This document provides a brief history of fact-checking from its origins in magazine fact-checking in the 1920s to the present day where there are at least 44 fact-checking sites. It outlines the rise of media, political, and social media/meme fact-checking as well as technology and crowd-driven approaches. It concludes by speculating about the future of fact-checking where tools may automatically fact-check stories and highlight problems.

1. A (very) Brief History of Fact-
Checking
@CraigSilverman
Editor, Regret the Error, Poynter
Editor, Verification Handbook

2. In The Beginning: Magazine Fact-
Checking
“Any bright girl who really applies herself to
the handling of the checking problem can
have a very pleasant time with it and fill
the week with happy moments and
memorable occasions” — Edward
Kennedy, Time (1920s)

3. Media Fact-Checking
• Accuracy in Media, 1969
• FAIR, 1986
• Media Research Center, 1987
(NewsBusters)
• Honest Reporting (2000),
• CAMERA (1982)
• Media Matters for America, 2004

4. Political Fact-Checking
• FactCheck.org, 1993
• PolitiFact, 2007
Today: At least 44 fact-checking sites.
Source: https://www.reporterslab.org/duke-study-finds-fact-checking-growing-around-the-world/

6. Social Media/Meme Checking

8. Technology/Crowd-Driven Fact-
Checking
• Hypothes.is
• Trooclick
• TruthTeller
• TruthGoggles
• LazyTruth
• MediaBugs
• NewsTrust/TruthSquad
• WikiFactCheck

9. The Future?
“In 20 years, I think we will have figured out
how to identify quality and credibility
among the thousands and thousands of
news sources vying for some of my
attention ... my news tools will fact-check
every news story I read, highlighting
mistruths, mistakes, bias, etc., and
providing citation links to back up
highlighted problem areas in the
content.”— Steve Outing, 2011
Source: http://mediadisruptus.com/2011/11/13/online-news-20-years-from-now/