The Failure of Fact-Checking in an Election Year Is Especially Painful

The general ineptitude of what passes for media “fact-checking” is no secret. We all see it, this pitiful charade.

What feels especially disheartening about it right now is that it stands against the backdrop of a presidential election. It’s a bit like being a lonely heart at Christmastime. The void is there year-round, sure, but the pain is especially pronounced during the holidays. Likewise, if ever there was a time for rigorous fact-checking, it’s a political face-off between two terrible presidential candidates.

At National Public Radio, for example, reporters and editors beclowned themselves on August 11 when they declared in a “fact-check” that Republican nominee Donald Trump made at least 162 misstatements, exaggerations, and “outright lies” during a 64-minute press conference.