Fact Checking is Failure
In this era of ‘fake news’ and ‘alternative facts’, fact checkers are working overtime to keep up with the brutal pace of the 2020 Presidential race. After the Vice Presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence, FactCheck.org produced over ten pages of material identifying false and misleading statements by both candidates. These efforts are necessary, heroic even, and yet there are very basic problems with such remediation. Here are five ways that fact checking fails to defend the truth:
Problem 1. First impressions count. For the many people who won’t even bother consulting secondary sources, the original false statement is all they have. Those who do consult secondary sources are encumbered with notions and beliefs that must be undone and replaced. It’s like the difference between building on an empty lot and starting with a messy demolition.
Problem 2. Fact checking repeats and therefore reinforces disinformation. The imperfection of human reasoning and memory means some readers will be mislead due to repetition.
Problem 3. When the truth is more complex than the lie, the truth is more easily forgotten. Sometimes the truth is messy. Being liberated of the burden of truth, lies can be constructed to be more memorable, more interesting, and sometimes even more believable than the truth.
