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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →To check a political claim, preserve the speaker’s exact words, find evidence closest to the underlying fact, and compare it with independent, current sources. Then assess the campaign message’s framing separately: a statement can be accurate yet incomplete, selective, or designed to persuade. For voting rules and election results, use the official election authority for the relevant jurisdiction.
Start with the exact claim
Save or write down the precise wording, who said it, when and where it was said, and the full clip, post, or document if available. A quotation excerpted from a longer speech may change meaning, so check the surrounding context before evaluating it. The Associated Press explains its approach to choosing claims and assessing their evidence in What we fact-check and why.
Decide what kind of statement it is
Some statements are verifiable: claims about an event, count, record, law, or program can be checked against evidence. Others are opinions or value judgments, such as “I support working families,” and cannot be settled by a document or dataset. Predictions are different again: their inputs and assumptions may be checked, but the future outcome remains uncertain.
Prioritize assertions that matter to public understanding rather than trying to adjudicate every rhetorical flourish. UNESCO’s Fact-checking 101 covers identifying checkable claims and assessing evidence.
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Find evidence closest to the claim
For statements about a law, official count, government program, or administrative decision, seek the responsible record, original document, dataset, or agency explanation. Then compare it with independent reporting and relevant expertise. A source that directly maintains a record may be better placed to establish what that record says; independent corroboration can help test interpretation and expose gaps.
Check whether apparently separate reports actually rely on the same press release, post, or unnamed source. If they do, they are not independent confirmation. Follow citations back to the original material where possible. The AP describes corroborating claims with documents, on-the-record sources, and multiple reliable sources in its verification practices.
Assess the source, not just its conclusion
Ask who produced the material, whether the source has relevant expertise or direct access, what evidence supports its statements, and what purpose it serves. Check that it is authentic and current for the claim’s date and location. UNESCO’s media and information literacy standards emphasize evaluating a provider’s authenticity, authority, credibility, and purpose.
Check statistics and comparisons in context
A number can be genuine while its presentation is misleading. Before repeating a statistic, identify its definition, source, date, time period, geography, population, and denominator. Check whether the comparison uses the same measure and population, and whether a baseline, qualification, or uncertainty is missing.
For example, a claim that a policy “cut costs” needs a defined cost measure and a relevant before-and-after period. A change in one measure does not by itself establish that the policy caused it. The AP notes that claims can be exaggerated or selectively use data rather than fitting a simple true-or-false verdict in its fact-checking guidance.
Separate factual accuracy from campaign persuasion
Evaluate the message’s factual components, then ask what the speaker wants the audience to believe or do. Notice emotional language, comparisons, implied cause and effect, and which relevant facts or qualifications are omitted. A campaign may use an accurate figure selectively; a factually correct line may still create an incomplete impression.
Describe the distinction rather than treating every advertisement as simply “true” or “false.” When a disputed statement is newsworthy, explain what is known and what is not established without giving the claim more repetition or credibility than necessary. The AP’s guidance on when and how to report on propaganda recommends informing audiences of a statement’s existence and gist without becoming another channel for its messaging.
Verify photos, video, and social posts
A caption does not prove where or when an image was made, or what it depicts. Look for the earliest available version and corroborate its origin, date, and location. Compare landmarks, signs, weather, language, and other scene details; check whether the clip is edited or presented outside its original context.
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Reverse-image searches, geolocation, frame-by-frame checks, and contacting the original filmer are among the newsroom methods described in the AP’s visual verification practices. If you cannot establish a detail yourself, state that limit instead of presenting an inference as confirmed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use current local sources for election information
Registration, deadlines, polling procedures, ballot handling, counting, and results are jurisdiction-specific and time-sensitive. Check the official election authority responsible for the particular place and election; a general news article or an example from an earlier election is not a current procedural guide. IFES discusses election information categories in Speech and Elections, while the AP’s historical election coverage illustrates misinformation issues rather than supplying current local rules.
When sources disagree, compare their evidence
- Authority and access: Is the source responsible for the underlying record or directly positioned to know?
- Independence: Are sources reporting separately, or repeating one original account?
- Evidence: Do they point to documents, data, complete recordings, or named witnesses?
- Scope: Are they addressing the same wording, population, period, and location?
- Currency: Is the material up to date for the event or rule in question?
- Completeness and purpose: Are qualifications missing, or is the provider advocating for an outcome?
- Authenticity: For visuals, is the material original, correctly dated and located, and shown in context?
These are comparison questions, not a standardized scoring system. If evidence remains incomplete or conflicting, say which parts are supported, which are disputed, and what cannot yet be established.
Write a conclusion readers can check
Restate the claim fairly, name the evidence examined, and explain what it supports and what remains uncertain. Attribute figures and quotations to their source and date. “Not verified” does not mean “false,” and a rating is not a substitute for explaining the evidence behind it. The AP’s fact-checking guidance calls for attributed supporting facts and a description that fits the evidence.
For further learning, UNESCO’s Media and Information Literate Citizens, Module 4 includes media-literacy and fact-checking learning objectives.
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