PolitiFact Lab at Poynter will explore new ventures

The PolitiFact Lab at the Poynter Institute will promote best practices in accountability journalism, conduct research on fact-checking and work with PolitiFact on new ventures. Poynter, a nonprofit educational institution that owns the St. Petersburg Times, the Florida newspaper that operates PolitiFact, will seek support for the programs from foundations and other underwriters.

The partnership will be modeled after the success of joint programs that Poynter and PolitiFact created in 2010 for PolitiFact Florida, a unique partnership of the Times, the Miami Herald and other Florida newspapers. It was underwritten by grants from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Collins Center for Public Policy and the Craigslist Charitable Fund.

"The PolitiFact Lab at Poynter will build on the strengths of the two organizations," said Stephen Buckley, dean of faculty at Poynter. "Poynter has always been passionate about promoting excellent journalism that strengthens democracy, which is what PolitiFact is all about. This initiative brings together our talented faculty and PolitiFact's innovative approach to accountability journalism."

Founded in 1975 in St. Petersburg, Fla., the Poynter Institute is one of the nation’s top schools for professional journalists and news media leaders, as well as future journalists, journalism teachers, and the general public. Poynter’s website is the dominant provider of journalism news, with a focus on business analysis and the opportunities and implications of technology.

PolitiFact was launched in 2007 to fact-check the presidential campaign. In 2009, the site began fact-checking pundits and talk show hosts and created a new feature, the Obameter, to track President Barack Obama’s 500-plus campaign promises. The website has received numerous awards, including the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting. The site is a product of the Times, Florida’s largest newspaper.