Beyond the Truth-O-Meter

[Commentary] PolitiFact was among the first news sites dedicated to fact-checking, along with Snopes and FactCheck.org. The meter was innovative because it summarized our conclusions in handy ratings. But I’ve evolved. It’s been 11 years since we launched PolitiFact, and I think it’s time to move beyond my beloved meter. I am heading a project at Duke University that is developing ways to automate fact-checking—including new ways to present the conclusions. I think the Truth-O-Meter’s ratings (which now range from True to Pants on Fire) are still effective for many readers. But I have come to realize that in our polarized environment, the meter I invented is not reaching everyone, and not reaching conservatives in particular.

I conceived PolitiFact’s Truth-O-Meter as a convenient summary of in-depth journalism. But we found that a large share of our audience fixated on the meter, no matter how thorough the article was. That was especially true when they disagreed with the rating. The meter was so effective that people used it to hate us. I suspect conservative readers’ concern about ratings is magnified by their long-held suspicion of the news media.  Looking ahead to the future of automated fact-checking, I haven’t stopped loving my invention. I still believe the Truth-O-Meter will be valuable for many people. But I recognize it doesn’t work for everyone, and I’m open to other ways of telling the truth.

[Bill Adair is the Knight Professor of Journalism and Public Policy at Duke University, and the founding editor of PolitiFact.]