Rising political polarization and declining trust have created an American “marketplace of realities,” where politicians feel less constrained by verifiable facts. Media fact-checking has been a way to ensure accountability and provide factual information in this environment. However, increasing polarization and declining trust in news organizations have muddied the waters in which journalists present and verify factual information. Despite fact-checking’s growing ubiquity, many challenges remain: How can fact-checking efforts leverage new technology, respond to shifts in the political and cultural landscape, and prepare us to be well-informed citizens leading up to the 2020 election and beyond?
Please join AEI for a presentation by David Barker, author of “One Nation, Two Realities: Dueling Facts in American Democracy” (Oxford University Press, 2019), followed by a panel discussion on the current state of fact-checking and challenges faced by those working in this industry.
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