When Ads Blur the Truth, Will Coverage Fight Back?

With the 2012 campaign coverage beginning in earnest, journalistic fact-checking efforts are getting underway in swing state North Carolina.

This week, The News & Observer of Raleigh announced the launch of a new fact-check blog with an early focus on state races. And the other big McClatchy paper, The Charlotte Observer, paired its report on Mitt Romney’s recent visit to Charlotte with a fact-check box assessing the presidential candidates’ competing claims on job figures. These are welcome efforts, and a good start on the tough work that lies ahead. Another recent episode, unfortunately, offers an example of news coverage that fails to sufficiently sort out a war of words between rival campaigns -- and as a result, leaves voters in the dark.