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.
Donald Trump, Newt Gingrich, Bernie Sanders and actress Minka Kelly.
They all took a recent ride of the AJC Truth-O-Meter, courtesy of PolitiFact and PolitiFact Georgia.
Want to see how their fared? Abbreviated versions of our fact checks are below.
Want to comment on our rulings or suggest one of your own? Just go to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/politifact.georgia). You can also follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/politifactga).
Full versions can be found at www.politifact.com/georgia/.
Newt Gingrich on Sunday, May 15th, 2016 in an interview on “Fox News Sunday”:
“The Chinese last year probably stole $360 billion in intellectual property from the United States.”
The $360 billion figure comes from a senior government official, and there are indications that it could, if anything, understate the scale of the problem.
However, it’s worth remembering that all estimates in this field are subject to guesstimation.
The statement is accurate but needs clarification or additional information.
We rated Gingrich’s statement Mostly True.
Donald Trump on Wednesday, May 11th, 2016 in a tweet:
Says “Elizabeth Warren lied when she says I want to abolish the Federal Minimum Wage.”
Yet when Trump was asked if he would have a federal floor with states going higher if they wish,Trump said, “No.”
While Trump’s other statements can leave readers with a different impression, there is certainly no evidence Warren lied.
She simply used Trump’s own words.
We rated Trump’s statement Mostly False.
Bernie Sanders on Monday, May 16th, 2016 in a town hall in San Juan:
“Puerto Rico’s $70 billion debt is unsustainable and it is unpayable. And the reason why it is unsustainable has everything to do with the greed of Wall Street vulture funds.”
Puerto Rico’s debt was already unsustainable by the time Wall Street hedge funds and banks began playing a role as a result of decades of local mismanagement, U.S. policy and economic misfortune.
But Sanders has a point that the financial sector has taken advantage of and is exacerbating the situation. What’s more, they’re effectively preventing crisis relief by actively working to stop Puerto
Rico from restructuring its debt.
We rated Sanders’ claim Half True.
Actress Minka Kelly on Tuesday, May 10th, 2016 in a post on Instagram:
“By the time you drink your coffee, an elephant is killed for its ivory tusks.”
The group behind this claim, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, is trying to draw attention to a real problem by boiling down complex research into a simple-to-use factoid.
But they are testing limits of the research they’re citing.
The study measured three years and estimated that about 100,000 elephants were killed by poachers in that time period.
Experts caution against taking those figures — which rely on estimates — and boiling them down in the way IFAW did. And since that study concluded, other research suggests that poaching has declined.
And, it should be obvious, but this only really matters if you take 15 minutes to drink a cup of coffee.
We rated Kelly’s claim Half True.
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