What fact checking organisations actually do
Launch library · evergreen read
Fact checking organisations investigate specific claims circulating in public discussion, tracing them back to their original source and assessing them carefully against available evidence. They then publish their findings in a format designed to be genuinely accessible to a general audience without any specialist background knowledge required to understand the conclusion reached.
Their process typically involves documenting the evidence considered in some detail and explaining the reasoning behind a conclusion, which allows readers to evaluate the fact check itself rather than simply accepting a verdict without any explanation offered alongside it. This transparency is precisely what distinguishes a genuine fact check from a simple assertion.
While fact checking organisations cannot possibly review every claim circulating online, their published work often becomes a useful reference point for others navigating the same or a similar claim. Many platforms now link relevant fact checks alongside related content, giving users easier access to that context directly within their own feed.