Part A.
“In 2020, more journalists were killed in Mexico than in any other country in the world.”
This statement is rated as true.
On February 16th, the Senate Committee met to discuss the country’s relations with Colombia and Mexico. During this meeting, Senator Cruz highlighted his concern for the growing civil unrest and the crackdown on the civil society in Mexico. He then went o to read the statistics of journalists and politicians killed in the region. He then stated that in 2020, Mexico recorded the highest number of journalists killed than any other country.
The website reached out to The Committee to Protect Journalists to verify this information. This committee is based in New York, and it is an independent nonprofit organization that tracks violations against press freedom throughout the world. The organization uses investigators to confirm whether journalists are targeted for their work. Based on the evidence collected, it is true that more journalists were killed in Mexico than in any other country. I agree with the true rating on the website as it is based on factual evidence.
Part B,
“Under Greg Abbott’s leadership, Texas is putting taxpayer dollars into Chinese companies.”
This statement is rated as mostly false.
On February 12th, 2022, former Senator Don Huffines made this statement through an advertisement on Facebook and Instagram. This statement referred to the 9.12-billion-dollar investment made by seven of the state’s public pension systems. The statement is mostly false as the governor, and his appointees do not directly manage or make investment decisions regarding pension funds.
The website determined its rating by looking at the Texas County and District retirement system investment, funding, and oversight policies. I agree with the website’s rating that this statement is mostly false as the county’s policy directs that pension money managers are the only individuals that can make investment choices.
Part C.
Influential individuals in powerful positions, government, and politics increasingly make remarks that lack basis. Political fact-checking is crucial as it forces these individuals to be accountable for their actions and words. Some of the best practices for political fact-checking include original sourcing, transparency, and clarity. Good sources are essential in fact-checking as they are a source of information and trends. Therefore, original sourcing is important as it guarantees the integrity of information and protects it from manipulation and outside pressures. In addition, original sourcing ensures that information is direct and easily verified.
Fake news is a common phrase that refers to misleading information. Power individuals have been found guilty of spreading fake news due to political motives or with the intent of influencing the public’s views. Therefore, transparency is vital in political fact-checking as it helps spread the truth and promotes reliability. Transparency in political fact-checking involves openness in information gathering, dissemination, and organization.
Lastly, clarity is an essential best practice for political fact-checking as it helps articulate information in a manner that all people can understand. Clarity is just as important as accuracy in political fact-checking as it shows an understanding of a particular subject, further promoting confidence in the audience. Information clarity is crucial in dealing with misinformation.
