The Fact-Checking Explosion (American Journalism Review)

Quoted: “What I?ve heard from folks running for office is that they don?t want a ?Pants on Fire,?” says Ken Goldstein, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who specializes in political advertising. “Pants on Fire” is the worst rating doled out by PolitiFact, reserved for assertions that make a ridiculous claim and are clearly false. Goldstein admits being surprised that some politicians have even changed the wording of statements in response to criticism from a fact-checker. “If you had asked me before, I would have been dismissive about the impact of these,” Goldstein says. “But I have been hearing some anecdotal evidence that some politicians know that it?s in place and are reacting.”