What role do fact-checkers and third-party verifiers play?

Use fact-checkers to confirm disputed claims

Fact-checkers and third-party verifiers provide independent assessments of contested or surprising claims. They are valuable for separating verified facts from rumor.

How to use them:

  • Consult fact-checks for viral claims or political statements.
  • Look for methodology and source citations in fact-check reports.
  • Use verifiers to corroborate multimedia evidence like images and videos.
  • Treat fact-checks as complementary to primary reporting, not a substitute for original sources.

Fact-checks are especially useful in fast-moving stories where initial reports may contain errors.