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Should I use PolitiFact?

Fact-checking journalism with the Truth-O-Meter - politifact.com

· 1 month ago

Nothing to buy — PolitiFact is a free nonprofit news site, so use it any time you want a documented check on a US political claim. Don't treat it as the final arbiter: peer-reviewed studies and readers across the spectrum dispute its neutrality.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 20+ public sources; many snippets were truncated, so user quotes are limited to thread titles.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence found.
  • Security postureNo security evidence either way.

Pricing

$0

Free reader

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Reader membershipDonation-based; amount not published

Best for

  • Voters checking US political claims
  • Journalists citing sourced fact-checks
  • Media-literacy classrooms
  • Researchers using claim-rating datasets

Not for

  • Anyone wanting an uncontested referee — bias complaints span the spectrum
  • Non-US politics; coverage centers on American politicians
  • Teams wanting self-serve API or data-feed access
  • Readers who treat any single fact-checker as gospel

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Licensing and syndication access runs through partnerships, not self-serve

medium

Citing it can trigger pushback; audiences dispute its neutrality

low

Free to read, but membership signup includes a recurring fee agreement

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checking journalism (2009)
  • Nonprofit-owned with published funding disclosures
  • Signatory to the IFCN code of principles
  • Published methodology for the Truth-O-Meter
  • Tracks politicians' campaign promises over time

Cons

  • Persistent bias accusations from readers across the spectrum
  • Peer-reviewed studies critique its fact-checking
  • Truth-O-Meter verdicts are subjective editorial judgments
  • Polarized trust: some audiences dismiss it outright

Sources & method

- 14 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x6review x7news x1

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 14

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free to read; optional membership.
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Searchable site; ratings easy to grasp.
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Ratings plus promise trackers; no self-serve data.
  • Support quality. No support evidence found.
  • Security posture. No security evidence either way.
  • Free Price Optional donation-based reader membership
  • 2009 Pulitzer Prize National reporting
  • Poynter Institute Owner Nonprofit; Poynter deal in 2018
  • 2007 Founded Guess: launched by St. Petersburg Times

Pricing

Free reader

$0

  • Full fact-check archive
  • Truth-O-Meter ratings
  • Politician promise trackers

Reader membership

Donation-based; amount not published

  • Supports the newsroom
  • Fees apply per signup terms

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

Alternatives

Compare PolitiFact with each alternative.

  • Snopes

    Broader scope: viral claims, not just politics.

  • FactCheck.org

    Nonpartisan written checks, no ratings meter.

    PolitiFact vs FactCheck.org

  • Washington Post Fact Checker

    Pinocchio ratings from a major newsroom.

  • AP Fact Check

    Wire-service checks across US politics.

Companies that use it

  • PBS News10
Full analysis

Based on 20+ public sources; many snippets were truncated, so user quotes are limited to thread titles.

Free, Pulitzer-winning US fact-checker. Worth reading, not gospel — ratings are opinions and bias complaints persist.

Methodology

Based on 20+ public sources; many snippets were truncated, so user quotes are limited to thread titles.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. PolitiFactpolitifact.com
    official
  2. PolitiFact - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    review
  3. Who Pays For PolitiFact?politifact.com
    official
  4. PolitiFact - IFCN Code of Principlesifcncodeofprinciples.poynter.org
    official
  5. The Principles of the Truth-O-Meterpolitifact.com
    official
  6. Join the PolitiFact Nationpolitifact.com
    official
  7. PolitiFact: Join (fundjournalism)politifact.fundjournalism.org
    official
  8. Checking PolitiFact's Fact-Checks (Taylor & Francis)tandfonline.com
    review
  9. Fact-checking fact checkers (Harvard Misinformation Review)misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu
    review
  10. PBS News and PolitiFact Partnershippbs.org
    news
  11. Is Politifact truly neutral? (Reddit)reddit.com
    review
  12. Do you trust fact checking sites like politifact? (Reddit)reddit.com
    review
  13. PolitiFact - Common Sense Mediacommonsensemedia.org
    review
  14. PolitiFact - RAND Truth Decayrand.org
    review

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