear methodology outlined in both its overview section, and in each of the dozen articles I looked at on my own plus this 10 listed here by the applicant. And CYF publishes fact checks on a range of subjects related to politics, social issues, and economics.
done_all 2.1 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 2.2
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to a place on your website where you explain how you select claims to check, explaining how you ensure you do not unduly concentrate your fact-checking on any one side, and how you consider the reach and importance of the claims you select to check.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Check Your Fact pursues a non-partisan mission of fact-checking public figures on both sides of the political spectrum and popular but suspect claims circulating on social media. To ensure this, our writers have built out social media feeds on Tweetdeck (Twitter) and CrowdTangle (Facebook) that track the statements made by both conservatives and liberals.
Scanning sources across the political spectrum allows us to keep our claim selection neutral. We have one feed that tracks what Republican members of Congress are tweeting and another that follows the tweets of Democratic members; one that tracks conservative advocacy groups and another that follows liberal ones; etc. On Facebook, we have separate feeds for right-wing and left-wing pages.
We avoid fact-checking opinions or claims with ambiguous wording, and generally focus on claims that follow the news cycle, have been shared widely on social media, or have been made by prominent public figures. Check Your Fact strives to address claims that are extremely misleading or surprising, timely and may be of interest to readers.
Once a claim is chosen, we ensure that every article is balanced. Check Your Fact has dedicated editors who scrutinize each article for fairness, ensuring that opposing viewpoints and all relevant context are represented. We often reach out to experts to make sure our research is thorough and fair.
More information on our process can be found here:
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
There are a range of subjects and positions on the site. Please note a recent fact check is mentioned later in relationship to what is the applicants claims here.
done_all 2.2 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 2.3
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will assess compliance through a review of the fact checks published over the previous year. No additional information required.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Jan. 19, 2021 FACT CHECK: DID HEALTH CARE WORKERS HOLD UP A SHEET THAT READS, ‘JESUS STOPS THIS VIRUS’?
"The image in the Facebook post has been photoshopped. The Daily Caller News Foundation found the undoctored picture in an article published by the Italian media outlet inews24.it in March 2020. In the unaltered photo, there are Italian words on the sheet that, according to Google Translate, roughly translate to 'Help us Stay at home We cannot.'"
Clear. Methodology was clearly explained.
done_all 2.3 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 2.4
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will assess compliance through a review of the fact checks published over the previous year. No additional information required.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Jan. 20, 2021 FACT CHECK: DID CBS NEWS TWEET THAT A FLORIDA MAN WAS ARRESTED FOR KIDNAPPING PEOPLE AND ‘FORCING THEM TO PLAY YAHTZEE’?
The verdict: "There is no record of CBS News tweeting or reporting on such an incident. The tweet appears to be fabricated."
CYF used a search of CBS' official Twitter page, and archived versions noting: "Yet, while the tweet appears authentic at first glance, it is indeed fake. A search of the verified CBS News Twitter account, @CBSNews, yielded no matches for the tweet. It does not appear in an archived version of the account’s timeline on Jan. 16. The Daily Caller News Foundation also found no record of CBS News reporting about such an incident."
done_all 2.4 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 2.5
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to a place on your website where you publish a statement setting out your policy on non-partisanship for staff and how it ensures the organization meets this criteria.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
As a news outlet, we mandate that our employees do not advocate for individual politicians or candidates. Doing so would violate our journalistic code of ethics and make reporting the news in a non-biased way impossible.
More information on our nonpartisanship and fairness can be found here:
https://checkyourfact.com/about-us
https://checkyourfact.com/fairness
Our writer’s agreement specifically addresses this point:
"Political Activities -- Writer agrees not to partake in any partisan political activity or other issue advocacy during the term of this Agreement. Writer understands that any such political activity or advocacy could cause others to question their independence as a reporter."
Check Your Fact
27-Apr-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
As a news outlet, we mandate that our employees do not advocate for individual politicians or candidates. Doing so would violate our journalistic code of ethics and make reporting the news in a non-biased way impossible.
More information on our nonpartisanship and fairness can be found here:
https://checkyourfact.com/about-us
https://checkyourfact.com/fairness
Our writer’s agreement specifically addresses this point:
"Political Activities -- Writer agrees not to partake in any partisan political activity or other issue advocacy during the term of this Agreement. Writer understands that any such political activity or advocacy could cause others to question their independence as a reporter."
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The bios for Trevor Schakohl and Jonathan Fonti on the CYF website's staff page have been updated to remove the internships with congresspeople, as suggested by the assessor. Their updated bios can be found here: https://checkyourfact.com/staff/
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
I see its nonpartisanship policy, and note that two of its staff members--Trevor Schakohl and Jonathan Fonti--list past internships with three U.S. Congresspeople who all are Republican. The revolving door/politics-media pipeline is a fixture especially in D.C., but CYF should consider this in relation to its non-partisanship policy. I note this should not imply that those CYF staff members advocate for those candidates or others, but if partisan political activity is to be avoided, perhaps it should be removed from bios.
cancel 2.5 marked as Request change by Margot Susca.
Margot Susca Assessor
12-May-2021 (3 years ago)
I see its nonpartisanship policy, and note that two of its staff members--Trevor Schakohl and Jonathan Fonti--list past internships with three U.S. Congresspeople who all are Republican. The revolving door/politics-media pipeline is a fixture especially in D.C., but CYF should consider this in relation to its non-partisanship policy. I note this should not imply that those CYF staff members advocate for those candidates or others, but if partisan political activity is to be avoided, perhaps it should be removed from bios.
done_all 2.5 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Section 3: A commitment to Standards and Transparency of Sources
To be compliant on sources, applicants must meet these four criteria
- 3.1 The applicant identifies the source of all significant evidence used in their fact checks, providing relevant links where the source is available online, in such a way that users can replicate their work if they wish. In cases where identifying the source would compromise the source’s personal security, the applicant provides as much detail as compatible with the source’s safety.
- 3.2 The applicant uses the best available primary, not secondary, sources of evidence wherever suitable primary sources are available. Where suitable primary sources are not available, the applicant explains the use of a secondary source.
- 3.3 The applicant checks all key elements of claims against more than one named source of evidence save where the one source is the only source relevant on the topic.
- 3.4 The applicant identifies in its fact checks the relevant interests of the sources it uses where the reader might reasonably conclude those interests could influence the accuracy of the evidence provided.
Criteria 3.1
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Feb. 22, 2021 FACT CHECK: DID NANCY PELOSI SAY, ‘YOU NEED TO VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRATS, OTHERWISE THE ILLEGAL ALIENS WILL LOSE THEIR RIGHTS’? Verdict: False.
Sources: "Check Your Fact found no instances of the remark in the congressional record. A search of Pelosi’s verified social media accounts likewise turned up no results. Nor does the remark appear on either of her congressional websites. Pelosi’s communications director Henry Connelly told Check Your Fact in an email that, “This is fabricated.'" Normally, I would say relying on spokespeople is a pass, but here it was used after official Congressional records were consulted, which makes its use feel complementary.
done_all 3.1 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 3.2
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Dec. 29, 2020 FACT CHECK: WAS THE NASHVILLE EXPLOSION CAUSED BY A MISSILE STRIKE? Verdict: False.
Sources: A missile expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies; Nashville Police Department videos.
done_all 3.2 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 3.3
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Nov. 4, 2020 FACT CHECK: VIRAL IMAGE FALSELY CLAIMS WISCONSIN HAD MORE VOTES CAST THAN REGISTERED VOTERS Verdict: False
Sources: Wisconsin Elections Commission; Associated Press
done_all 3.3 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 3.4
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the applicant’s use of sources in a randomised sample of its fact checks to assess compliance. No additional evidence is required.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Feb. 22, 2021 FACT CHECK: IS FEMA GIVING $800 FOOD VOUCHERS TO TEXANS AFFECTED BY THE WINTER STORM? Verdict: False
Sources: FEMA; White House Press Release
done_all 3.4 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Section 4: A commitment to Transparency of Funding & Organization
To be compliant on funding and organization, applicants must meet these five criteria
- 4.1 Applicants that are independent organizations have a page on their website detailing each source of funding accounting for 5% or more of total revenue for its previous financial year. This page also sets out the legal form in which the organization is registered (e.g. as a non-profit, as a company etc).
- 4.2 Applicants that are the fact-checking section or unit of a media house or other parent organization make a statement on ownership.
- 4.3 A statement on the applicant’s website sets out the applicant’s organizational structure and makes clear how and by whom editorial control is exercised.
- 4.4 A page on the applicant’s website details the professional biography of all those who, according to the organizational structure and play a significant part in its editorial output.
- 4.5 The applicant provides easy means on its website and/or via social media for users to communicate with the editorial team.
Criteria 4.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please confirm whether you are an ‘independent organization’
or ‘the fact-checking section or unit of a media house or other parent organization’ and share proof of this organizational status.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Check Your Fact is a for-profit subsidiary wholly owned by The Daily Caller, Inc. The majority owner of the Daily Caller, Inc. is co-founder and publisher Neil Patel. Its organizational status is explained prominently on the site's "About Us," "Privacy Policy" and "Terms of Service" pages. We have also provided the Daily Caller, Inc.'s certificate of status.
https://checkyourfact.com/about-us/
https://checkyourfact.com/privacy-policy/
https://checkyourfact.com/terms-of-service/
Check Your Fact is funded by The Daily Caller’s general news budget, as well as revenue generated through advertising. Expenditures for Check Your Fact include employee salaries and website maintenance.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
This relationship and remaining five criteria are clearly stated. Email addresses are clear as is its presence on Twitter.
done_all 4.1 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 4.2
Proof you meet criteria
If your organization is an “independent organization”, please share a link to the page on your website where you detail your funding and indicate the legal form in which the organization is registered (e.g. as a non-profit, as a company etc).
If your organization is “the fact-checking section or unit of a media house or other parent organization”, please share a link to the statement on your website about your ownership.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
https://checkyourfact.com/about-us
https://checkyourfact.com/privacy-policy/
https://checkyourfact.com/terms-of-service/
On Check Your Fact's About Us page, we state:
"Check Your Fact is a for-profit subsidiary wholly owned by The Daily Caller, Inc. The majority owner of The Daily Caller, Inc. is co-founder and publisher Neil Patel.
The Daily Caller’s fact-checking team is funded by The Daily Caller’s general news budget, as well as revenue generated through advertising. Expenditures for Check Your Fact include employee salaries and website maintenance."
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Compliant. Its relationship is transparent.
done_all 4.2 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 4.3
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to where on your website you set out your organizational structure, making clear how and by whom editorial control is exercised.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
https://checkyourfact.com/about-us/
https://checkyourfact.com/staff/
Decisions about what to investigate, as well as our conclusions, are guided only by Check Your Fact's editors and journalists. Check Your Fact exercises editorial independence over the creation of fact check content.
Check Your Fact
27-Apr-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
https://checkyourfact.com/about-us/
https://checkyourfact.com/staff/
Decisions about what to investigate, as well as our conclusions, are guided by Check Your Fact's editors and journalists. Check Your Fact exercises editorial independence over the creation of fact check content.
All fact checks are vetted, approved and edited by dedicated Check Your Fact editors. Fact checks may be performed on a contributing basis by Daily Caller staff and other freelance journalists who are thoroughly vetted by Check Your Fact's editors.
During the calendar year 2020, Check Your Fact had a licensing agreement through its parent company, the Daily Caller, with the Daily Caller News Foundation, a Delaware 501(c)(3) non-profit news organization. The DCNF is a separate legal entity from the Daily Caller.
During that calendar year, Check Your Fact had one DCNF contributor (Brad Sylvester) that was supported by a grant from the Searle Freedom Trust for investigative reporting. In January 2021, Brad Sylvester joined the CYF staff.
We previously disclosed the DCNF contributor/licensing agreement on last year's recertification application, which can be found under criterion 4a here:
Check Your Fact's fact checks are also housed on the Daily Caller's website because our content management system automatically duplicates them. The canonical URLs for our fact check are Check Your Fact.
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The CYF website's staff page has been updated to provide more clarity on how we exercise editorial independence.
https://checkyourfact.com/staff/
"Fact checks are also performed on a contributing basis by Daily Caller staff and other freelance journalists who are thoroughly vetted by Check Your Fact’s editorial team. All fact checks are vetted, approved and edited by Check Your Fact editors."
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Related to its ownership and staff, I should note that the CYF Staff page says, "Fact checks are also performed by The Daily Caller staff and other freelance journalists who are thoroughly vetted by The Daily Caller's editorial team." From a Fall 2019, Columbia Journalism Review article about the fact-checking ecosystem: “In addition, an emphasis on nonpartisanship opened the door to partners such as Check Your Fact, which is funded by the Daily Caller, a right-wing site that is itself adrift from truth.” It raises questions between how much overlap there is between CYF and The Daily Caller, but I do not believe there is any evidence that would qualify CYF as "non-compliant" under this section. CYF's fact checks also, according to its application, "They are also housed on The Daily Caller website: http://dailycaller.com/"
I note here that there have been questions including in nonpartisan science publications raised about the truthfulness of CYF's parent “news” site The Daily Caller. According to the IFCN checklist, CYF does not outwardly show any links to political parties or governments. I note while the Internet certainly is awash in “news” sites on both the Left and Right, the fact-checking process looks at facts, which do not belong to either political party. That said, in several explanations for how "news" stories were covered, CYF fact checkers write they checked claims against "The Daily Caller News Foundation." Whether there is too much overlap with The Daily Caller and whether that is a legitimate news source falls outside the scope of the criteria measured here, but I believes it warrants mention as it relates to what the applicant wrote in Section 6.5: "Check Your Fact exercises editorial independence over the creation of fact check content."
Are they sharing content? Or are they editorially independent? It's hard to evaluate based on the different points in its assessment and in its own fact checks.
cancel 4.3 marked as Request change by Margot Susca.
Margot Susca Assessor
12-May-2021 (3 years ago)
Related to its ownership and staff, I should note that the CYF Staff page says, "Fact checks are also performed by The Daily Caller staff and other freelance journalists who are thoroughly vetted by The Daily Caller's editorial team." From a Fall 2019, Columbia Journalism Review article about the fact-checking ecosystem: “In addition, an emphasis on nonpartisanship opened the door to partners such as Check Your Fact, which is funded by the Daily Caller, a right-wing site that is itself adrift from truth.” It raises questions between how much overlap there is between CYF and The Daily Caller, but I do not believe there is any evidence that would qualify CYF as "non-compliant" under this section. CYF's fact checks also, according to its application, "They are also housed on The Daily Caller website: http://dailycaller.com/"
I note here that there have been questions including in nonpartisan science publications raised about the truthfulness of CYF's parent “news” site The Daily Caller. According to the IFCN checklist, CYF does not outwardly show any links to political parties or governments. I note while the Internet certainly is awash in “news” sites on both the Left and Right, the fact-checking process looks at facts, which do not belong to either political party. That said, in several explanations for how "news" stories were covered, CYF fact checkers write they checked claims against "The Daily Caller News Foundation." Whether there is too much overlap with The Daily Caller and whether that is a legitimate news source falls outside the scope of the criteria measured here, but I believes it warrants mention as it relates to what the applicant wrote in Section 6.5: "Check Your Fact exercises editorial independence over the creation of fact check content."
Are they sharing content? Or are they editorially independent? It's hard to evaluate based on the different points in its assessment and in its own fact checks.
done_all 4.3 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 4.4
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to where on your website you set out the professional biographies of those who play a significant part in your organization’s editorial output.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
https://checkyourfact.com/staff
Geoff Ingersoll is the Daily Caller's editor-in-chief.
Check Your Fact employs two dedicated editors, Aislinn Murphy (managing fact check editor) and Alyssa Miguel (fact check editor), as well as fact check reporters Trevor Schakohl, Elias Atienza, Jonathan Fonti, Ryan Eichler and Brad Sylvester.
Fact checks may be performed by the Daily Caller staff and other freelance journalists who are thoroughly vetted by The Daily Caller's editorial team.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Yes, these are listed.
done_all 4.4 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 4.5
Proof you meet criteria
Please share a link to where on your website you encourage users to communicate with your editorial team.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
http://checkyourfact.com/contact
We also encourage our readers to contact us on our methodology page, as well as at the bottom of each article.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Yes, this is clear and appears easy-to-use.
done_all 4.5 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Section 5: A commitment to Standards and Transparency of Methodology
To be compliant on methodology, applicants must meet these six criteria
- 5.1 The applicant publishes on its website a statement about the methodology it uses to select, research, write and publish its fact checks.
- 5.2 The applicant selects claims to check based primarily on the reach and importance of the claims, and where possible explains the reason for choosing the claim to check.
- 5.3 The applicant sets out in its fact checks relevant evidence that appears to support the claim as well as relevant evidence that appears to undermine it.
- 5.4 The applicant in its fact checks assesses the merits of the evidence found using the same high standards applied to evidence on equivalent claims, regardless of who made the claim.
- 5.5 The applicant seeks where possible to contact those who made the claim to seek supporting evidence, noting that (I) this is often not possible with online claims, (II) if the person who makes the claim fails to reply in a timely way this should not impede the fact check, (III) if a speaker adds caveats to the claim, the fact-checker should be free to continue with checking the original claim, (IV) fact-checkers may not wish to contact the person who made the claim for safety or other legitimate reasons.
- 5.6 The applicant encourages users to send in claims to check, while making it clear what readers can legitimately expect will be fact-checked and what isn’t fact-checkable.
Criteria 5.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please provide a link to the statement on your website that explains the methodology you use to select, research, write and publish your fact checks.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
CYF has a clear methodology section, and its individual fact checks clearly state and explain how it debunked/upheld claims.
done_all 5.1 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 5.2
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Feb. 20, 2021 FACT CHECK: DID DONALD TRUMP JR SAY TEXAS HAS A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR?
In one of the fact checks I looked at that is featured prominently on its site and Twitter today, Feb. 22, 2021, fact checker Elias Atienza links to a Newsweek fact check of a disputed tweet made by Donald Trump Jr. on Feb. 19 related to conditions in Texas and related to Sen. Ted Cruz's Cancun trip and about comments Trump Jr. made on Twitter about it. I think it's a tricky situation for a fact check site to be linking to other fact check sites' work. I would recommend this be avoided, especially when CYF can rely on its own methodologies and staff members to do this work.
But, more notable is something else that I am flagging from that same fact check that contradicts something CYF has written under Criteria 2.2, and that I believe should be brought to their attention. Related to that aforementioned CYF fact check of the Feb. 19 Trump Jr. tweet where media members claimed Trump Jr. incorrectly implied the governor of Texas is a Democrat, Atienza wrote: “Andrew Surabian, a spokesperson for Trump Jr., told Check Your Fact in an emailed statement that Trump Jr. was ‘falsely accused’ of saying the governor of Texas is a Democrat." He quoted that Trump Jr. spokesman:
“Not only does his tweet reference ‘Governor’s’ in the plural, instead of the singular ‘Governor,’ the accompanying video makes clear that he is referencing pro-lockdown Democrat Governors across the country, as he specifically mentions the Governors of both California and New York, but doesn’t mention anything about the Governor of Texas,” Surabian said.”
The tweet in question attached reads Democrat Governor’s which is not in fact plural; Democrat Governors’ would have demonstrated both plural and possessive, which Trump Jr.’s tweet did not. His original tweet appears to very much be referring to a single person in ownership of something; certainly who it's referring to is a matter of some debate. It’s not fair to the fact-checking process to allow a spokesperson to then weigh in with something that can, through basic grammar rules, be shown as false. Atienza wrote in his Feb. 20 fact check: “Despite unclear syntax and punctuation in his tweet, Trump Jr.’s statement in context with the video is about Democratic governors who did not comply with their own executive orders and, in his opinion, mishandled the coronavirus lockdowns.” I would agree with Atienza that Trump Jr.’s tweet did not reference a state’s specific governor, but calling it “unclear syntax and punctuation” is a misrepresentation.
Under Criteria 2.2 the applicant wrote that it does not fact check claims with "ambiguous wording" though that's used as an actual justification here. I mark this section as non-compliant to flag these issues, although I do not believe one example from hundreds is reason for alarm.
djtjr tweet cyf.png (34 KB)
spox djtjr.png (63 KB)
done_all 5.2 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 5.3
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Dec. 29, 2020 FACT CHECK: WAS THE NASHVILLE EXPLOSION CAUSED BY A MISSILE STRIKE?
Method: They discussed with an expert in the field the claim which had gone viral thanks to Twitter "sleuths" looking at smoke in the sky before the Nashville bombing in December. The smoke was, their video review showed, going down, not up, and that, with the review with the missile expert showed how they debunked the claim.
done_all 5.3 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 5.4
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Feb. 9, 2021 FACT CHECK: DOES THIS IMAGE SHOW HILLARY CLINTON WEARING AN ANKLE MONITOR?
Method: Reverse image search.
done_all 5.4 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 5.5
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the methodology used in a randomised sample of your fact checks to assess compliance with these criteria. No additional evidence is required.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Feb. 5, 2021 FACT-CHECKING MY PILLOW CEO MIKE LINDELL’S ‘ABSOLUTE PROOF’ ELECTION FRAUD SPECIAL
"Lindell has made a number of baseless allegations about widespread election fraud over the past few months. Dominion Voting Systems, an election technology firm that has been a popular target for misinformation since the 2020 presidential election, reportedly sent the My Pillow CEO a letter threatening to sue him over his allegations of fraud involving the firm’s machines, The New York Times reported. Here are four checks on claims from Lindell’s “Absolute Proof” special."
Method: News reports; interviews with primary sources including a general manager at a business targeted by Lindell; email with questions to Georgia Secretary of State’s office; review of Detroit government website
done_all 5.5 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 5.6
Proof you meet criteria
Please describe how you encourage users to send in claims to check, while making it clear what readers can legitimately expect will be fact-checked and what isn’t fact-checkable. Include links where appropriate. If you do not allow this, explain why.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
We encourage our readers to send us feedback, including recommendations on future fact-checks.
http://checkyourfact.com/contact
http://checkyourfact.com/methodology
You may contact one of our reporters, or send an email to the managing fact check editor, Aislinn Murphy: aislinn@checkyourfact.com.
What makes a good fact check? We avoid fact-checking opinions or claims that are overly broad. For example, “Assault rifles are used in most school shootings” can be readily fact-checked, whereas “Banning assault weapons would stop school shootings” is something we leave the public to debate.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
This is clear. And in the samples I looked at 1) in the last three months 2) for sourcing and 3) to look at method CYF stays in the realm of facts and not opinion.
done_all 5.6 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Section 6: A commitment to an Open & Honest Corrections Policy
To be compliant on corrections policy, applicants must meet these five criteria
- 6.1 The applicant has a corrections or complaints policy that is easily visible and accessible on the organization’s website or frequently referenced in broadcasts.
- 6.2 The policy sets out clear definitions of what it does and does not cover, how major mistakes, especially those requiring revised conclusions of a fact check, are handled, and the fact that some complaints may justify no response. This policy is adhered to scrupulously.
- 6.3 Where credible evidence is provided that the applicant has made a mistake worthy of correction, the applicant makes a correction openly and transparently, seeking as far as possible to ensure that users of the original see the correction and the corrected version.
- 6.4 The applicant, if an existing signatory, should either on its corrections/complaints page or on the page where it declares itself an IFCN signatory inform users that if they believe the signatory is violating the IFCN Code, they may inform the IFCN, with a link to the IFCN site.
- 6.5 If the applicant is the fact-checking unit of a media company, it is a requirement of signatory status that the parent media company has and adheres to an open and honest corrections policy.
Criteria 6.1
Proof you meet criteria
Please provide a link to where you publish on your website your corrections or complaints policy. If you are primarily a broadcaster, please provide evidence you frequently reference your corrections policy in broadcasts.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
http://checkyourfact.com/corrections
While our job is to ascertain the truth, we will occasionally make mistakes. When we do, we commit to hastily correcting our errors so that our readers can get the real story. If you spot an error, please alert us via our tip line.
The prominence of our correction will be commensurate to the gravity of the error. Typos will be corrected without fanfare, minor corrections will be noted at the bottom of the article and major factual corrections will be noted at the top.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Its corrections policy is clear. Its link takes you to a list of other staff members/tip lines and a mailing address.
done_all 6.1 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 6.2
Proof you meet criteria
The assessor will review the corrections policy to verify it meets critera. No additional information needed.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Yes, it's a good corrections policy. All below taken from its website:
CORRECTIONS POLICY
While our job is to ascertain the truth, we will occasionally make mistakes. When we do, we commit to hastily correcting our errors so that our readers can get the real story. If you spot an error, please alert us via our tip line.
The prominence of our correction will be commensurate to the gravity of the error. Typos will be corrected without fanfare, minor corrections will be noted at the bottom of the article and major factual corrections will be noted at the top.
done_all 6.2 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 6.3
Proof you meet criteria
Please provide a short statement about how the policy was adhered to over the previous year (or six months if this is the first application) including evidence of two examples of the responses provided by the applicant to a correction request over the previous year. Where no correction request has been made in the previous year, you must state this in your application, which will be publicly available in the assessment if your application is successful.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Check Your Fact has issued 1 correction from February 2020 to February 2021. It has added updates to 4 articles during the same period.
Check Your Fact issued one correction, after an inquiry from a reader regarding when an FBI raid was conducted in Annandale and a document found during the raid.
"CORRECTION: This article has been updated to properly reflect when an FBI raid was conducted in Annandale, Virginia, and to address a document found during the raid. We regret the error."
The correction did not necessitate a change in verdict.
We updated two articles to include comments from spokespeople who provided responses to our requests for comment after the articles had been published. Neither warranted a change in verdict.
https://checkyourfact.com/2021/02/11/fact-check-gorilla-glue-profane-tweet-hair/
https://checkyourfact.com/2021/01/22/fact-check-rachel-levin-associated-press-hostile-misgendering/
We updated another piece due to minor spelling errors.
https://checkyourfact.com/2020/03/24/fact-check-national-guard-blocking-access-florida-georgia/
We also updated a fact check we published on a quote attributed to Daniel Andrews, the premier of Australia’s Victoria state.
"UPDATE: This article has been updated to add the factual quote that the hyperbolic embellishment was based on."
The quote in the viral post originated from a satirical article. The update added a real quote from the premier that the fabricated quote appeared to be based on, in order to add more context to our reporting.The update did not necessitate a change in verdict.
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The Corrections Policy page on the CYF has been updated. https://checkyourfact.com/corrections/
Added statement:
"While our job is to ascertain the truth, we will occasionally make mistakes. When we do, we commit to hastily correcting our errors so that our readers can get the real story. If you spot an error, please alert us via our tip line. The prominence of our correction will be commensurate to the gravity of the factual error. Typos will be corrected without fanfare, minor corrections will be noted at the bottom of the article and major corrections will be noted at the top. We also occasionally update articles to include additional information to provide more context to our reporting and to include comments from relevant parties who responded to requests for comment after the publication of our stories. Such additions will be noted at the bottom of the article."
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Check Your Fact has a policy in place that notes minor and major corrections or updates to its initial fact checks; these include updates and corrections that may or may not alter its initial verdict.
done_all 6.3 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 6.4
Proof you meet criteria
If you are an existing signatory, please provide a link to show where on your site you inform users that if they believe you are violating the IFCN Code, they may inform the IFCN of this, with a link to the complaints page on the IFCN site.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
https://checkyourfact.com/about-us/
"Check Your Fact is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network’s Code of Principles. If a reader believes Check Your Fact is violating the Code of Principles, they can inform the International Fact-Checking Network here."
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Yes, this is clearly stated/made apparent on its site.
done_all 6.4 marked as Compliant by Margot Susca.
Criteria 6.5
Proof you meet criteria
If you are the fact-checking unit of a media company, please provide a link to the parent media company’s honest and open corrections policy and provide evidence that it adheres to this.
Check Your Fact
21-Dec-2020 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
As previously mentioned in the application, Check Your Fact is a for-profit subsidiary wholly owned by the Daily Caller, Inc. Check Your Fact exercises editorial independence over the creation of fact check content.
Margot Susca Assessor
22-Feb-2021 (3 years ago) Updated: 3 years ago
Yes, this is clear and compliant.