Fact Checking

Fact-checking

My local newspaper’s new practice of adding brief fact-checking notes to letters containing demonstrably false or unsupported factual claims deserves enthusiastic praise. It may be one of the most valuable public services a newspaper can provide.

This practice neither censors anyone nor limits free speech. Editors simply provide factual context so readers can reach their own conclusions. Verifying factual claims is a natural extension of a newspaper's editorial judgment and responsibility.

For instance, the editor recently clarified a recent letter that said the SAVE AC didn't impose any new burdens on citizens by pointing out that, if passed, it would require many voters to have a passport or certified birth certificate with photo ID, and those whose names had changed, would need additional documentation.

Correcting misinformation, wherever it occurs, even in Letters to the Editor, benefits everyone.

Eric Peterson,
Santa Rosa CA