The Week in Fact-Checking: 100 days and who’s counting

On Saturday, the U.S. presidential race reached the 100-days-until-Election-Day mark, which traditionally is a popular time to look forward (or backward) in American politics. What do political writers predict? “It’s going to be the nastiest 99 days you have ever seen in a political campaign,” wrote The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza on Sunday. Fact-checkers are chasing down the facts behind “outrageous” claims in political ads.  Journalism experts have advice for fact-checkers entering the battle. The co-founder of Snopes says “the bilge keeps coming faster than you can pump” these days. And The Hill says the only winner so far is the pocket-sized version of the U.S. Constitution.

Quote of the week
“While we think we live in an Information Age, that does not mean Americans rely on information for all that they do. That is nowhere more the case than in how they respond to presidential elections.” — James W. Cortado, writing for the Oxford University Press blog

Fact-checking Turkey’s “strange events”
When official news channels shut down and the only source of information during an uprising is social media, things definitely can get a little strange. Using the attempted coup in Turkey as an example, First Draft News offers some valuable clues for fact-checkers trying to determine what’s true.

Test your fakery radar
And by the way, are you perfecting your “crap detection” skills each month with the First Draft News Quiz? Here’s the latest.

Fact-checking the Rio Olympics 
The mayor of Rio used a little creative math when he discussed how much the city spent on the 2016 Summer Olympics. Aos Fatos gave him an “IMPRECISO” rating (inaccurate) after an impressive examination of data, budgets and city contracts.

Spotted: Rare moments in “live” fact-checking
CNN’s chyron — the message that appears under an image on the TV screen — reappeared this week with a fact-check of Donald Trump’s son.  Another (sort of) live fact-checking moment happened after a Trump spokesperson left Wolf Blitzer’s “Situation Room.” Blitzer explained to viewers that she had made a false statement. Watch it.

Fact-checking Hollywood
If you’re in the midst of binge-watching “Stranger Things” on Netflix, you might want to skip to the next item. But if you’re interested in learning how well the show sticks to the facts about alternative universes, read this interesting review from Mic.

Quick fact-checking links
(1) The Duke Reporters’ Lab looks at the growing role of local media in fact-checking state and local politicians.  (2) Here’s an interesting thought: Does believing non-facts help us feel safe? Read this Harvard instructor’s essay.  (3) Catholics for Trump faux-checks a Washington Post fact check and hands out “four Hillarys.”  (4) A mobile art installation is visiting cities around the world with its “Truth Booth”to record visitors’ ideas on truth. (5) People magazine’s feature called “The Week in Fact-Checking Donald Trump — hmmmm, sounds so familiar — tackles Vladimir Putin and the NFL.

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