duPont Library: News and Views: Finding a Balance: Checking the Facts

Fact Checking Websites

AllSides
Unlike regular news services, AllSides exposes bias and provides multiple angles on the same story so you can quickly get the full picture, not just one slant.
Double Check Your Facts
People on the street take "the easiest quiz of all time," but get the wrong answers. Find out why! From the News Literacy Project.
FactCheck.org
A nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.
Factitious
A fun online game profiled by NPR to test your skill at telling apart real news and fake news.
FlackCheck.org
"Headquartered at the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, FlackCheck.org is the political literacy companion site to the award-winning FactCheck.org. The site provides resources designed to help viewers recognize flaws in arguments in general and political ads in particular. Video resources point out deception and incivility in political rhetoric."
Just Facts
"Just Facts is a non-profit research and educational institute dedicated to publishing comprehensive, straightforward, and rigorously documented facts about public policy issues."
Open Secrets (Center for Responsive Politics)
Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the Center for Responsive Politics is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.
Politifact.com
PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics.
ProCon.org
"Promoting critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, and primarily pro-con format."
Propaganda Critic
"Propaganda Critic is dedicated to promoting techniques of propaganda analysis among critically minded citizens."
Public Agenda
"Public Agenda works to strengthen democracy and expand opportunity in America by fostering thoughtful public opinion, meaningful public participation and responsive public institutions."
Snopes
An independent website that checks claims, myths, rumors, urban legends, and misinformation in order to provide accurate information on a variety of topics.
Vote Smart
"Vote Smart's mission is to provide free, factual, unbiased information on candidates
and elected officials to all Americans."
Washington Post Fact Checker
"The purpose of this website, and an accompanying column in the Sunday print edition of The Washington Post, is to 'truth squad' the statements of political figures regarding issues of great importance, be they national, international or local."

Polling and Issues Websites

These sites include data and infographics that can help you see what people think about your controversy.

Pew Research Center
"Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world."
Gallup Trends
Trends presented by one of the premier organizations for public opinion polling data
Harris Poll
"From sports to health, politics to the economy, the Harris Poll reflects Americans’ opinions on a wide range of topics and are regularly published by national, local, consumer, business and trade media outlets."

Think Tanks

Think tanks do research and present reports on issues, but they should be viewed with caution by information-seekers, since they are often partisan. Because of this bias, they may be helpful for research into a particular viewpoint. Often the general consensus will align think tanks with a particular place on the political spectrum. Those alignments are noted in the descriptions below.

Brookings Institution
"The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level." (Centrist)
Cato Institute
"The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization — a think tank — dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace." (Libertarian)
Heritage Foundation
"The mission of The Heritage Foundation is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense." (Conservative)
Institute for Policy Studies
"IPS is a progressive think tank dedicated to building a more equitable, ecologically sustainable, and peaceful society. In partnership with dynamic social movements, we turn transformative policy ideas into action." (Liberal)
Lexington Institute
"It is the goal of the Lexington Institute to inform, educate, and shape the public debate of national priorities in those areas that are of surpassing importance to the future success of democracy, such as national security, education reform, tax reform, immigration and federal policy concerning science and technology." (Conservative)
Policy Archive
"PolicyArchive is an innovative, new digital archive of global, non-partisan public policy research. It makes use of the power, efficiency, and economy of modern Internet technology to collect and disseminate summaries and full texts, videos, reports, briefs, and multimedia material of think tank, university, government, and foundation-funded policy research." (Bi-partisan)

Jessie Ball duPont Library

News and Views: Finding a Balance

Other Research Guides

Fact Checking Websites

Polling and Issues Websites

Think Tanks