PolitiFact facts for kids

PolitiFact.com is a special project that checks if what people say in politics is true. It's run by a group called the Poynter Institute, which is in St. Petersburg, Florida, and also has an office in Washington, D.C..

PolitiFact started in 2007. It was created by the Tampa Bay Times newspaper. Reporters and editors from the newspaper and its partners work together. They check statements made by elected officials, people running for office, their teams, and groups involved in U.S. politics. Their main goal is to help people know if what they hear is accurate.

What is PolitiFact?

PolitiFact is a nonprofit group. This means it doesn't try to make money for owners. Instead, it uses its money to do its work. Its main job is to check facts. They look at things said by politicians and other people in government. They want to make sure the public gets correct information.

How PolitiFact Checks Facts

PolitiFact has a special way to check statements. They use a "Truth-O-Meter" to rate how true a statement is. The ratings range from "True" to "Pants on Fire!"

Here's what the ratings mean:

• True: The statement is accurate and there's nothing important missing.
• Mostly True: The statement is accurate but needs a little more information or context.
• Half True: The statement has some truth, but also some false parts or is misleading.
• Mostly False: The statement has an element of truth but is mostly false.
• False: The statement is not accurate.
• Pants on Fire!: The statement is completely false and often silly or ridiculous.

Why Fact-Checking Matters

Checking facts helps everyone. It helps people understand what is really happening in politics. When statements are checked, it encourages politicians to be more careful with their words. This helps people make better decisions about who to support. It also helps them understand important issues.

History of PolitiFact

PolitiFact began in 2007. It was started by the Tampa Bay Times newspaper. The idea was to bring fact-checking to everyday news. They wanted to focus on what politicians said. In 2009, PolitiFact won a special award. It received the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting. This award is for excellent journalism. It showed that their work was important and well-done. Later, in 2018, PolitiFact became part of the Poynter Institute. The Poynter Institute is a school for journalists. This move helped PolitiFact continue its work.