The Facts of (Political) Life: Fact-Checking and Misinformation on the 2012 Campaign Trail
Channel: New America
Date: 06/03/2012

The Facts of (Political) Life: 

Fact-Checking and Misinformation on the 2012 Campaign Trail

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These may be the best of times and the worst of times for the cause of fact-based political discourse. By almost any measure, the 2012 presidential race is shaping up to be the most scrutinized electoral contest in American history, with every candidate's every utterance vetted by droves of Twitterati, traditional news outlets, non-profits dedicated to objectivity, partisan media critics, and opposing campaigns themselves.   

At a time of ever-accelerating news cycles, however, it's increasingly difficult for subsequent clarifications and corrections to keep up with distortions and misinformation, as voters have typically moved on to the next story.  And so, out-of-context quotes such as President Obama's aside about Americans being (or not being) lazy and Mitt Romney's love of firing people (or insurance companies) still have a great deal of staying power.  

Against this backdrop, New America invites you to consider the interplay of these trends at a launch event for three papers that explore the history of journalistic fact-checking, the social science that explains its impact on the process and public attitudes, and the current fact-policing ecosystem. 

Participants

Introduction
Tom Glaisyer
Knight Media Policy Fellow
New America Foundation

Featured Speaker
Lucas Graves
Research Fellow
Media Policy Initiative

Panelists
Wendell Potter
Senior Analyst
Center for Public Integrity

Jason Reifler
Assistant Professor
Georgia State University

Bill Adair
Editor, PolitiFact 
Washington Bureau Chief for the Tampa Bay Times

Moderator
Steve Coll
President
New America Foundation

http://www.newamerica.net/events/2012/the_facts_of_political_life