How does PolitiFact Georgia’s Truth-O-Meter work?
Our goal is to help you find the truth in American politics. Reporters from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution fact-check statements by local, state and national political leaders, including lobbyists and interest groups. We then rate them on the AJC Truth-O-Meter.
To fact-check a claim, reporters first contact the speaker to verify the statement. Next, the research begins. Reporters consult a variety of sources, including industry and academic experts. This research can take hours or a few days or even longer, depending on the claim. Reporters then compile the research into story form and include a recommended Truth-O-Meter ruling.
The fact check then moves on to a panel of veteran editors who debate the statement and the reporter’s recommended Truth-O-Meter ruling. The panel votes on a final ruling; majority prevails.
Georgians might still be making up their minds about which candidate to support in the March 1 primary.
But those non-partisan fact-checkers at PolitiFact and PolitiFact Georgia have been keeping tabs on the candidates for more than a year.
When polls open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Georgia voters will determine how the state’s 193 delegates get divvied up.
Front runners at this point appear to be Hillary Clinton on the Democratic side, with a stronger-than-expected Bernie Sanders hoping for an upset, and Donald Trump on the Republican end of the ticket, with Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio hoping to kick him out of the top spot.
PolitiFact investigates candidates’ claims and then rates those statements on the Truth-O-Meter, which has a scale that ranges from True to Pants on Fire.
Clinton has taken a ride of the Truth-O-Meter 160 times over the years, with most of the fact-checks occurring in the last year. Sanders has faced the meter 64 times. Clinton's statements have been rated True about 25 percent of the time and Sanders about 16 percent. Clinton's statements were rated False 13 percent of the time, and she has been given one Pants on Fire. About 10 percent of Sanders' statements were rated False and he had no Pants on Fire rulings.
On the Republican side, PolitiFact has rated 99 statements by Trump, 90 by Cruz and 138 by Rubio. Only one percent of Trump's statements have been rated True, 39 percent False and 20 percent Pants on Fire. About 18 percent of Rubio's statement have been rated True, about 15 percent False and he has gotten three Pants on Fire rulings. About 4 percent of Cruz's statements have been rated True, 31 percent False and 8 percent Pants on Fire.
Readers can comment on any of PolitiFact's rulings by going here. And they can follow us on Twitter.
About the Author
