Parents' Guide to

PolitiFact

By Jennifer Sitkin, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Find out who's telling the truth in politics.

Website http://www.politifact.com/
PolitiFact Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this website.

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age 17+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Honest_reviews_4_u
Honest_reviews_4_u Adult
December 20, 2021
age 18+

Only opinions with no facts

A left leaning fact checking website that has caught itself in some hot water with Facebook for trying to push off left leaning opinions as fact. They went on a horrid campaign of spreading misinformation, endorsoring it, and silencing any facts that made the left look bad. Don't use nor trust this site for anything past a quick laugh.

This title has:

Too much consumerism
B C.
B C. Parent of 13-year-old
November 19, 2018
age 15+

Meticulous and thorough

As an educator, PolitiFact helps sift through the rhetoric of public officials and cut straight to verifiable facts and information. The purported one-sided bias and alleged reporting of false information are unverified. There is nothing to worry about here in regards to biased reporting as PolitiFact covers a wide range of public figures from both sides of the aisle. Comparisons will find members of both sides of the aisle are evaluated with the same frequency, with an occasional lean towards evaluating more statements from the right (metaphorical scales here would give the right a few more drops in the bucket, but not much more). Complexity and interest are the only age gates here.
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What’s It About?

POLITIFACT helps people find out who's telling the truth in American politics. The site is run by the Tampa Bay Times, an independent newspaper, and it fact-checks statements made by elected officials, candidates, and pundits. The content is updated daily, and each fact-check is rated from "True" to "Pants on Fire." The ratings are explained, and there are links to relevant sources. The site also tracks campaign promises made by the president and other elected officials, identifying politicians who have flipped on a variety of issues. There are a number of ways to search for information including by issue, rating, or people. Along with the ratings are timely articles that cover key political topics.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (3):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Politifact can play an important role in encouraging kids to question statements made by people in positions of power and influence. The site is a good fit for a family interested in discussing current events. The Truth-O-Meter ratings help to improve conversations between kids and adults when they're talking about the issues covered in the statements as well as the entire political process. Plus, it should help to decrease the amount of confusion and arguments for different political statements; the site provides numerous links to prove or disprove claims made in the media. The one downside for kids is that the overall content is clearly written for adult consumption, so some kids would need to have parental direction to be sure the information was fully understood. But, for parents looking to get their kids interested in what's real and what's not in the world of politics, Politifact is a great resource.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about who they think is telling the truth in American politics and then fact-check using the Truth-O-Meter. Did you discover any surprises during this fact-checking, or was it what you expected?

  • Families can talk about political candidates during an election and discuss whether or not they're telling the truth to the American public. Did the politicians you thought were telling the truth accurately describe issues or bend facts to suit their needs?

Website Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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