The week in fact-checking: Introducing Mr. Twitter, and a governor’s ‘hissy fit’

The American Press Institute presents a roundup from the world of fact checking, debunking and truth telling — just in case you haven’t been paying as much attention as we do.

Quote of the week
“Apparently, the coach has never met everybody’s unimpeachable source, Mr. Twitter.”  San Jose Mercury News columnist Mark Purdy on the 49ers coach’s bewilderment over team rumors.

Fact check of the week
Beware the gubernatorial “hissy fit.” When things get emotional, facts get lost. Indy Week found some suspicious statements this week in Gov. Pat McCrory’s angry press release about EPA rules. Read it.  

Fact-checking tip of the week
Hey, guys on the stage last week in Cleveland: You can’t ALL have the “healthiest economy of any state in the union.” A Florida radio commentator shares some tips on fact-checking the economic status of your state. Listen to it.

What? Something is fake on the internet?
Seems like the Aussies should know that you just don’t mess with Vegemite — which is sort of like the U.S. equivalent of Nutella or peanut butter but much more gross. When a viral rumor started about moonshiners using Vegemite to make their product, Social News Daily’s fact-check quickly watered it down. Read it.

Fact-checking fail
Yes, infographics need fact-checking, too. The BBC apparently did not do the math on their graphic about milk prices, so FullFact did. (And to its credit, the BBC published a corrected version within minutes.)  Read it.

Fact-checking the 2016 election
About that math stuff. If you’re one of those journalists who proudly proclaims an ignorance of math, maybe you want to enroll in a remedial course at your local community college. The presidential candidates and pundits are already having fun with numbers. Read these fact checks from McClatchy’s D.C. bureau and PunditFact.

Fact-checking for good
A former reporter who suffered from depression explains how and why she used her fact-checking skills to manage her condition. Read it.

The technology of fact-checking
A professor at the University of Texas explains to the Austin-American Statesman how his “Claim-Buster” software could work during presidential debates. But, he warns, it can never be the “holy grail” of automated fact-checking. Read it.

Some fact-checking fun
John Oliver’s rant on sex education is a bit sad, particularly if you have a young teenager or if you’ve ever been one. But it’s also funny, NSFW (well, depending on where you work) — and  factually correct, according to a fact-check conducted by Education Week. Watch it. Read it.

If you’re interested in what researchers are finding out about the impact of fact-checking, check out our new directory. And let us know if you’d like your research listed.