Pinocchio Not the Only One Caught Lying

Source: Mike He

Investigative reporters have a responsibility to readers not only to identify compelling stories, but to ensure that the information they are providing is true. Research is dreaded by some, but it is the key to strong reporting. Dave Umhoefer from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is dedicated to research. In 2008, Umhoefer won the Pulitzer Prize  reporting on a pension scandal in Milwaukee based on his use of the Wisconsin Open Records Law. During his visit to the JOUR4953 class, he expressed his intense desire to find truth. He also felt that political writers are dealing with "he-said, she-said" interviews that never actually get the opposing parties to address one another.  
 

PolitiFact  represents a way for traditional media to stay viable. Citing Richard Edelman's aptly named Media "Clover Leaf" as discussed during a keynote speech at Marquette explaining how resources have changed. According to Edelman, media is now made up of four components that impact public engagement - Mainstream, New, Social and Owned.  Notably, new media groups HuffingtonPost and ProPublica have recently been honored with Pulitzer Prizes.

Started in 2007 by the Tampa Bay Times, the PolitiFact teams take statements that raise their eyebrows and deserve some serious investigation. The valuations for the statements on the Truth-Meter range from True all the way to "Pants on Fire!", never a welcome label for the person responsible. Inforgraphics are becoming one of the easiest ways to communicate data on the Web, and the Truth-Meter 's popularity is evidence of that trend. Organizations, public figures and politicians are all open game and it has made the transparency as clear as Pinocchio's nose stretching after a lie.

Umhoefer described the PolitiFact process using Michael Moore as his example.  Moore's comment during a speech he gave in Madison during the protests in March of 2011 is the single most viewed PolitiFact report - ever. Reporters begin their research by contacting the party responsible for the comment and requesting their sources. From there, PolitiFact reporters will follow up on all research and then do their own. All sources are cited and an extensive analytical article is written. The volume of data that can be uncovered by following up on a single sentence is AMAZING - and that's no lie!