FactCheck.org
Professional services
UnclaimedA nonprofit, nonpartisan U.S. political fact-checking and misinformation research website.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
FactCheck.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan fact-checking website focused primarily on claims made in U.S. politics. It is operated by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, part of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation. The site describes its mission as reducing deception and confusion in public affairs through original research and clear explanations of inaccurate, misleading, or false claims. The project went online in December 2003 after journalist Brooks Jackson and scholar Kathleen Hall Jamieson developed the concept at the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Jackson brought extensive experience covering Washington and national politics for the Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and other outlets. His earlier CNN work included the “Ad Police” reports, which examined political advertising and campaign-finance claims during the 1992 election cycle. Jamieson’s earlier scholarship on campaign rhetoric, including her analysis of the 1988 presidential contest, helped shape the project’s emphasis on political communication and deception. FactCheck.org’s main output is original reporting that examines statements by presidential candidates, elected officials, political parties, campaigns, political action committees, and advocacy organizations. Its articles generally identify the claim at issue, review available evidence and primary documentation, provide context, and explain the organization’s conclusion. The site does not limit its work to one party, and it has frequently assessed claims from both Democratic and Republican figures. Its coverage has included elections, health policy, taxes, immigration, foreign affairs, the economy, government spending, and public-health controversies. In addition to standard fact checks, the site has offered recurring features designed to help readers navigate recurring or viral misinformation. Ask FactCheck allows users to submit questions, often about internet rumors. Viral Spiral organizes widely circulated myths and points readers toward explanatory articles. Party Lines examines talking points repeatedly used by members of a political party, while Mailbag publishes reader correspondence, including both praise and criticism. The project has also produced educational material about political “spin,” including the 2007 book UnSpun, co-authored by Jackson and Jamieson. The organization gained national visibility during the 2004 vice-presidential debate, when Dick Cheney referred to the site while discussing his record at Halliburton. Cheney mistakenly called it “FactCheck.com,” prompting the actual FactCheck.com domain to be redirected to a site critical of George W. Bush. FactCheck.org again became a prominent participant in campaign-media debates during the 2012 presidential election, when it challenged an Obama campaign advertisement concerning Mitt Romney, Bain Capital, and the outsourcing of U.S. jobs. The Obama campaign disputed the assessment in a detailed letter circulated to news organizations. FactCheck.org expanded its election work during the 2016 presidential campaign, maintaining archives for candidates and becoming one of Facebook’s third-party fact-checking partners. Its work has received recognition from journalism and digital-media organizations, including Time, PC Magazine, the Association for Women in Communications, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Webby Awards. The project also supports journalism training through University of Pennsylvania undergraduate fellowships. It remains an active editorial and educational operation rather than a commercial consumer brand or publicly traded company.
History
The idea behind FactCheck.org developed from concerns about the quality of political advertising and campaign rhetoric. Kathleen Hall Jamieson’s scholarship on political communication, including her criticism of misleading campaign practices in the 1988 presidential election, helped establish the intellectual basis for a project devoted to examining political claims. Brooks Jackson supplied the practical journalism background. A veteran reporter who had covered Washington and national politics since 1970, Jackson had worked for the Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal and later became known at CNN for “Ad Police” reports during the 1992 campaign. Those reports scrutinized candidates’ advertising strategies, financing claims, and persuasive techniques. In 2003, Jamieson approached Jackson about creating a permanent online fact-checking operation at the Annenberg Public Policy Center. FactCheck.org went online in December of that year. Its initial and continuing purpose was to conduct original research into political misinformation and to explain contested claims in language accessible to general readers. Rather than functioning as a political advocacy organization, the site was structured as a journalism and research project associated with the University of Pennsylvania. The website’s core method has been to identify a public claim, locate relevant evidence, and assess the claim’s accuracy and context. Coverage has included statements from candidates, presidents, members of Congress, campaigns, political parties, political action committees, and interest groups. The organization’s output has often become part of wider media debates because political campaigns and journalists cite, dispute, or respond to its conclusions. FactCheck.org’s profile rose sharply during the 2004 vice-presidential debate. Dick Cheney referred to the site while defending his record as Halliburton’s former chief executive, but mistakenly called it “FactCheck.com.” The error created an unusual domain-name episode: the similarly named commercial domain was redirected to a website critical of President George W. Bush. FactCheck.org rejected Cheney’s characterization of its analysis, arguing that John Edwards had been largely correct in discussing Cheney’s responsibility for earlier Halliburton controversies. The organization broadened its public-facing services through features such as Ask FactCheck, Viral Spiral, Party Lines, and Mailbag. These formats allowed it to answer reader questions, track recurring online myths, examine partisan talking points, and publish correspondence about its work. In 2007, Jackson and Jamieson co-authored UnSpun, a book explaining how political figures and media outlets use selective facts, emotionally loaded language, and other forms of “spin.” Jackson left the director role in January 2013 and became director emeritus. Eugene Kiely, whose previous journalism experience included The Record, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and USA Today, became director. The project also developed a training dimension by offering annual fellowships to University of Pennsylvania undergraduates and maintaining a small professional journalism staff. FactCheck.org was again prominent during the 2012 presidential contest. It assessed an Obama campaign advertisement alleging that Mitt Romney was connected to the outsourcing of American jobs through Bain Capital. The organization concluded that the advertisement incorrectly attributed outsourcing actions to Romney because the cited actions occurred after he had left the company to lead the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, although the campaign argued that he retained responsibility. The episode illustrated the organization’s role as an intermediary between campaign advertising and the news media. During the 2016 election cycle, FactCheck.org published extensive material about the large Republican and Democratic candidate fields, eventually maintaining dedicated archives for the remaining candidates. It also joined Facebook’s third-party fact-checking program, making its findings available through the platform’s system for identifying and contextualizing disputed content. The organization has continued to operate as an editorial project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Its recognition has included digital-media, journalism, and communications awards, including Webby Awards, People’s Voice Awards, Clarion Awards, and Society of Professional Journalists honors.
- 2019
Fifteenth anniversary recognized
[1]FactCheck.org marked fifteen years of operation.
- 2016
FactCheck.org becomes a Facebook fact-checking partner
[1]The organization joined Facebook’s third-party fact-checking program during the 2016 presidential election cycle.
- 2013
Leadership passes to Eugene Kiely
[1]Brooks Jackson stepped down as director and became director emeritus; Eugene Kiely assumed the director position.
- 2012
Fact-checking becomes part of a major campaign advertising dispute
[1]FactCheck.org challenged an Obama campaign advertisement about Romney, Bain Capital, and outsourcing, prompting a formal campaign response.
- 2007
UnSpun is published
[1]Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson published a public guide to detecting political deception and media spin.
- 2004
Vice-presidential debate brings national attention
[1]Dick Cheney cited the organization during the vice-presidential debate, while mistakenly referring to FactCheck.com.
- 2003
FactCheck.org goes online
[1]The Annenberg Public Policy Center launched the nonprofit fact-checking site in December, with Brooks Jackson as its founding director.
Products and positioning
Independent, evidence-based, nonpartisan political fact-checking and public-information journalism.
Political journalism · 2003
FactCheck.org fact-checking articles
The site’s principal editorial product consists of reported analyses of claims made by political candidates, elected officials, campaigns, parties, political action committees, and advocacy groups. Articles generally combine primary-source research, documentary evidence, contextual reporting, and an explicit assessment of the claim’s accuracy.
Reader service
Ask FactCheck
Ask FactCheck responds to questions submitted by readers, especially questions arising from online rumors, political messages, and disputed public claims. It extends the organization’s reporting process beyond claims selected solely by editors.
Misinformation archive
Viral Spiral
Viral Spiral collects widely circulated internet myths and misleading narratives that FactCheck.org has investigated. It provides a concise explanation and links readers to the organization’s fuller reporting and evidence.
Political analysis
Party Lines
Party Lines examines talking points that recur across statements by members or representatives of a political party. The feature helps readers distinguish repeated partisan messaging from independently established facts.
Book and media-literacy resource · 2007
UnSpun
UnSpun is a 2007 book by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson about recognizing deceptive political communication, selective presentation of facts, and other forms of media and campaign spin.
Marketing campaigns
- 2012Bain Capital outsourcing advertisement dispute
United States
FactCheck.org reviewed an Obama campaign television advertisement alleging that Mitt Romney was responsible for outsourcing American jobs through Bain Capital. The organization concluded that the advertisement misrepresented the timing of the cited events, while the campaign argued that Romney retained responsibility despite his departure from Bain’s day-to-day leadership.
Outcome. The campaign publicly contested the fact-check in a detailed letter distributed to major news organizations.
Brand decisions
2016
Join Facebook’s third-party fact-checking programStrategyBackground
The 2016 presidential election generated a large volume of online political claims and misinformation, increasing demand for fact-checking across social platforms.
Action taken
FactCheck.org became a fact-checking partner of Facebook and made its findings available through the platform’s review process.
Aftermath
Its work gained a broader distribution channel and became more directly connected to platform-level efforts to identify and contextualize disputed content.
Recent events
Reported
FactCheck.org wins Sigma Delta Chi Award[3]
FactCheck.org won its second consecutive Sigma Delta Chi Award for fact-checking from the Society of Professional Journalists; the announcement was made June 12.
- Unconfirmed
Facebook partners with NABJ on journalism fellowships[4]
The National Association of Black Journalists partnered with Facebook on a program offering nine journalists year-long fellowships at companies across the country, with training and networking opportunities also available.
Reported
FactCheck.org partners with Hearst TV[5]
FactCheck.org entered into an agreement for its work during the 2020 election cycle to be featured on Hearst Television outlets, including TV and radio stations and their websites.
Sources5 sources
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