The hottest Fact-checking Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top U.S. Politics Topics

Meta's Content Moderation Turnabout

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 2443 implied HN points • 07 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Free speech Content Moderation Democracy Fact-checking Social media
  1. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has decided to stop using 'fact checkers' to manage content. They believe this approach has led to too much censorship and frustration among users.
  2. A key issue in democracy is the need for accurate information while facing challenges in understanding the world. People often rely on biased or second-hand information for decision-making.
  3. The struggle for truth and reliable information is complicated by various viewpoints. Finding a balance between expertise and public freedom of expression is essential for a healthy democracy.

The rise and fall of "fact-checking"

Silver Bulletin • 824 implied HN points • 08 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Media Misinformation Fact-checking Political Bias Social media
  1. Facebook is getting rid of fact-checkers because they were seen as biased. They will be replaced with a community notes system, letting users help decide what is true.
  2. Fact-checking has always been part of journalism, but it became a separate role after the 2016 election. Many thought it was necessary to fight misinformation, but it also created trust issues.
  3. There are concerns that community-driven fact-checking might not work well on a large platform like Facebook. The idea is that everyone should be checking facts, not just a few designated people.

Further Confirmation the New York Times Peddles Lies

The DisInformation Chronicle • 355 implied HN points • 10 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Media bias Disinformation Political Commentary Journalism Fact-checking
  1. Be skeptical of what you read in major media, like the New York Times. It's important to question the facts presented to you.
  2. Some writers may ignore the reality of significant issues, such as inflation, which can lead to misleading conclusions.
  3. It's crucial to look closely at the evidence behind claims, particularly in areas like science and public health, as not all information is based on strong evidence.

NY Times Opinion Page is a Fact-Challenged Disaster

The DisInformation Chronicle • 840 implied HN points • 09 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Media Criticism Political Ideology Fact-checking Opinion Pieces
  1. The New York Times' opinion page is facing criticism for not sticking to strong journalism standards anymore. Many believe it prioritizes narratives over facts.
  2. Recent articles in the Times show a lack of thorough fact-checking and reliance on questionable information. This has led to misleading claims being widely shared.
  3. There are growing concerns about the connections between writers at the Times and big industries, especially in how they report on issues like healthcare and the opioid crisis.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Anatomy of a Fact Check

Machine Learning Everything • 459 implied HN points • 20 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Fact-checking Social media Freedom of Speech Public Policy
  1. Fact checks can be biased in what they choose to examine and how they define the claims. This means they may not always provide a clear or balanced picture.
  2. In a recent case, an 11-year-old was arrested, but it was for violent disorder and not for posting mean tweets. This shows how information can get misinterpreted.
  3. There are indeed laws in Britain against sending offensive messages online, highlighting that some people can face serious consequences for their posts, even if it seems extreme.

The independent truth service

Gray Mirror • 76 implied HN points • 14 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media Fact-checking Public Discourse
  1. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter need to create independent truth services. This would help them figure out what information is reliable and what isn't.
  2. Currently, our trusted sources of truth, like newspapers and universities, are becoming less reliable. We need better systems to ensure that the truth is accurately represented.
  3. Building a solid and powerful truth signal can change how we see and understand facts. If we create a strong, trustworthy source of information, it could help improve the way people perceive what's true.

LA wildfires disinformation reveals limits of fact-checking

Weaponized • 37 implied HN points • 13 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Disinformation Social media Fact-checking Public Policy Crisis response
  1. Meta is ending its fact-checking program, and many are worried this will make it harder to fight disinformation. However, fact-checking wasn't very effective in tackling deeper issues of intentional misinformation to begin with.
  2. Disinformation today is more complex, with factors like social media and human biases making it hard for fact-checking to keep up. People often prefer simple narratives over nuanced facts, which leads to the spread of misleading information.
  3. Just because Meta is stepping back from fact-checking doesn't mean it's going away. Other organizations will still work to debunk false claims, and we need to rethink how we approach the problem of disinformation in our online world.

Who fact-checks the fact-checkers?

The Free Mind • 1277 implied HN points • 28 Feb 23
📰 News Fact-checking COVID-19 FBI
  1. The US Energy Department and the FBI suggest the Covid-19 virus likely leaked from the Wuhan lab.
  2. Specialized scientific knowledge is not necessary to observe the possibility of the Covid-19 virus originating from the Wuhan lab.
  3. Access to the full post archives and more content is available through a 7-day free trial on The Free Mind.

FACT CHECK: No, President Biden Didn’t Call Donald Trump Supporters “Garbage”

Proof • 68 implied HN points • 31 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political Commentary Fact-checking Media Analysis Election coverage
  1. President Biden did not insult Donald Trump supporters by calling them 'garbage.' Instead, he was criticizing a specific comment made by a Trump supporter.
  2. The media and Trump used Biden's words out of context to create confusion and controversy. This shows how misinformation can spread easily.
  3. It's important to fact-check statements and understand the context behind what politicians say, especially during election times.

URGENT: Free speech wins at Meta

Unreported Truths • 42 implied HN points • 08 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Free speech Censorship Social media Fact-checking Political Influence
  1. Meta is stopping its efforts to censor posts about immigration and gender. This change is being framed as a return to free speech on the platform.
  2. The debate around fact-checking is ongoing. It often shows how opinions can differ on what is true, rather than just stating hard facts.
  3. Zuckerberg aims to bring back civic content to Facebook because people want to see all sides of an issue, and just sharing fun content isn't enough.

Melville in Jeopardy!

All Visible Objects • 39 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
📚 Literature Authors Books Trivia Fact-checking
  1. Melville and Moby-Dick have been featured on Jeopardy since the very beginning, with various trivia related to the author and his works cropping up in clues and questions.
  2. Contestants on Jeopardy have a high success rate in answering Melville-related questions, showing a strong familiarity with the author and his famous novel, Moby-Dick.
  3. Jeopardy includes a wide range of Melville-related topics in its questions, covering not only Moby-Dick but also other works like Billy Budd, Bartleby, and even including deep cut references to Melville's life and lesser-known works.

Twitter Makes Journalism And Academia Look Terrible

Dilan’s Newsletter • 58 implied HN points • 18 Apr 23
📰 News Journalism Academia Twitter Social media Fact-checking
  1. Twitter can lead to journalists spreading inaccurate information when rushing to provide quick hot takes.
  2. Journalists and academics engaging in Twitter fights with insults and profanity can harm their professional reputation.
  3. Academics on Twitter may misrepresent their expertise, leading to a loss of trust in academic institutions.

Disinformation Handbook: A Concise Guide to Countering Disinformation (2)

Natto Thoughts • 19 implied HN points • 07 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Disinformation Artificial Intelligence Social media Fact-checking Data Analysis
  1. The post discusses disinformation and how it can harm individuals and society.
  2. Tips are provided to detect and avoid disinformation, including advice on how to investigate sources and spot deepfakes.
  3. Various professionals like litigators, intelligence analysts, fact-checkers, and historians, provide valuable insights for countering disinformation.

Truth and consequences

Internal exile • 5 HN points • 08 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Social media Disinformation Generative models Fact-checking
  1. Generated images on food delivery apps are often perceived as placeholders to fulfill basic requirements, not meant to deceive or enhance the customer's experience
  2. Generative images symbolize a power shift where technology companies dictate realities that must be accepted, regardless of quality or accuracy, aligning users with this new authority
  3. Concerns over fake images highlight the complexities of truth and reality perception, emphasizing the need to navigate between obviousness, evidence, and asceticism in seeking truth

Beyond ChatGPT: Exploring New Frontiers for NLP Specialists in a World of Advanced AI Chatbots

AI Progress Newsletter • 3 implied HN points • 22 Apr 23
🕹 Technology NLP Chatbots Fact-checking AI Research
  1. Developing domain-specific chatbots tailored to industries like healthcare, finance, and legal services can provide specialized support and knowledge to users.
  2. Automated fact-checking systems using NLP techniques aim to verify the accuracy of information to combat misinformation in news articles and social media.
  3. NLP specialists have various opportunities to explore beyond ChatGPT, as the field is evolving with new challenges and possibilities.

The unluckiest lucky people

The End(s) of Argument • 0 implied HN points • 18 May 21
🚌 Education Critical Thinking Misinformation Fact-checking Media Literacy
  1. The story of 'Lucky Anna' challenges the idea of luck and encourages critical thinking about information shared.
  2. Teaching methods can benefit from being relatable, even if it means being a bit playful or making dad jokes.
  3. It is important to fact-check and verify information before drawing conclusions or believing in stories shared.

Stranger than fiction

The End(s) of Argument • 0 implied HN points • 13 May 21
🚌 Education Fact-checking Critical Thinking
  1. When teaching web literacy, it's essential to highlight odd but true information that may seem false at first glance.
  2. To verify information online, checking the authenticity of the source, like official verification marks, and looking for consistent coverage from reliable news sources are crucial steps.
  3. It's not about proving something is true but about confirming if what you're seeing aligns with your assumptions and reactions, emphasizing the importance of verifying sources and information.